Hornady 32 gr VMAx funky tips

[bow shot]

Anyone shooting these? I've been loading exclusively with these and noticed that my last batch had a lot of funkiness around the plastic tip, maybe 1/10 are like this:

1) tip is popped up slightly (maybe .002")
2) jacket/tip joint has voids: imagine a sierra varminter hp bullet tip (rarely uniform) with a plastic tip shoved in.

Anyone else seen this before?

I never noticed this before (loaded up 200 rounds so far), and I'm usually pretty "inspectful". As I recall (fallible, for sure) the jacket/tip joint has always bee a perfect interface, like looking at sections of laminated wood. This bunch I got from a guy on gunbroker, bagged, lot of 300. so I fear I've been stuck...

[FireBallGuy]

Never seen that before. Just trying to get rid of mine, my new remy hates those bullets. Are they shooting well?

[bow shot]

Well, kinda crummy, maybe I'm too picky though. I couldn't get factory ammo to shoot better than about 5 inches. After 200 rounds of handloading I'm having a hard time breaking the 0.5" barrier. I've made lots of expensive and time consuming mistakes along the way, I figure this is just another. I ruined a big chunk of my brass, had to change powders and primers (local supply dried up), stuff like that.

I had the group down to 0.2", but its been a nasty road getting back there. I think I started working on this load in March?

I wish I started with Bergers and stuck to 'em.

I got some good answers on the firing line forum. Looks like I got factory seconds that Hornady allows out. Guys buy 'em, bag 'em, and sell 'em,honestly describing them as "new". Retards like me buy them.

[bow shot]

Positively ID'd on the firing line skunkworks forum: Factory seconds. Pics are there. If I can figure it out, I'll post 'em here too, guess I have to get permission or something...

[greystone]

If you want a cheap bullet for general shooting and and practice-plingking-try the Midway Dogtowns/Midsouth Varnint Nightmare Xtreme's. They're both the same bullet. Keep your loads about midrange-not hot-and you can really get some decent accuracy out of these things. I shoot them a lot and I'll be using them on the Postal Shoot. Just a thought. Dave

[glenn asher]

I've bought boxed Sierra Blitzkings (not seconds) that were crooked, or not inserted fully. It happens, and slips by the inspectors at times, too. Stuff happens.

Hornady usually has an operator on the machine, but I've seen (on a plant tour) the V-Max machine run all by it's lonesome, with no one around, also. It was spitting out a new bullet about 2 per second (sigh). I'd like two hours worth, please However many per minute, they claimed 50K per day. There are bound to be some foulups when making that many bullets (and trying to keep with with insatiable demand).

[bow shot]

yup, its the real world, as much as we all try to hope it aint..

[bow shot]

They shot about the same as the good ones... Having truouble breaking the 0.5" mark.

[bow shot]

greystone:

Somehow this reply that I intended for you ended up as a "new topic". that was wierd:

Ok Dave, thanks for the info. I'm loaded up and will be testing with these on top of Benchmark today. I'll let yall know how it goes.

[bow shot]

FYI all, I've loaded and shot almost all of these, and they group as well as off the shelf bullets. I'll just load up the remainder as "adequate", and continue my serach for accuracy with off- the shelf.

[Baja_Traveler]

I used to buy factory seconds when the Sierra factory was in the Los Angeles area (santa fe springs), and used them for punching paper. They all shot the same as the expensive boxes I used to hunt with. Most of the defects I found then were simply blemishes or slightly misformed spitzer points - they all weighed in very close to, or right on spec.