Reloading plated Berry’s bullets

The Rossi Model R92, a lightweight carbine for Cowboy Action, hunting, or plinking! Includes Rossi manufactured Interarms, Navy Arms, and Puma trade names.
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GasGuzzler
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Re: Reloading plated Berry’s bullets

Post by GasGuzzler »

They're fine for 9X19 and 45AUTO. I'd never consider them for .357 or .45 Colt. But I wouldn't load jacketed in straight wall pistol either. All the plated bullets I have were about 1/4 to 1/3 the price of jacketed bullets so I'm not sure where the "expensive" plated bullets come from. I paid about what scrap lead + propane to smelt + electricity to cast my own costs for the .357" size and .451" size plated bullets I have.
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Re: Reloading plated Berry’s bullets

Post by Ohio3Wheels »

GasGuzzler wrote:They're fine for 9X19 and 45AUTO. I'd never consider them for .357 or .45 Colt. But I wouldn't load jacketed in straight wall pistol either. All the plated bullets I have were about 1/4 to 1/3 the price of jacketed bullets so I'm not sure where the "expensive" plated bullets come from. I paid about what scrap lead + propane to smelt + electricity to cast my own costs for the .357" size and .451" size plated bullets I have.
I've loaded Berry's, Rainer and one other that I bought in bulk at a gun show. I've put them in 9x19, 45 Auto, 380APC, 357 cases at 38 levels and 44 mag and 45 Colt at around 1200 fps all taper crimped and all shot fine. No one hole groups of course but decent at self defense distance in the case of the auto cartridges minute of deer in the case of the 357, 44mag and 45 Colt not that I use them for deer.

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Re: Reloading plated Berry’s bullets

Post by barracudadave67 »

Rainier is out of bussines, now.
I have some of theirs, and Berrys. The only "bad" ones I have are 45/70 Rainier,. You have to load them real short to get them to cycle thru a Marlin 45/70 Guide Gun, they havee a different profile. The rest of them all shoot good at moderate speeds.
I guess the covid mess took out Rainier.
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Re: Reloading plated Berry’s bullets

Post by Deleted User 327 »

First let me caution that my data is put out as information on things I do with my handloading. I don't recommend anyone do anything that they haven't worked up to and/or don't understand the ramifications of.

That said, after 10s of thousands of plated bullets from Rainier, Berry's and X-Treme in .38spl, hot .357mag, 40s&w, 45acp, hot 10mm, .45 Super, M1 Carbine and even 30-30, I'll say it. Most of what you hear about them is internet BS.

The single most important thing to know about plated bullets is that they are soft lead with a .006-.008" electro-plating of copper bonded to them and as such you never, never, never over crimp them. First, you don't because you can cut through the plating so roll crimps are verboten and a light taper crimp just to remove the case mouth belling and Second, because while brass springs back, lead does not so over crimping actually makes the bullet loser in the case, not tighter.

Properly loaded the plated bullets are fine in velocities exceeding 2,000fps, yes, I said 2K fps!! 158grn Berry's and X-Treme .357mag plated bullets over a full charge of Lil'Gun in my 24" Rossi levergun produces consistent velocities of 2,005fps at my range at 6,100ft asl on a 84° day with good accuracy out at 200 yds. I use that load to shoot at bowling pins at 200yds with a target aperture in my Marbles tang rear and Lyman globe sights.

Further, X-Treme 150grn plated .308 bullets loaded as plinking loads in my Mossberg 464 clock at 2,064fps over a load of W760 with good results as well. My custom G20L 10mm with my 'nuclear' 165grn plated bullets over Power Pistol produce velocities of 1,589fps with great accuracy at 200yds too. And my .45 Super loads with 200grn bullets at 1,307fps do just fine and 110grn plated bullets in 30 Carbine ammo in my M1 Carbine at 1,950fps are great too.

Rainier's boss agreed with me in a phone call some years ago that they had plenty of users who loaded their bullets at velocities considerably higher than they recommended who had no issues. When I asked him why the lower recommendations, he said," . . . on advice of council, they set limits because they cannot control how the average reloader loads their product, not because a properly loaded plated bullet can't take higher velocities."

Many reloaders over crimp and cause problems, many use poor reloading control and exceed the peak pressure with too large of a charge. The manufacturer sets limits to limit their liability, not because of an inherent weakness in a plated bullet. Also, Speer Gold Dots are advertised as bonded bullets. Bonded bullets are plated bullets.

Believe what you will. Just be careful and enjoy your hobby.
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