Rainier Bullets

[chiefr]

Has anyone used Rainer bullets? It would be interesting to get some feedback on them. I understand they are merely lead with a thin copper plating.

[spacecoast]

There was a thread about this a couple of weeks ago, I think it applies to Rainier as much as to Berry's

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=423361

[chiefr]

Thanks Spacecoast.
I think I will order some and give them a try. Been reloading for 35 years & never used plated bullets before. I will heed the belling advice.

[AMSting]

Ranier is all I have ever used. Watch the crimp and don't worry about anything else.

[BigJimP]

I've used a lot of Rainiers in 9mm and .45 acp ....and they've been fine ( but load them to lead bullet specs / or at or near min for jacketed bullets - and keep the speed down on them ... or they will fracture. But I shoot thousands of Rainiers in both 9mm and .45acp every year.

You will find the bullet weights on Rainiers will vary quite a bit because of the way they plate them. On 124gr RN 9mm I've seen them vary as much as 3 or 4 grains in some boxes. Occasionally, I will see a nose on a bullet - that is a little mis-shapen as well ... But they're inexpensive ...so that's the trade off...

I stay away from Rainiers in magnum calibers - .357 mag and especially in .44mag. Even with the speed down on these calibers - I had too many bullets with their plated coatings fracturing and shrapnel going everywhere...

Berry's are a plated bullet as well - but the plating is much thicker - and I've had pretty good luck with them in a variety of calibers - including .357 mag.

For .44 mag / I stay with true jacketed bullets like Montana Gold. Montana Gold is a very high quality bullet - and you can order case lots from the plant in Kalispell, MT off their website - and they pay the freight - but last I knew their lead time was around 6 weeks / although it is getting better I hear.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Just finished shooting a batch of Rainer in .40s&w. I don't have any hard research facts, but they were accurate and didn't foul my bore. I liked them.

[willr]

Don't forget X-treme plated:

http://www.xtremebullets.com/

I have used all three. I believe X-treme are a little less costly, and measure up to the best elsewhere.

willr

[steve4102]

Or you could load FMJ and JHP for less $$ than Rainier plated.

[RWBlue01]

I like the Rainier PHP and regular non-HP. They worked well for me in 9mm, 45ACP/Super and 45-70 and 458WM.

[WESHOOT2]

I have used Rainiers in 9x19, 9x21, 38 Super, 38 Special, 357 Magnum, 40 S&W, 10mm, 44 Magnum, 45 Colt, and 45 ACP.
I may be missing a few....

I still use them in 9x19, 9x21, 38 Special, 357 Magnum, 40 S&W, and 44 Magnum.

Their 180g .400" version can provide stellar accuracy in 40 S&W and 10mm; I still use their 151g and 158g versions for my USPSA 357 Magnum Major PF loads; I never found good accuracy EXCEPT the miserable-feeding 200g PHP in 45 ACP.
I offered commercial 9x19/9x21/38 Super SD loads using their 124g HEX-HP bullets.
I still use a few 124g TCP-RN for 9x19.

[deputy fife]

I have never had the problems that BigJim is describing with .357 mag, but I use x-treme bullets. I like them pretty well, their prices online include shipping, and they get them to you pretty quick. I shoot them out of a marlin lever action with some near max loads using lead data. I don't think I will go much higher though because I don't want to have my bullets shedding their jackets. Appreciate the info BigJim.

[COSteve]

I stay away from Rainiers in magnum calibers - .357 mag and especially in .44mag. Even with the speed down on these calibers - I had too many bullets with their plated coatings fracturing and shrapnel going everywhere.

You're likely crimping them too hard and cutting the plating because I shoot both 165grn Rainiers and Berrys in my custom G20L 10mm at as high as 1,503 fps and don't have any problems at all with them shedding their plating. Further, I shoot some 158grn Berry's .357mag at 1,822fps out of my Rossi levergun and they show no signs of issues either.

Berry's are a plated bullet as well - but the plating is much thicker - and I've had pretty good luck with them in a variety of calibers - including .357 mag.

Actually, I've sectioned both a Berry's and Rainier 230grn 45acp bullet and measured the thickness of the plating. Both companies plating measured .007" thick. BTW, I've had great luck with plated pistol bullets at long ranges; 200yds with my 10mm and 300yds with my 357mag. The accuracy is just as good as when I use jacketed Zero 357mag or Montana Gold 10mm.

In fact, my 180grn Rainier 10mm are more accurate at longer range than the same handload using some 180grn Speer Gold Dots which are also plated bullets.

[sonnycrockett]

http://www.precisiondelta.com

cheaper and nicer IMO