Campro bullets same bag different size? Amateur help.

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versarious

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Hi all,

I am a new loadsmith (is that what they call us?) and have a question regarding CamPro bullets. I purchased one 1000 bag of 9mm 115gr FCP RN and my loads were all coming out same length, give or take .0025 (Target COL was 1.120 but my acceptance level was 1.120-1.125)

Now I bought another bag of these bullets cause I was doing really good with this load at Friday training shoots. This new bag though seems wonky. I am having variances in bullet length all the way from .5290 to .5410. This is making my COL go all over the map.

Is my acceptable range to tight? Am I being to nitpicky over a couple thou? I am using a XL650 with Lee dies. Didn't have a problem on my first bag of 1000 but this batch is just messing with me.

What do you guys and girls think?
 
Lots of projectiles can vary a few thousands from every production lot (and within each lot). Even with (perceived) match grade projectiles such as Berger I have seen extreme spreads (ES) upwards of 0.008 in the Bearing Surface lengths of rifle bullets.

.5290 to .5410 ….so an ES of .012. That's like 3 sheets of office paper when you think of it. Considering that you're reloading for pistol, do not lose sleep over it. At 15-20 yards I doubt your will see difference in accuracy, nor will it likely have any adverse affect on the cycling of the pistol's action.

Now if you were reloading for long range rifle, then you would most definitely want to sort (spilt out) your projectiles by bearing surface length. I do this religiously in half thousand increments in piles of 1,000 bullets. ... an ES of 0.012 is like a "country mile" in that game
 
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I am curious how you get a longer OAL with a longer bullet of the same design. Dies will seat to the adjusted OAL length no matter what the slug length is, they just seat the slug base deeper in the case. The distance between the shell holder surface & the bullet seating plug stays the same no matter what bullet you put through it. The bullet ogive can change OAL because of where the curve meets the seating plug but that always results in a shorter OL than longer.
 
Make sure that your press is set up and tightened up properly. Things do loosen up and move sometimes.
 
So CamPro bullets are cheap. They're like, the cheapest right? That's likely why you bought them. That's why I buy them. They likely have plating thickness variations, casting shape variations, slight handling damage on the nose, etc. Because they're cheap. Expecting a cheap ass bullet to seat to the same every time to within a couple of thousandths is unreasonable.

That, and COAL for 9mm is kiind of irrelevant, so long as things don't contact other things that they shouldn't (I.e. bullet doesn't plow into the rifling when you chamber a round) you're probably good. I loaded different test batches of 9mm with probably .05" COAL difference, and nothing (That I care about) changed. Velocity probably changed slightly for a couple of reasons, but I'm loading bulk pistol ammo for short range steel challenge. I'm not super concerned about accuracy or velocity. Hence why I'm loading the cheapest bullets I can get.

TL/DR: Juuust send it.
 
Scotty454 said:
That, and COAL for 9mm is kind of irrelevant, so long as things don't contact other things that they shouldn't (I.e. bullet doesn't plow into the rifling when you chamber a round) you're probably good. I loaded different test batches of 9mm with probably .05" COAL difference, and nothing (That I care about) changed.
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This!
 
It just be how the bullet rounds out at the top. I agree over all length shouldn't matter for the bullet should press deeper into the brass if it was of the same dimensions only slightly longer. I am not compressing the powder at all either. Maybe I need to lighten up a bit, but from first batch of 1000 to the second batch of 1000 I am shocked at the difference.
 
I have a few bags of campro 9mm 115gr.
Yes they have a huge variance on length. But if you O.A.L. is coming out different. You'll want to see why your press is not hitting the same mark every time.
Are you being lazy with your arm and not pushing as hard each time?
Are you cases different brands and thus have slightly different groove tolerances? (This can allow some to push further into the case holder depending on your setup, and is what happens to me.)
Are your dies tight?
 
versarious said:
It just be how the bullet rounds out at the top. I agree over all length shouldn't matter for the bullet should press deeper into the brass if it was of the same dimensions only slightly longer. I am not compressing the powder at all either. Maybe I need to lighten up a bit, but from first batch of 1000 to the second batch of 1000 I am shocked at the difference.
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I don't doubt they are different, but are they different when sent downrange?

If the answer is "no" (and I suspect it is) then there is no issue.
 
Crazy Cory said:
I have a few bags of campro 9mm 115gr.
Yes they have a huge variance on length. But if you O.A.L. is coming out different. You'll want to see why your press is not hitting the same mark every time.
Are you being lazy with your arm and not pushing as hard each time?
Are you cases different brands and thus have slightly different groove tolerances? (This can allow some to push further into the case holder depending on your setup, and is what happens to me.)
Are your dies tight?
Click to expand...

I've ran the same long cases through the bullet seater twice and nothing changed. I am pulling the lever the whole distance. As you can tell from me finding this discrepancy only six or so rounds into the new bag, I am quite particular when it comes to loading.
 
versarious said:
I've ran the same long cases through the bullet seater twice and nothing changed. I am pulling the lever the whole distance. As you can tell from me finding this discrepancy only six or so rounds into the new bag, I am quite particular when it comes to loading.
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Match rifle bullets all come from the same machine.

Ordinary bullets come from multiple machines, and the bullets vary.

Plated pistol bullets are just similar to each other - not the same. Your fussy loading techniques will not translate well to perfect ammo.

Seat your pistol bullets deep enough so there is no danger of a long one hanging up in the mag. Then load and shoot.
 
Hi versarious

I don't have a ton of experience either, but I was starting to have variance when into about count 800 of my second load of 1000 Campro 124 gr. I was starting to suddenly see variances like yours and I too was at a loss as to what was happening when I noted a lot of copper flakes in my bullet seating die. Pulled it all apart, cleaned it, reassembled and I was back to seating with consistent .005" results.

I also flared the mouth a bit more to reduced the shavings. Seems better now.

Cheers

Jim
 
Bart Bandy said:
Hi versarious

I don't have a ton of experience either, but I was starting to have variance when into about count 800 of my second load of 1000 Campro 124 gr. I was starting to suddenly see variances like yours and I too was at a loss as to what was happening when I noted a lot of copper flakes in my bullet seating die. Pulled it all apart, cleaned it, reassembled and I was back to seating with consistent .005" results.

I also flared the mouth a bit more to reduced the shavings. Seems better now.

Cheers

Jim
Click to expand...

Thanks Jim, I'll take a look at this.
 
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