I have 250 44 cal. Berry's plated HP bullets. I was wondering how much of a crimp they can take? I will be using a medium velocity load and I just don't want to ruin the plating. I have a Lee FCD and it does a good job of crimping bullets. I looked on Berry's web site, but couldn't get much from it. If anyone can help I would sure appreciate it. Thanks, Don
Berry's Plated Bullets
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Buckeye
I wouldn't worry much about the crimping if the loads are not heavy. I treat plted bullets as if they were soft lead. Same load-same crimp. I once tried loading them to 1,300 fps level and ended up spraying the target with bits of separated plating. Pretty messy, and the accuracy was poor.
They don't have a groove do they? I'd suggest a barely detectable crimp. After the first shot in your revolver measure the overall length of the other cartridges in the cylinder, see if they're getting longer. Increase the crimp until they don't stretch more than .010". That's what I'd do.
I'm a huge Berry's fan, but I switched to X-treme bullets for use in my 44mag. Berry's says no magnum loads, and there's no crimp groove. X-treme says 1500fps max, and there's a groove. I do a very light crimp in any event, groove or no groove. I've seen Berry's spray a shotgun pattern at 1200fps (their stated max). Slower powders may reduce the shotgun effect as well.
H110, SRH, X-treme240, cheap and effective for 44mag.
--edfardos
I'm a huge Berry's fan, but I switched to X-treme bullets for use in my 44mag. Berry's says no magnum loads, and there's no crimp groove. X-treme says 1500fps max, and there's a groove. I do a very light crimp in any event, groove or no groove. I've seen Berry's spray a shotgun pattern at 1200fps (their stated max). Slower powders may reduce the shotgun effect as well.
H110, SRH, X-treme240, cheap and effective for 44mag.
--edfardos
Rainman
Blackhawk
I use the Berry's exclusively now in my 41 mag, 44 SPL and 45 Colt. I also use the 100 gr Rainier in my 32s. They all load well, are accepted at my indoor range and shoot flawlessly. I use a Lee Factory Crimp Die on each one and they shoot great with my "upper medium" loads especially the 41 mag.
They seem to do well with Unique and Universal.
Dan
They seem to do well with Unique and Universal.
Dan
Jimbo357mag
Hawkeye
I shoot lots and lots of Rainier and Barry's bullets without any problems Be sure the inside of the case is smooth. Use the Lee FCD and just give them a light to medium crimp. It really isn't the velocity that causes problems per say but the pressure. I shoot them out of some of my rifles at very high velocities.
...Jimbo
...Jimbo
Jimbo posted those pics before when I was having issues with case slivers while crimping. The problem ended up not being the crimp but the type of brass I was using an the fact that it was brand new never fired brass. That said, it was his pics that I used as a guide for how much crimp I used on the Berry bullets.
I've since adjusted my crimp so that it looks exactly like the grove in his pics and they shoot and group great. I'm pushing mine at right about 1,100fps (+/- depending on barrel length) with a good dose of HS-6 behind it.
Thanks again Jimbo357mag!
I've since adjusted my crimp so that it looks exactly like the grove in his pics and they shoot and group great. I'm pushing mine at right about 1,100fps (+/- depending on barrel length) with a good dose of HS-6 behind it.
Thanks again Jimbo357mag!
I also use Berrys and Rainier plated bullets for all calibers. I also use the Lee FCD. I run the cartridge all the way in and adjust the crimp die snug back the cartridge out and make my first adjustment 1/2 turn and crimp the cartridge. If it looks good and I can't feel the case edge I go with it. If it doesn't look or feel good I go to 5/8 crimp. So far I haven't adjusted any further than 5/8. I also keep the Berrys right at 1200 as this is what Berry's recommends. Rainier's I'll step up a bit to 1300-1400.
sp
Single-Sixer
I like Berry bullets.
I use the .45 185 gr round nose hollow base in my 1911 at about 900 fps with a minimum load of Tite group with a moderate taper crimp.
Another load I use is the .357 125 gr flat point bullet with a minimum load of Tite Group in a .357 Revolver with .38 spl cases with also a moderate roll crimp.
My loads are very moderate so I don't crimp heavily and I have no problems with bullets creeping forward in the cylinder of the revolver or moving around during the 1911 shooting. Prior to seating the bullet I make sure my case mouths are "belled" out and I have had no problems with cases cutting into bullet bases.
I use a Lee crimp die for all my handgun loading. This is a carbide die that crimps and also sizes the entire case diameter with loaded bullet should it be oversize.
Apparently the electro plating used by Berry is quite thin and these bullets are intended (from Berry) to be shot at pressures and velocities about equal to plain base (no gas check) lead bullets -- not over 1200 fps. I limit my loads to 1000 fps and I have had no problems with crimping or fouling. I would guess if even the copper plating was cut through around the bullet by crimping it would not affect the bullet much. I have not shot Berry bullets thru a rifle but I have shot many Remington "Power Lokt?" .224 bullets at over 3500 fps and about 60,000 psi and I believe these bullets were also electro plated but thicker.
My guess is that more elecro plated bullets will be made possibly because it is cheaper to do it that way.
I use the .45 185 gr round nose hollow base in my 1911 at about 900 fps with a minimum load of Tite group with a moderate taper crimp.
Another load I use is the .357 125 gr flat point bullet with a minimum load of Tite Group in a .357 Revolver with .38 spl cases with also a moderate roll crimp.
My loads are very moderate so I don't crimp heavily and I have no problems with bullets creeping forward in the cylinder of the revolver or moving around during the 1911 shooting. Prior to seating the bullet I make sure my case mouths are "belled" out and I have had no problems with cases cutting into bullet bases.
I use a Lee crimp die for all my handgun loading. This is a carbide die that crimps and also sizes the entire case diameter with loaded bullet should it be oversize.
Apparently the electro plating used by Berry is quite thin and these bullets are intended (from Berry) to be shot at pressures and velocities about equal to plain base (no gas check) lead bullets -- not over 1200 fps. I limit my loads to 1000 fps and I have had no problems with crimping or fouling. I would guess if even the copper plating was cut through around the bullet by crimping it would not affect the bullet much. I have not shot Berry bullets thru a rifle but I have shot many Remington "Power Lokt?" .224 bullets at over 3500 fps and about 60,000 psi and I believe these bullets were also electro plated but thicker.
My guess is that more elecro plated bullets will be made possibly because it is cheaper to do it that way.
Rick Courtright
Hawkeye
Hi,
Haven't tried Berry's, but the brand I've used has a light crimping groove, not quite as deep as that shown in Jimbo's pix.
I've had good luck w/ them making sure the case mouths were deburred and using the Lee FCD at about 1/2 turn from initial contact. Loads were "plinking" level in .38 Spl, .357 Mag and .44 Mag.
Rick C
Haven't tried Berry's, but the brand I've used has a light crimping groove, not quite as deep as that shown in Jimbo's pix.
I've had good luck w/ them making sure the case mouths were deburred and using the Lee FCD at about 1/2 turn from initial contact. Loads were "plinking" level in .38 Spl, .357 Mag and .44 Mag.
Rick C
Ranier and Berry's are both light on the plating, I have found the X-treme Bullets from Nevada to have a heavier plating .008-.010 on the 45's. I melted the lead out of the bullet to check the thickness, I was impressed, all are sized after plating. I have sold a couple hundred thousand to my customers, no complaints. I have some of their 30 cal 150 flat points to try in a 30-06. I want to load them at 2600-2700 fps to see how they perform at 100 yards. To Be Continued...
