SSS Inc's 117 gr 6mm bullet,Goliath)

[rcw3]

Maybe shipping..
Are the off pointing tips loose, or impacted?

Seems like there was a quality control problem in manufacturing. The tips seem like they were installed like that. I bought a box about a month earlier and the tips were no where near like these.

Robert Whitley

 

[jimm]

I have been shooting the 117 dtacs for a while now . I am using the boron nitride coated ones .

There was one plastic tip deformed in the first 500 I weighed and measured . There was also one missing a tip . Out of the first 500 I ended up with around 30 or so that were either heavier or lighter than 116.9 to 117.1 . Base to ogive measuring for those 470 or so bullets was very boring and wastefull of my time as they all went in to plus or minus .001 . And yes , I know I am a dinosaur since I dont take bearing surface measurements instead .

I am using them in a 7.5 twist Schneider bbl that is 30 in. length and hv7 contour . Cartridge is 243AI. The only powder I am testing at this time is RL 25 and Fed 210gm primers are what I use .All seating depths were 20 thou in .

Low ES/ accuracy nodes occurred at 3050 avg. ES was 7 at this velocity but that was only 10 rounds. Powder charge was 46.3 grs. , no surprise there ) 3100 avg ,which was bit out of the ordinary for this cartridge) Es of 18, powder charge 47.2 .

What was unfortunate was the final node , ES of 18, powder charge of 48 grs, Velocity of 3170 avg . Unfortunate because the pressure was a bit much , primer pockets enlarged one thou . Also unfortunate because the groups were stupendous, daang it all , I really dont want to trash that marvelous Lapua brass so quickly .

I am using a Surgeon single shot action , a very stout action . The solid bottom and the integral picatinny base provide much in the way of strength beyond factory actions . I never had any dificulty opening the bolt on the top end loads . But........I can almost fully seat a primer with my thumb at the 48 gr charge weight . I say almost because that is accurate , The primers need to be seated fully by primer tool , just giving a comparison as to what this load does to your coveted brass.

Yes , I was pressing the envelope a bit , no quarrel there but ....................nothing ventured ?

 

[gme]

Robert,
I must say I'm rather dissapointed with them as well, think I'll contact Sierra on Monday and see what they have to say
Gary Eliseo

 

[BobLor]

I posted this same message over on the Highpower Journal website,

Gary, I received lot #7055XX Boron nitride 117 gr 6mm bullets from SSS earlier this week. After reading your and Robert W.'s descriptions of bad tips I checked out my box of 500 bullets this morning. I have no broken or missing tips and no tips are obviously crooked to just look at them. I did not spin them with an indicator on the tips. I did put about 60 of the 117's into a bearing comparator and they were within .004" of each other, the majority within .002".
I may try shooting a few of them on Tuesday at our 600 yd practice, but my barrels are still throated a bit short for these long bullets and a fair amount of the base of the bullet is below the shoulder of the case in 6xc and 6cm cases.
Bob

 

[ConnorExum]

Connor

It's not missing the polymer tip - if you look close, part of it is there, and part of it is missing. A few bullets in the box are this way, which makes me wonder whether when you go to shoot them, some of the tips are just going to break off or fall off.

I ask myself this: Would David Tubb shoot bullets like that in a match? I think not!

Robert Whitley

Yeah that's not exactly the best quality control if the polymer tip is only partially present... Send them back and ask for a new box is what I would do...

Overall, however the aerodynamics of the bullet probably will not be affected much by a nonconcentric tip, but what is the concentricity of the over all bullet is my concern? What if the tip is centered and the bullet is just that out of concentricity? Now that is a big issue...

I'm very curious as to performance however, I plan on making a 6mm either 243AI or perhaps 6-06AI and I intended to use the 117 DTACs but this is sort of making me worry about my plans.

 

[joesr]

Bob,

Don't worry about the base of the bullet being inside the case. This does not affect accuracy and for the most part does not affect loading.

I'm sure, if the bullets are good, they will shoot.

Joe H