Can’t get myself to buy “seconds” bullets

[fatelvis]

I buy them. They have a good purpose for my shooting. Fowlers for one. Why waste top shelf bullets for fowlers.
Secondly, I have a few guns I like to shoot that will never be 1 MOA shooters. They don’t benefit from using top shelf bullets. The factory seconds shoot fine.

On the subject of foulers, I do differ from you as I don’t see them as “wasting” top shelf bullets. I want to see, without question, my cold/clean bore zero, and how it progressively walks as it fouls. To me, that’s worth an extra 1-2 dollars per match.

 

[joshb]

I use them in:
AR 7.62x39
Maas 49/56
Cheap AR in 223
Marlin and Winchester 30-30s
I recently acquired 45 Colt and 44 Magnum lever guns. I’m starting with plated bullets but I’ll buy jacketed seconds if I see them.

 

[jnyfeler]

This may sound strange, especially since I am by no means a rich man, but I can’t get myself to buy blemished or “factory seconds” bullets. Even when I am loading for informal target shooting, and not competition, I like to know that when I miss, or score of nine instead of 10 or X, it was me, and not a sub-par bullet. I guess it falls under the “if you’re gonna do it, do it right” methodology.
Am I the only one who feels this way?

I've never bought blems. Why introduce that unknown to the equation?

Jeff

 

[CJ6]

Received a box and a half of seconds from a buddy Friday, that he bought from Midway. 30 cal. 168gr DARK RED TIPPED. He couldn't get them to shoot in one of his 308s so I asked to try some.
When I got home I grabbed a handful out of the partial box and weighed them. Weights were from 166.7grs-171.2grs. I haven't sorted them out yet but that's the plan weight, length, bto. Then we'll see what happens.

 

[Evan]

Here’s my cost for a range day:

75 miles there and back, 150 miles total at 15mpg =10 gallons = $34

Tires = 50000miles cost $1300, so 150 miles cost $3.90

Barrel = $450, chamber is also $450, so $900 for about 2000 rounds of benchrest accuracy (usually less, but Im being generous). A big range day is 200 rounds, or $90

Powder, $40/lb, and I shoot small stuff, 25gns, 200 rnds is $28

Primers, $8/100. 200 rounds is $16

Brass: $150/100, but I get at least 20 reloads, so that’s $15 to shoot 200 times.

Thats $187 before bullets

Blem bullets: $25/100
Match bullets: $45/100

$237 with blems.
$277 with match bullets.

I choose to buy the firsts at a small overall premium and I will cut down on my shooting trips to save money.

 

[mikeinct]

I buy them. They have a good purpose for my shooting. Fowlers for one. Why waste top shelf bullets for fowlers.
Secondly, I have a few guns I like to shoot that will never be 1 MOA shooters. They don’t benefit from using top shelf bullets. The factory seconds shoot fine.

DITTO

 

[mikeinct]

Here’s my cost for a range day:

75 miles there and back, 150 miles total at 15mpg =10 gallons = $34

Tires = 50000miles cost $1300, so 150 miles cost $3.90

Barrel = $450, chamber is also $450, so $900 for about 2000 rounds of benchrest accuracy (usually less, but Im being generous). A big range day is 200 rounds, or $90

Powder, $40/lb, and I shoot small stuff, 25gns, 200 rnds is $28

Primers, $8/100. 200 rounds is $16

Brass: $150/100, but I get at least 20 reloads, so that’s $15 to shoot 200 times.

Thats $187 before bullets

Blem bullets: $25/100
Match bullets: $45/100

$237 with blems.
$277 with match bullets.

I choose to buy the firsts at a small overall premium and I will cut down on my shooting trips to save money.

Dude. For Match use Yes ! Don't you go to just relax N shoot a few rounds ?? The practice..its important relax time...Chill.

 

[old_heli_logger]

Blemished --no problem
Seconds --no thanks

 

[fatelvis]

Blemished --no problem
Seconds --no thanks

Sometimes I worry that places use those two terms interchangeably though.

 

[Walt Krafft]

I was having good luck with a particular bullet. Bought a bunch as seconds figuring to save some money. After sorting out the visual defects and then the weight defects, what I was left with cost more than the good bullets in the nice plastic box. Never again.

 

[SKWERLZ]

I shoot a lot of 107smk and 183smk with good luck.
I don’t skimp on my ELR bullets.

 

[old_heli_logger]

Sometimes I worry that places use those two terms interchangeably though.

Ugh, that me makes me nervous

 

[WV Hitman]

I've used Nosler Blems for the last 8-9 years. Killed 85% of my 16,000+ groundhogs, 90% of my 2815 deer, 85% of my African animals, including a #2 Cape kudu, about 8 other top 10s with them. These numbers were 100% handgun kills. Killed over a dozen deer from 500-565 yds. with 6.5mm Accubonds plus two 800# kudus at 201 and 365 yds. I have no problem with their blems.

 

[Evan]

Dude. For Match use Yes ! Don't you go to just relax N shoot a few rounds ?? The practice..its important relax time...Chill.

I do relax and enjoy my time shooting, and I’m in a privileged position of not needing to worry-within reasonable constraints- about the cost of it. That said, I don’t plink. Every time I pull the trigger, it’s to make a hole in paper appear as close as possible to the one before it. That is my happy relaxed place. Cutting cost on bullets is counterproductive to that passion because I would worry that the factory reject bullet was the cause of a flier.

I just wanted to illustrate that, for a target shooter, there are a bunch of costs to look at when deciding where to trim to stay in budget - the cost of the vehicle that gets you there and the cost of the premium chambered barrel (in $/rnd) is non-negligible in a lot of cases.

 

[SGT. Slaughter]

This may sound strange, especially since I am by no means a rich man, but I can’t get myself to buy blemished or “factory seconds” bullets. Even when I am loading for informal target shooting, and not competition, I like to know that when I miss, or score of nine instead of 10 or X, it was me, and not a sub-par bullet. I guess it falls under the “if you’re gonna do it, do it right” methodology.
Am I the only one who feels this way?

I get it, but I like to use bullets like that to break in a barrel or to get some rounds down the barrel first especially if i have to blow out brass like the 6ppc or 6bra to see where I need to go on powder charge first before I start using the good bullets for load work up, especially if the seconds are at a bargin price.

 

[Bob3700]

I get it, but I like to use bullets like that to break in a barrel or to get some rounds down the barrel first especially if i have to blow out brass like the 6ppc or 6bra to see where I need to go on powder charge first before I start using the good bullets for load work up, especially if the seconds are at a bargin price.

I have only purchased Sierra seconds. Use them for practice and fireforming brass. Once sorted, BTO, they shoot fine. Matches get first line bullets. You will often find a bullet or two that are not even the correct caliber in the mix but not too often.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

I've used Nosler Blems for the last 8-9 years. Killed 85% of my 16,000+ groundhogs, 90% of my 2815 deer, 85% of my African animals, including a #2 Cape kudu, about 8 other top 10s with them. These numbers were 100% handgun kills. Killed over a dozen deer from 500-565 yds. with 6.5mm Accubonds plus two 800# kudus at 201 and 365 yds. I have no problem with their blems.

I would say that’s a great recommendation.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Just buy the Hornady’s. lol!

 

[Dave M.]

This may sound strange, especially since I am by no means a rich man, but I can’t get myself to buy blemished or “factory seconds” bullets. Even when I am loading for informal target shooting, and not competition, I like to know that when I miss, or score of nine instead of 10 or X, it was me, and not a sub-par bullet. I guess it falls under the “if you’re gonna do it, do it right” methodology.
Am I the only one who feels this way?

That makes two of us. I don’t travel long distances to be uncompetitive. There is a reason they are called “seconds”.

 

[varget204]

This may sound strange, especially since I am by no means a rich man, but I can’t get myself to buy blemished or “factory seconds” bullets. Even when I am loading for informal target shooting, and not competition, I like to know that when I miss, or score of nine instead of 10 or X, it was me, and not a sub-par bullet. I guess it falls under the “if you’re gonna do it, do it right” methodology.
Am I the only one who feels this way?

Thanks, If you have any send them to me, I will Dispose of them Properly { 6 MM } or {20 cal } lol