Richracer1
Handloader
- May 12, 2005
- 2,141
- 121
To begin, I'm a 2nds fan and use 2nds almost exclusively when possible. I have had excellent results with them and great accuracy (to my standards) results. But on another forum a gentleman is venting about the weight variances of his bag of 338 Cal 210gn Partition 2nds.
What do you guys think??????
Here's a copy of his initial post (some of you that frequent this forum may recognize this).
I did not not realize the impact that buying Nosler "seconds" would have on accuracy. I assumed that these bullets would be the "standard" weight variation of normal Nosler partitions and would shoot the same groupings as the Nosler Partitions that we normally buy. I was told by the Nosler Rep that these bullets were "cosmetic only' defects. One issue on comparison is that I only have only (5) standard .338 Partition bullets in 225 grain size as a comparison control sample of other .338 bullets. These (5) bullets were taken from a normal commercial Nosler box. The weight range of the (5)-225 gr Nosler Partitions is from 224.7 to 225.1 grains which is a range of 0.40 grains. This is a greater range than I expected but is acceptable and shots 3-shots into about 1-1/4 MOA groups. This group size is within predictable limits for my .340 Weatherby rifle.
The 210 Grain Nosler Partition (seconds) on the other hand varies from 209.6 to 210.8 on a random sampling of 10 bullets within a bag of 50. This range of 1.2 grains is larger than I would expect from 45 years history and use of Partition bullets of other sizes and smaller calibers than .338. To date without doing any special weight sorting, this grouping of 210 grain Nosler Partition "seconds" has not yielded any groups smaller then about 2.0 inches. This 210 grain second bullet has had load development work done on two separate rifles, a .338 Federal which can group 3/4 MOA with the right bullet and the .340 Weatherby Mag which will group 1-1/4 MOA with the right load and bullets. To date, the 210 Partition "seconds" have not yielded any grouping better than 2 MOA in either rifle with several different IMR powders.
This is most unusually poor Nosler quality for Partition, premium bullets and is to me unacceptable. I have been a solid unquestioned, faithful customer of Nosler since 1965. I normally do not bother to weigh Nosler Partition bullets because I have never found and great lot variation larger than a couple 1/10's of a grain. These four bags of 50 each Nosler "seconds have shaken my confidence in Nosler bullets to the core. This wide deviation in weight has just about convinced me that if Nosler can't control quality or swage consistant weights, I will not buy Nosler Partition bullets anymore. This level of quality is not acceptable for a bullet which costs as much as Nosler Partitions and is labelled and sold as such! I am surprised and disappointed at the poor weight, process control of this particular Partition bullet which Nosler has been making and selling at premium pricing for over 40 years! If they can not control process any better than this, they should not put their name on it! No wonder these bullets have such appalling accuracy. I wish that I still had the tools to investigate these bullets further for other lacking process control, such as T.I.R., roundness, variable center of gravity, swaging voids, etc.
What do you guys think??????
Here's a copy of his initial post (some of you that frequent this forum may recognize this).
I did not not realize the impact that buying Nosler "seconds" would have on accuracy. I assumed that these bullets would be the "standard" weight variation of normal Nosler partitions and would shoot the same groupings as the Nosler Partitions that we normally buy. I was told by the Nosler Rep that these bullets were "cosmetic only' defects. One issue on comparison is that I only have only (5) standard .338 Partition bullets in 225 grain size as a comparison control sample of other .338 bullets. These (5) bullets were taken from a normal commercial Nosler box. The weight range of the (5)-225 gr Nosler Partitions is from 224.7 to 225.1 grains which is a range of 0.40 grains. This is a greater range than I expected but is acceptable and shots 3-shots into about 1-1/4 MOA groups. This group size is within predictable limits for my .340 Weatherby rifle.
The 210 Grain Nosler Partition (seconds) on the other hand varies from 209.6 to 210.8 on a random sampling of 10 bullets within a bag of 50. This range of 1.2 grains is larger than I would expect from 45 years history and use of Partition bullets of other sizes and smaller calibers than .338. To date without doing any special weight sorting, this grouping of 210 grain Nosler Partition "seconds" has not yielded any groups smaller then about 2.0 inches. This 210 grain second bullet has had load development work done on two separate rifles, a .338 Federal which can group 3/4 MOA with the right bullet and the .340 Weatherby Mag which will group 1-1/4 MOA with the right load and bullets. To date, the 210 Partition "seconds" have not yielded any grouping better than 2 MOA in either rifle with several different IMR powders.
This is most unusually poor Nosler quality for Partition, premium bullets and is to me unacceptable. I have been a solid unquestioned, faithful customer of Nosler since 1965. I normally do not bother to weigh Nosler Partition bullets because I have never found and great lot variation larger than a couple 1/10's of a grain. These four bags of 50 each Nosler "seconds have shaken my confidence in Nosler bullets to the core. This wide deviation in weight has just about convinced me that if Nosler can't control quality or swage consistant weights, I will not buy Nosler Partition bullets anymore. This level of quality is not acceptable for a bullet which costs as much as Nosler Partitions and is labelled and sold as such! I am surprised and disappointed at the poor weight, process control of this particular Partition bullet which Nosler has been making and selling at premium pricing for over 40 years! If they can not control process any better than this, they should not put their name on it! No wonder these bullets have such appalling accuracy. I wish that I still had the tools to investigate these bullets further for other lacking process control, such as T.I.R., roundness, variable center of gravity, swaging voids, etc.
