Blemish bullets

Nathan · October 31, 2018, 05:07 PM

Anybody order any blemish bullets from MidSouth? They look like Hornady...

What kind of results did you have?

std7mag · October 31, 2018, 05:26 PM

When they say blemish, it could be any number of things. Mostly though it's just cosmetic.
The polimer tip is the wrong shade, ditto the copper.
Usually they shoot quite well.

joeanybody · October 31, 2018, 05:48 PM

I got a bag of blemished 30 cal Nosler Accubond from midsouth about a year ago. The only mistake was they put the wrong color tip on the bullet. I measured them weighed them and loaded them. No difference. Now I usually search that section before doing a final search for whatever I need.

Dufus · October 31, 2018, 07:23 PM

I shot an 8 point white tail, 2 seven pointers, and a doe with blemished bullets last year.

They all died in a timely, nice and orderly manner.

lamarw · October 31, 2018, 07:31 PM

All my shooting is plinking or target practice. I have shot my share of blemished and pulled bullets. I recently received a 1,000 pulled 5.56 bullets from EverGlades. I can't see a mark on them. Some may not be able to use them since they are steel core and forbidden on many ranges. No problem for me since I am able to shoot out back of my home.

FrankenMauser · October 31, 2018, 08:08 PM

The Hornady blemished bullets are usually classified as such for one of a few reasons:
1. Wrong plastic tip.
2. Mottled jacket coloring.
3. Cannelure. (Wrong place, missing, an extra, or buggered and ugly.)

I buy a lot of them.
They work just like the full-price versions.
I've never found a dimensional issue (other than cannelure placement or width), or weight issue.
The only 'problems' I've ever been able to identify were purely cosmetic.

Sure Shot Mc Gee · October 31, 2018, 10:30 PM

Years ago I bought some blemished bullets from a business place called Lock Stock & Barrel. Bought 1000 32 special at a unbelievable low FFL dealer price and checked most once received and I couldn't find one having any defects. Being Lock Stock & Barrel was located in Nebraska I assume the they had a contract to buy blemished or seconds from Hornady. I'm still shooting them and they're as accurate as factory brand new.

jaguarxk120 · November 1, 2018, 08:03 AM

I think Lock Stock and Barrel is now gone. But I used a lots of 87 gtain soft points in 25 cal.
They worked great on PD's out there.

bamaranger · November 1, 2018, 12:48 PM

I bought a fairly large quantity (1000) of 9mm/115RN plated "blems" from a firm (PM me if your want details), one of the more stupid things I've done. I saved maybe $20.00. Load a bunch, nearly all of them. Took them to a match, couldn't hit a dang thing, embarrassing. And stupid. Should have tested them for accuracy.

Few days later, put the pistol on sandbags on a bench. At 20 yds, I could not keep them on a pie plate, and many that hit were tumbling. At 10 yds I could keep them on the plate, but most tumbled. Went home and mic'd a the ones left I had not loaded, they were mostly undersize.

By slowing them WAY down, I could get most of the tumbling eliminated, but the velocity/energy was so low, the slide would not fully cycle. My Glocks became single shot pistols. Relegated the whole batch to single practice from the holster and for failure drills.

MORAL.....if you buy blems, buy a small quantity first.

mikld · November 1, 2018, 01:07 PM

The last "blems" I've purchased were Nosler 30 cal JHP. I measured and weighed mebbe 50 bullets and could find nothing, except a small variation in length, less than .004". On close inspection I found the HP mouths were uneven and slightly jagged (had to use my magnifying visor to see the deformed HP). The bullets shot as well as I can in my Ruger 308, and my Garand. My other "blem" purchases the "blem" was a discoloration of the jackets. (normally for a "blem" the problem is cosmetic, "factory seconds" have a dimensional defect).

Geezerbiker · November 2, 2018, 12:51 AM

I bought a couple hundred 160g ballistic tip bullets that look like Hornady .30 lever evolution bullets. The tips were mostly malformed but I found it easy to pull the plastic tips. Since I'm going to shoot them from a .30-30 bolt gun, I'm not worried about it.

Most of the time blems could be from anywhere...

Tony

armoredman · November 2, 2018, 05:01 AM

I bought some "80 grain factory second" bullets from MidwayUSA - turned out to be Hornaday TAP 75 grainers, worked beautifully in my BREN 805.

T. O'Heir · November 2, 2018, 01:05 PM

"...blemish bullets..." AKA seconds. They work just fine. No dimensional issues either. Bought several hundred Speer 90 Grain FMJ's years ago that had blemishes on the jacket and nothing else. The groundhogs didn't care one way or the other.

gw44 · November 3, 2018, 10:28 AM

Yes picked up some from Graf & Sons they worked great !!!

F. Guffey · November 3, 2018, 10:46 AM

I was in discussion with Hornady technical personal, while there I purchased a few things and I asked about bullets; at the time they did not extend a discount for those that took an effort to visit.

My only interest was .311 bullets and the bins were empty. SO

they went to the back with a bucket and returned with the bucket half full of bullets. The bullets got dumped into the blem. bin.

F. Guffey

RC20 · November 3, 2018, 03:40 PM

If I can get em I buys them.

If there is an issue its below the noise level of what I can shoot!

Archie · November 3, 2018, 10:39 PM

Blemished implies all is well with the form and construction of the bullet, EXCEPT for some form of discoloration or the wrong color of plastic tip. Most companies don't sell them under their own commercial brand as they 'look funny'.

Reject bullets range from blemished to diameter being off size. Or irregularities in the lead core. Or something very serious from a construction standpoint.

Occasionally, a vendor will - from ignorance or greed - sell constructionally rejected bullets as 'blems'. One usually cannot tell by looking. One on one's own in such cases. If the bullets are the right weight, they can be useful in load development to see if one's rifle will handle the load. Typically, they are NOT useful in determining the best accuracy.

I regularly shop the Hornady office and find 'reject' jacketed bullets. They are all marked with the reason for rejection. "Set up" means this is a box of the first X thousand bullets struck in this particular lot; to allow the machines to 'settle'. I've never had a problem with such bullets. Nor do any of the odd colored or spotted jackets cause me grief. Even the ones marked "Won't group" is not a death sentence. (It really means a couple they tried did not give the expected results; it doesn't mean they are all bad.)

I tend to use the seconds for a lot of work up shooting and purchase commercial release bullets for 'serious' use.

hooligan1 · November 4, 2018, 05:17 PM

I always use blems for testing, it doesn't matter the flaw really.
I've shot numerous deer with blems, they don't seem to notice either...and they are cheaper.

math teacher · November 5, 2018, 02:32 PM

I have been using so called blemished Nosler bullets from Shooter's Pro Shop, http://www.shootersproshop.com, for several years. I have yet to see a blemish. They shoot and perform the same as any of Nosler's bullets. Some have a cannelure in the correct place which I suspect are overruns for other companies that load their bullets. The only difference I have found is they come in a bag instead of a box. My friends and I have used them on moose for several years, and like this year, they went bang-flop. Shooter's Pro Shop is located on the Nosler campus, so likely it belongs to Nosler.

F. Guffey · November 5, 2018, 03:02 PM

Quote:

. Some have a cannelure in the correct place which I suspect are overruns for other companies that load their bullets.

It has never gotten a lot of work but I have a machine that places the cannelure where I want it.

F. Guffey

Average Joe · November 11, 2018, 11:53 AM

I shoot blemished and pulled bullets all the time. The targets don't seem to mind, nor do the guns....

hooligan1 · November 12, 2018, 06:27 AM

I took a 121 lb doe Saturday morn here in North Missouri with a Blem 140 grn Accubond.
Bullet entered ribs in front of left ham and traversed the deer lodging in her neck on the right side because she quartered away and downhill from me.
Retrieved bullet still weighed 102 grns and mushroomed nicely dropping her straight down.
Rifle is a Custom 6.5 Creedmoor, shot was 60 yds.

hdwhit · November 13, 2018, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Nathan asked:
Anybody order any blemish bullets from MidSouth?

Yes. Many times. 0.224 55 grain, 0.355 115 grain, and 0.451 185 grain bullets. All told, probably about 2,000 total.

I'm in the process of moving so my records have already been packed up, otherwise I could give you the exact number.

Quote:

They look like Hornady...

There are enough bullet manufacturers out there producing similar looking product that I wouldn't speculate as to who might have made them (if they were even produced in the United States).

Quote:

What kind of results did you have?

I don't no precision shooting. Most of the time I'm working between 100 and 200 yards with rifle and between 7 and 15 yards with pistol. But with respect to the kind of shooting I do, I have not noticed any difference between the "blemished" bullets and comparable non-blemished bullets.

October 31, 2018, 05:07 PM	#1
Nathan Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2001 Posts: 6,328	Blemish bullets Anybody order any blemish bullets from MidSouth? They look like Hornady... What kind of results did you have?

October 31, 2018, 05:26 PM	#2
std7mag Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2013 Location: Central Taxylvania.. Posts: 3,609	When they say blemish, it could be any number of things. Mostly though it's just cosmetic. The polimer tip is the wrong shade, ditto the copper. Usually they shoot quite well. __________________ When our own government declares itself as "tyrannical", where does that leave us??!! "Januarary 6th insurrection". Funny, I didn't see a single piece of rope...

October 31, 2018, 08:08 PM	#6
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	The Hornady blemished bullets are usually classified as such for one of a few reasons: 1. Wrong plastic tip. 2. Mottled jacket coloring. 3. Cannelure. (Wrong place, missing, an extra, or buggered and ugly.) I buy a lot of them. They work just like the full-price versions. I've never found a dimensional issue (other than cannelure placement or width), or weight issue. The only 'problems' I've ever been able to identify were purely cosmetic. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

November 1, 2018, 12:48 PM	#9
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,303	blems I bought a fairly large quantity (1000) of 9mm/115RN plated "blems" from a firm (PM me if your want details), one of the more stupid things I've done. I saved maybe $20.00. Load a bunch, nearly all of them. Took them to a match, couldn't hit a dang thing, embarrassing. And stupid. Should have tested them for accuracy. Few days later, put the pistol on sandbags on a bench. At 20 yds, I could not keep them on a pie plate, and many that hit were tumbling. At 10 yds I could keep them on the plate, but most tumbled. Went home and mic'd a the ones left I had not loaded, they were mostly undersize. By slowing them WAY down, I could get most of the tumbling eliminated, but the velocity/energy was so low, the slide would not fully cycle. My Glocks became single shot pistols. Relegated the whole batch to single practice from the holster and for failure drills. MORAL.....if you buy blems, buy a small quantity first.

November 1, 2018, 01:07 PM	#10
mikld Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2009 Location: Southern Oregon! Posts: 2,891	The last "blems" I've purchased were Nosler 30 cal JHP. I measured and weighed mebbe 50 bullets and could find nothing, except a small variation in length, less than .004". On close inspection I found the HP mouths were uneven and slightly jagged (had to use my magnifying visor to see the deformed HP). The bullets shot as well as I can in my Ruger 308, and my Garand. My other "blem" purchases the "blem" was a discoloration of the jackets. (normally for a "blem" the problem is cosmetic, "factory seconds" have a dimensional defect). __________________ My Anchor is holding fast! I've learned how to stand on my own two knees... Last edited by mikld; November 3, 2018 at 11:42 AM.

October 31, 2018, 05:48 PM	#3
joeanybody Member Join Date: July 2, 2017 Posts: 61	I got a bag of blemished 30 cal Nosler Accubond from midsouth about a year ago. The only mistake was they put the wrong color tip on the bullet. I measured them weighed them and loaded them. No difference. Now I usually search that section before doing a final search for whatever I need.

October 31, 2018, 07:23 PM	#4
Dufus Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2014 Posts: 1,965	I shot an 8 point white tail, 2 seven pointers, and a doe with blemished bullets last year. They all died in a timely, nice and orderly manner.

October 31, 2018, 07:31 PM	#5
lamarw Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2010 Location: Lake Martin, AL Posts: 3,311	All my shooting is plinking or target practice. I have shot my share of blemished and pulled bullets. I recently received a 1,000 pulled 5.56 bullets from EverGlades. I can't see a mark on them. Some may not be able to use them since they are steel core and forbidden on many ranges. No problem for me since I am able to shoot out back of my home.

October 31, 2018, 10:30 PM	#7
Sure Shot Mc Gee Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,876	Years ago I bought some blemished bullets from a business place called Lock Stock & Barrel. Bought 1000 32 special at a unbelievable low FFL dealer price and checked most once received and I couldn't find one having any defects. Being Lock Stock & Barrel was located in Nebraska I assume the they had a contract to buy blemished or seconds from Hornady. I'm still shooting them and they're as accurate as factory brand new.

November 1, 2018, 08:03 AM	#8
jaguarxk120 Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,619	I think Lock Stock and Barrel is now gone. But I used a lots of 87 gtain soft points in 25 cal. They worked great on PD's out there.

November 2, 2018, 12:51 AM	#11
Geezerbiker Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2011 Location: Willamina, OR Posts: 1,908	I bought a couple hundred 160g ballistic tip bullets that look like Hornady .30 lever evolution bullets. The tips were mostly malformed but I found it easy to pull the plastic tips. Since I'm going to shoot them from a .30-30 bolt gun, I'm not worried about it. Most of the time blems could be from anywhere... Tony

November 2, 2018, 05:01 AM	#12
armoredman Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 5,297	I bought some "80 grain factory second" bullets from MidwayUSA - turned out to be Hornaday TAP 75 grainers, worked beautifully in my BREN 805.

November 2, 2018, 01:05 PM	#13
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"...blemish bullets..." AKA seconds. They work just fine. No dimensional issues either. Bought several hundred Speer 90 Grain FMJ's years ago that had blemishes on the jacket and nothing else. The groundhogs didn't care one way or the other. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

November 3, 2018, 10:28 AM	#14
gw44 Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2015 Location: Michigan Posts: 311	Yes picked up some from Graf & Sons they worked great !!!

November 3, 2018, 10:46 AM	#15
F. Guffey Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2008 Posts: 7,249	I was in discussion with Hornady technical personal, while there I purchased a few things and I asked about bullets; at the time they did not extend a discount for those that took an effort to visit. My only interest was .311 bullets and the bins were empty. SO they went to the back with a bucket and returned with the bucket half full of bullets. The bullets got dumped into the blem. bin. F. Guffey

November 3, 2018, 03:40 PM	#16
RC20 Senior Member Join Date: April 10, 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 7,014	If I can get em I buys them. If there is an issue its below the noise level of what I can shoot! __________________ Science and Facts are True whether you believe it or not

November 3, 2018, 10:39 PM	#17
Archie Senior Member Join Date: May 26, 2000 Location: Hastings, Nebrasksa - the Hear Posts: 2,209	Blemished implies all is well with the form and construction of the bullet, EXCEPT for some form of discoloration or the wrong color of plastic tip. Most companies don't sell them under their own commercial brand as they 'look funny'. Reject bullets range from blemished to diameter being off size. Or irregularities in the lead core. Or something very serious from a construction standpoint. Occasionally, a vendor will - from ignorance or greed - sell constructionally rejected bullets as 'blems'. One usually cannot tell by looking. One on one's own in such cases. If the bullets are the right weight, they can be useful in load development to see if one's rifle will handle the load. Typically, they are NOT useful in determining the best accuracy. I regularly shop the Hornady office and find 'reject' jacketed bullets. They are all marked with the reason for rejection. "Set up" means this is a box of the first X thousand bullets struck in this particular lot; to allow the machines to 'settle'. I've never had a problem with such bullets. Nor do any of the odd colored or spotted jackets cause me grief. Even the ones marked "Won't group" is not a death sentence. (It really means a couple they tried did not give the expected results; it doesn't mean they are all bad.) I tend to use the seconds for a lot of work up shooting and purchase commercial release bullets for 'serious' use. __________________ There ain't no free lunch, except Jesus. Archie Check out updated journal at http://oldmanmontgomery.wordpress.com/

November 4, 2018, 05:17 PM	#18
hooligan1 Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2010 Location: Independence Missouri Posts: 4,585	I always use blems for testing, it doesn't matter the flaw really. I've shot numerous deer with blems, they don't seem to notice either...and they are cheaper. __________________ Keep your Axe sharp and your powder dry.

November 5, 2018, 02:32 PM	#19
math teacher Senior Member Join Date: February 5, 2012 Location: Southwest WA Coast Posts: 558	I have been using so called blemished Nosler bullets from Shooter's Pro Shop, http://www.shootersproshop.com, for several years. I have yet to see a blemish. They shoot and perform the same as any of Nosler's bullets. Some have a cannelure in the correct place which I suspect are overruns for other companies that load their bullets. The only difference I have found is they come in a bag instead of a box. My friends and I have used them on moose for several years, and like this year, they went bang-flop. Shooter's Pro Shop is located on the Nosler campus, so likely it belongs to Nosler.

November 11, 2018, 11:53 AM	#21
Average Joe Senior Member Join Date: August 29, 2005 Location: Central Florida Posts: 1,325	I shoot blemished and pulled bullets all the time. The targets don't seem to mind, nor do the guns....

November 12, 2018, 06:27 AM	#22
hooligan1 Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2010 Location: Independence Missouri Posts: 4,585	I took a 121 lb doe Saturday morn here in North Missouri with a Blem 140 grn Accubond. Bullet entered ribs in front of left ham and traversed the deer lodging in her neck on the right side because she quartered away and downhill from me. Retrieved bullet still weighed 102 grns and mushroomed nicely dropping her straight down. Rifle is a Custom 6.5 Creedmoor, shot was 60 yds. __________________ Keep your Axe sharp and your powder dry.