Handloading "normal" bullets

[Questor]

I don't see much on the reloading of bullets like bulk Remington bullets and other non-premium bullets. Is this because handloaders are not interested in them anymore or because that's what the gun magazines are promoting.  Are non-premium bullets any good compared to premium bullets?  Should any handloader consider using non-premium bullets?  Even Speer bullets, as good as they are, don't see much interest now, even though they are good in my experience. Perhaps bullets described as being of "conventional" design don't have enough marketing appeal to make it into the magazines.

By the way, two excellent conventional bullets are the Speer hot-cor 6.5mm 120 grainer and the 50 grain TNT .22.  Very effective, and not too expensive either.

[Larry Gibson]

Questor

I have to agree with you, there doesn't seem to be much "interest" in reloading the "ordinary" or generic bullets.  However, if the truth be known they are  majority of bullets used for handloads.  There is a lot of hype and BS about bullet failure ad nauseum with the use of these ordinary and generic bullets.  "New" always seem to get the press and the premium bullets are "better" according to many self proclaimed experts.  However,  it is my experience that with standard cartridges with velocities below 2900 fps when using a standard bullet (correctly selected for the intended game) those standard/generic bullets are very accurate and kill just as well as a premium bullet.   It is only when magnums are used (those that REALLY do push the bullet past 3000 fps) that the premium bullets come into their own.  If hunting bigger dangerous game then a premium bullet is also called for.

I have hunted for numerous years and have taken quite a few deer, elk, antelope, a couple caribou, bears and even a Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep.  I also have killed numerous feral hogs, goats and some other "medium" sized critters.  I have used several "premium" bullets and never noticed any difference in their ability to kill over the standard bullets.  I have loaded and used Remington, Winchester, Herter, Speer, Sierra, Nosler and Hornady bullets with great success.  I have my favorites (Hornady's Interlocks are very hard to beat in standard cartridges regardless of the caliber) but don't hesitate to use any of them in standard cartridges for hunting our North American big game.  Caveat; I would use Speer's Grand Slam 285 gr bullet in my .375 H&H If I were to hunt grizz or the larger African game.  I also use the Barnes 400 gr Original SP in my Siamese Mauser 45-70 because I push it to 2300 fps and none of the standard 45-70 bullets are built to take that level of velocity.  

Larry Gibson

[New Hampshire]

Winchester 55gr FMJ in the loads I make for my Uncle.  A lot of them vary greatly in measurement of bullet length (so bad you can SEE the size difference  :eek: .)  But all my Uncle cares about is that it goes "BOOM" and the bullet comes out the bbl.  The load is still accurate enough for his general target purposes.  If your looking for inexpenxive shooting/plinking and could care less if your getting no smaller than 3" groups at 100 yards then I tell you there is nothing wrong with bulk bullets.  I personaly use 230 gr bulk FMJs for my .45ACP.  They work just fine for plinking.
Brian M.

[JBMauser]

Questor, here are some of the reasons magazines don't write about loading common or even surplus bullets.  #1, they would have to BUY them themselves.  No one is going to send them a case to get some free press space.  #2.  It is not sexy and will not tempt someone to plunk down $5 for their fluff mag.  #3 they worry that their compitition will laugh themselves silly if they wrote an entire story about loading bullets that sell for less than $20.  As you can tell, I have little use for the crop of mags that are out today.  I still read handloader but  I prefer to buy old issues of Handloader (20+years or older) on ebay. They are packed with real data and I learn someting from every article not just every mag.  Whenever I give advice to new loaders on the Net I advise them NOT to buy manuals from the bullet boys first.  Get Lee and Lyman, they will talk about loading anything and everything.  Get the bullet boys offerings later. regards, JB

[Snowshoe]

I use bulk Winchester and Remington bullets all the time. My .22-250 gave 3/8" with bulk Remington 55g HPPL's. I have spent the extra and used Noslers, but was not impressed. I also use the plain old Hornadys, and have taken many whitetails with them.

[Blackhawk44]

Everyone here is 100% correct.  Its just the cold, hard truth that magazine sales staffs, and therefore editors, simply didn't want you to know.  Sierra has a new ad starting this month that proves this truth.  The ad sales people will hate it.

[Dave in WV]

My son and I both load Remington  100gr 6mm Core-Lokts for deer. They work great. I load Remington 210gr .44 bullets for deer. I used 165gr Hornady SST bullets last deer season. Now I'm loading 165gr Hornady flat base spire points. Why folks seem to feel they need primium bullets for deer is beyond me.

[Somerled]

I suspect it is because most reloading manuals are published by bullet manufacturers. I usually take the data from manuals for a bullet similar in shape and weight to the bulk bullet I'm using and back off 10 percent or so. Then I may be able to increase charges in future loadings.

I'm more inclined to use bulk handgun bullets, although I use a lot of bulk bullets for .22 centerfire loading. I shoot those rifles more. Varmints don't seem to notice the different between $25 or $7 per hundred.

[High Brass]

I load 100 gr. .243 Remington core-lokts and get real good accuracy and game performance with them.  I've killed three deer with 165 gr .30 cal. Remington (handloaded) out of a 30-06 quite nicely.  I have had good accuracy out of 140 gr. Remington (see a trend?) core-lokts out of my 280 as well.  Matter of fact, I don't recall having a problem in getting core-lokts to shoot well.

[stork]

I just started reolading and I don't see the need for these premium bullets in most hunting situations.  It all depends on what caliber you are hunting with and what you are hunting.  There is nothing wrong with "normal" bullets and there never will be.

[Siskiyou]

I find the bullet manufacture's reloading manuals to be good guidesfor the Remington and Winchester bulk bullets.  While I load a fair number of Speer, Hornaday, and Nosler bullets I use their manuals as a guide, not the final answer.  I have heard some criticism of the Lyman Reloading manuals but I have well used ones on the shelve.  And they have never failed me.

I also use the IMR, ACCURATE, HODGDON manuals as guides.  I do my range testing to find out if a load is safe in my rifles.  I was pleased to find that a loaded I tested based on manual information was very accurate in my 7 Rem. Mag. using the same charge of H870 with both Hornaday and Remington 175 grain bullets.

Marketing keeps gun magazines in business.  Over the years I have clipped and filed a lot of published information from them.  This winter a friend loaded a few thousand rounds of ammo for a number of rifles.  The majority was with bulk bullets.  This in turn used up powder and primers.  Which supported the reloading industry out there.  Most of the "real" gunshops now offer bulk reloading components.  They do that because that is what the consumer wants.  Price is a factor.  :drink4:

[Buckfever]

A very experienced reloader has recently told me that a gun with the tamer ballistics like the 6.5-55 actually may have better performance with a conventional bullet.  The speed that fragments the bullets with magnums isn't there.  He also said that at distances of 200yds plus they may perform better.  I guess I am asking you experienced folks what you think of his opinions.    Buckfever

[Iowegan]

I totally agree with the gun rag hype on premium bullets.

I had a wealthy customer come to my shop and ask me to mount a new scope on a new 270 bolt rifle, then work up the most accurate load possible. He insisted on Barnes premium bullets. When I told him the bullets were over a buck apiece, he came back with "my gun and scope cost $1800, the hunting license cost $500, my plane ticket is $350, my lodge and guide fees are $1500. Why should I worry about a one dollar bullet?"  Guess he had a good point.

For us not-so-wealthy shooters, a buck a bullet would put a major crimp in our shooting fun.