REFERENCE AMMUNITION, DIE WEAR

THIS IS NOT MEANT AS AN ATTACK ON ANYONE. JUST A HEADS UP AND FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

BELOW YOU'LL FIND A PHOTOGRAPH . IT SHOWS 4 - 50YD RANSOM REST GROUPS OUT OF THE SAME PISTOL.  TOP 2 TARGETS WERE THE PISTOL OWNERS AMMO. NOT TOO GOOD. BOTTOM 2 TARGETS WERE THE TEST AMMO AT THE FACTORY. AS IT WAS EXPECTED TO PERFORM. ALL 4 GROUPS FIRED THE SAME DAY FROM THE SAME REST.

THE PISTOL OWNER SENT THE GUN BACK STATING IT WASN'T GROUPING . THE PISTOL OWNER IS A MASTER CLASS, 2600 SHOOTER & VERY ACCOMPLISHED.  HE'S BEEN LOADING FOR DECADES AND WAS USING A STANDARD LOAD HE HAD ALWAYS USED. HE WAS REQUESTED TO SEND SOME OF HIS AMMO WITH THE PISTOL TO BE TESTED. HIS AMMO WAS ALSO TESTED IN ANOTHER GUN ST 50 YDS AND GROUPINGS WERE SIMILAR. AND YES HE WAS ADVISED AHEAD OF TIME THAT I WOULD BE POSTING THIS.

MORAL OF THE STORY; ALWAYS HAVE PROVEN AMMO AROUND TO VERIFY YOUR GUNS ACCURACY. BEFORE YOU SPEND A HUNDRED BUCKS EACH WAY TO SHIP THE PISTOL. 

WHAT HAPPENED ? WHO KNOWS FOR SURE. PRESS BEARINGS WORN, FLEX IN MOUNTING SYSTEM ? DIES GONE BAD?

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN USING YOUR DIES? RELOADING DIES DO WEAR OUT. A FRIEND OF MINE WHO RAN A RELOADING COMPANY FOR 50YR TOLD ME HE GETS 250K PER DIE SET . THEN THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED.

SIZING DIES , THE CARBIDE INSERT WORKS LOOSE.  CRIMPING DIES; THE LEADING EDGE OF THE CRIMP SECTION WORK HARDENS AND FLAKES OFF. IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE WITH THE NAKED EYE BUT VISIBLE UNDER MAGNIFICATION. THEN YOU HAVE INCONSTANT CRIMP. VERY NOTICEABLE WHEN USING JACKETED BULLETS. LESS IMPORTANT WHEN USING LEAD. IN THE LONG RUN. YOUR DIES ARE THE CHEAPEST THINGS IN RELOADING. BUT THEY DON'T LAST FOREVER.

Something to think about since I had never given it any thought but it makes perfect sense.
Thanks
Phil

Greetings,

With my extensive testing of ammo, I have found that the BULLET is the key factor.

A fellow shooter sent me several packages of Commercial cast bullets to test.

Only a few shot inside the Ten Ring at 50 yards. Most were solid nine ring groups. (ten shots)

My home cast bullets shot close to 100x10 at 50 yards.

I also tested lots of Bullseye powder from the 1980's up to the latest offering from Alliant. I could not tell any difference.

So, examine those BULLETS very carefully prior to seating them.

Cheers,

Dave

Dies get dirty and work loose in the press during use too.

Years ago I got a batch of bullets that looked ok but wouldn’t hold a repair center at 25. Almost 5000 were returned.

JIMPGOV wrote:THIS IS NOT MEANT AS AN ATTACK ON ANYONE. JUST A HEADS UP AND FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

BELOW YOU'LL FIND A PHOTOGRAPH . IT SHOWS 4 - 50YD RANSOM REST GROUPS OUT OF THE SAME PISTOL.  TOP 2 TARGETS WERE THE PISTOL OWNERS AMMO. NOT TOO GOOD. BOTTOM 2 TARGETS WERE THE TEST AMMO AT THE FACTORY. AS IT WAS EXPECTED TO PERFORM. ALL 4 GROUPS FIRED THE SAME DAY FROM THE SAME REST.

THE PISTOL OWNER SENT THE GUN BACK STATING IT WASN'T GROUPING . THE PISTOL OWNER IS A MASTER CLASS, 2600 SHOOTER & VERY ACCOMPLISHED.  HE'S BEEN LOADING FOR DECADES AND WAS USING A STANDARD LOAD HE HAD ALWAYS USED. HE WAS REQUESTED TO SEND SOME OF HIS AMMO WITH THE PISTOL TO BE TESTED. HIS AMMO WAS ALSO TESTED IN ANOTHER GUN ST 50 YDS AND GROUPINGS WERE SIMILAR. AND YES HE WAS ADVISED AHEAD OF TIME THAT I WOULD BE POSTING THIS.

MORAL OF THE STORY; ALWAYS HAVE PROVEN AMMO AROUND TO VERIFY YOUR GUNS ACCURACY. BEFORE YOU SPEND A HUNDRED BUCKS EACH WAY TO SHIP THE PISTOL. 

WHAT HAPPENED ? WHO KNOWS FOR SURE. PRESS BEARINGS WORN, FLEX IN MOUNTING SYSTEM ? DIES GONE BAD?

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN USING YOUR DIES? RELOADING DIES DO WEAR OUT. A FRIEND OF MINE WHO RAN A RELOADING COMPANY FOR 50YR TOLD ME HE GETS 250K PER DIE SET . THEN THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED.

SIZING DIES , THE CARBIDE INSERT WORKS LOOSE.  CRIMPING DIES; THE LEADING EDGE OF THE CRIMP SECTION WORK HARDENS AND FLAKES OFF. IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE WITH THE NAKED EYE BUT VISIBLE UNDER MAGNIFICATION. THEN YOU HAVE INCONSTANT CRIMP. VERY NOTICEABLE WHEN USING JACKETED BULLETS. LESS IMPORTANT WHEN USING LEAD. IN THE LONG RUN. YOUR DIES ARE THE CHEAPEST THINGS IN RELOADING. BUT THEY DON'T LAST FOREVER.

In your experience, would you venture a guess and say that the worst groups would print small one hole groups at 25 yards?

In your experience, would you venture a guess and say that the worst groups would print small one hole groups at 25 yards?

I've done a lot of testing, with the exception of 22,s that was not my experience