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Old February 19, 2009, 06:17 PM   #1
hawkins50cal
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Berry's bullets - good or bad?

I am looking for a little help. I am new to reloading & trying to get as much information as I can. I have come across Berry's Plated Bullets. Are these as good as name brand, (remington, winchester, etc...). I am reloading 9mm & looking to also reload 9x18. Any comments or suggestions would be most appreciated.

Thanks
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Old February 19, 2009, 07:31 PM   #2
RickV
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I have not used Berry's yet. I ordered 250 38spl from them the other day. What I have been using is Precision Delta's 115 FMJ in my 9mm they work great. And they are about the same price as the Berry's Plated.
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Old February 19, 2009, 07:57 PM   #3
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I have been shooting Berry's (a couple thousand now) and I'll give them the +1. I'm loading 357, not max but pretty healthy, and they're shooting very well.

The two I've used are the 158 gr. round nose, and the 125 gr. flat point. the 125's cost 82 bucks a thou., and the other day I shot a six shot 1.25" group with them. (from a rest)

I've been loading Bullseye powder (cause it's great and I've got a bunch), and shooting velocities of about 1200 fps.

I don't know what name brand bulk bullets are going for now, but I can't get them without paying shipping. I can get the Berry's here in town for that price, and I'll be getting more. jd
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Old February 19, 2009, 08:17 PM   #4
lev83
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Not the best bullets Ive ever used but not bad for the price.
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Old February 19, 2009, 08:30 PM   #5
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I have used the Berry's for .40 S&W and have been pretty happy with them. I've only ever used the XTP's before these and although I don't think they are as good as those, for the price, they are plenty serviceable.
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Old February 19, 2009, 08:42 PM   #6
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I'm loading them in both 9mm and 38 - so far, they seem to be pretty decent - but I don't load super-hot loads either. They tell you to keep them under a certain fps level to avoid leading - basically use upper lead loads or lower jacketed loadings

Remember 9mm Luger does not take the same bullet as the 9 x 18 Makarov
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Old February 19, 2009, 08:45 PM   #7
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As it is all new to you,I will add something from my own experience.I have loaded with 3-d copper plated bullets.
You still have to put a little bit of bell in the case as a loading step.Scraping a little copper forward during seating changes the effective headspace in cartridges that headspace on the case mouth..That little bit can make the pistol almost locked,but not quite.That can be a problem.

Do a visual as you load,and if yo see you are scraping,add some bell.Good luck
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Old February 19, 2009, 08:49 PM   #8
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If you order direct from Berry Mfg and the order is over $50.00 the shipping is free., I just ordered and received 1000 100gr .380 ACP at $63.00 and no additional shipping.

Berry does state on their web site that they do not recommend speeds over 1200 FPS.

Paul
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Old February 19, 2009, 09:00 PM   #9
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I load their 180 grain bullets to the second lowest load for HS-6 and 180 grain bullets in the Hornady manual. I thing it's like 6.4 grains but I may be off there... Anyway, they work great for practice.
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Old February 19, 2009, 10:23 PM   #10
keys85
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Right now if you order direct shipping is free. I just bought a box of 9x18 makarov, as I as well am going to be developing a load using their 95 grain plated (although I probably would have been served as well going with cast lead).

I have used berry's before, specifically their 155 grain plated .40 sw. They are fine bullets, easy to work with, and I didn't find the copper plating to be as soft as the internet claimed. I suppose you can overcrimp them and get into problems, but I had to problems giving them a normal .002" .003" crimp. I recovered many after shooting into 2x4s. The plating is actually pretty durable. The lead inside however is very soft. To be honest, from what I recovered and seen how well these plated things expand and penetrate, I wouldn't hesitate to substitute them for soft point applications. I wouldn't push it, but I bet they would even hold up for defensive purposes. They really flatten out and get nasty and jagged, worse than many JHP's I've seen. They also seem to retain their copper plating. Kinda like a EFMJ, I wonder how similar they are... The mild loads I made in 40sw with these bullets out-penetrated .45 ACP ball.

As far as accuracy...ehhh. I played around with crimp, charge, seating depth. They are alright for plinking but nothing to brag about. Best performance with FMJ starting loads to mid loads, just a light crimp to insure no set-back. I weighed them and they seem to be very consistent. I may switch to lead just cut costs.

Let me know how you do with your 9x18 loads. Perhaps we could compare notes.
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Old February 19, 2009, 10:39 PM   #11
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I've used Berry's plated and lead in a few handgun calibers, as well as Rainier plated bullets. I think they both work just fine for plinking/general use. You will want to use lead load data for any plated bullet.
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Old February 20, 2009, 01:26 AM   #12
jdscholer
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Quote:
If you order direct from Berry Mfg and the order is over $50.00 the shipping is free., I just ordered and received 1000 100gr .380 ACP at $63.00 and no additional shipping.
Yeah, but I can buy them right here in town for eighty two bucks, so why would I want to order ---- hey wait a minutejd
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Old February 20, 2009, 02:34 AM   #13
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I have reloaded Berry's Projectiles (115gn 9mm) and have had no problems with them at all. Accuracy is ok. Having a handgun with a Polygonal barrel I can't use lead projectiles and the plated stuff is pretty good. I have pulled a few bullets with a kinetic bullet puller and the copper plating seems to be fairly strong I am just about to reload using 124 gn projectiles and will see if there is any major difference with accuracy.
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Old February 21, 2009, 10:12 AM   #14
hawkins50cal
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Hey Guys,

Thanks for all the helpful information. Will put it to good use.

Mike
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Old February 21, 2009, 04:13 PM   #15
RickV
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Just received my order of 250 38spl 125g FP bullets from Berry's. I ordered a small amount to see if I liked them (have been using FMJs). I was kind of surprised when I looked at the invoice there was a small order fee of $12.00 that was not shown when I placed my order or in the confirmation email I received from Berry's. I looked on their website and in the FAQ section there is a mention of the small order fee. unless you buy $50+ of stuff they will hit you with that. I hope these bullets preform well because they ended up costing more the FMJs i have been buying. I guess the old adage buyer beware still rings true. So if you are thinking of placing an order with Berry's be aware of their small order fee. Funny thing is if I had known of this IMHO deception of a sort I would have filled the order with some ammo boxes or similar items rather then just giving them $12.00.
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Old February 21, 2009, 04:36 PM   #16
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Any order over $50 the shipping is free, to me that is a good deal.
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