Berry Copper Plated Bullets

MacD · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:25 pm Post subject: Berry Copper Plated Bullets

So I finally opened the old dusty wallet and placed an order for my 9mm dies etc. I went with Titegroup powder, ordered 1000 1x fired brass, the Lee 3 piece die set and a case trimmer. Then he asked what bullets. Well since the wallet was appreciably lighter I went with the Berry 124 grain round nose copper plated pills. I had planned on Frontier bullets but he can't get them just now. The Berry website suggests using a a low to mid-range FMJ load. The closest load I can find in my reference material/books is for a 125 grain FMJ using this powder. I am planning at starting 3.6 and going as far as 4.0. Berry says to keep it under 1200 FPS. Anyone have any other published/proven loads. The pistol is a S&W M&P with a 4.25" barrel.

Ominivision1 · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 9:31 pm Post subject: Re: Berry Copper Plated Bullets

Here is published data from Ramshot which includes Berry's plated bullets and the pdf can be downloaded from Ramshot powders. Ramshot Load Data

Bushmaster · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 7:09 am Post subject: Re: Berry Copper Plated Bullets

I'm partial to W-231 for lead and plated bullets. Just make sure that when you crimp the case mouth that you don't penetrate the plating and expose the lead.

Other than that...Have a ball.

SyberShooter · Member Joined: Jul 23, 2010 Posts: 93 Location: Arizona

The Vhit load sheet also has a listing for Berrys 124gr CP.RN & CP.HBFP
I just loaded several different powders with the 124 HBFP but only one with the CPRN....

4.6 N-330 @ 1.115" oal for the RN

inthedark · Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 11:23 pm Post subject: Re: Berry Copper Plated Bullets

I am loading for my M&P 9mm with the frontier bullets 115gr RN and federal small pistol primers and the two loads that I am using are
ZIP 4.6gr and WSF 5.5gr.
The Zip burns cleaner that the Winchester special field does. They are coming out at the 1050-1100 fps

Bushmaster · Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 6:13 am Post subject: Re: Berry Copper Plated Bullets

Winchester Special Field? Never heard....Oh...You mean Winchester Super Field. Yup. Excellent powder. I use it extensively for my defense and carry loads for my .45 ACP Kimber UCC II.

SyberShooter · Member Joined: Jul 23, 2010 Posts: 93 Location: Arizona

I used 4.0 Zip for one of the HBFP loads. Not bad, might like it a little better than W231 but not as well as AA-5 or N-320. Seemed like a real clean shooter though. Will need to work with it more to find the sweet spot.

5.1 WSF was a good load with the HBFB too, one of the more accurate.

edit to add... these are Berry's 124gr HBFP bullets

ElyBoy · Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 9:20 pm Post subject: Re: Berry Copper Plated Bullets

I'm with Bushy with the W-231.

One mistake that I find some of my shooters making is seating the bullet in a tad much.

Be careful on that with 9mm because pressures increase with the small cases.

Otherwise, have fun.

Eric

SyberShooter · Member Joined: Jul 23, 2010 Posts: 93 Location: Arizona

What Elyboy say is especially true of the 9mm (and .40). Quite often you see 1.125" listed as the standard OAL in books however you will see a number of newer load sheets giving an OAL down to about 1.07" - it really depends on the design of the bullet shank and olgive length. That is why you see different loads above for the Berrys 124 RN & HBFP - the latter has a lot more bearing surface along the shank. I find I am often between 1.1 and 1.15 (running at or + max). Sometimes I am as short as 1.085 but I get nervous that short.
I measured a number of 115 & 124gr factory loads and then pulled the bullets to see how deep they were seated. Most of them had different OAL's but were fairly uniformly seated .20 into the case (but not all).

After analyzing all my data I ended up loading a batch with AA-5 and some with WSF and a 3rd batch with WST. I will try these on my action targets and at 25yds to see which I want to do a K or two of.

Elvis · Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2012 11:24 pm Post subject: Re: Berry Copper Plated Bullets

a K or 2 of aye???
man you will really want to make sure the load is the one you want cause thats a whole heap if you decide to pull them apart to start again!!

SyberShooter · Member Joined: Jul 23, 2010 Posts: 93 Location: Arizona

Heh heh... your sure are right about that....

A month ago I found 700 9mm rounds I loaded up back in the mid 90's and stuck back, they seemed a little hot when I tried them so I pulled a couple and verified the charge label. I looked around and found the 1990 AA load book that I had put a note by the load, that I had called AA in 2000 and verified it was a safe load, although it was max for the time they OK'd it. I recently discovered that in 2001 they reduced that max listing by 1.7 grain. I called them again last month when I saw the difference in the new load data and they told me the original load was pushing 44,000 psi and recommended I not shoot it. On top of that mine were a shorter OAL due to the bullet design vs the one in the book.

Heck, I shot that load all thru the 90's in my 5906. That was a real he-man load, no complaints about bullet expansion. I fired a few over the chrono and was getting 1250+fps with them - today's +P territory. but... since I like my fingers better than bragging rights, I pulled all 700 of them...
Now my load with AA-5 is under their published max and almost as accurate (or is it me?).

I seem to be always playing around with new loads and variations and usually have a little of this and that laying around. I always seem to come back to AA-5 for the 9mm.

When I find a good load I like to load up a quantity that I can use as a baseline and that will last me a while and also that I can have on hand to grab when running off to an impromptu range session. Back in the day... I was going thru 800 rounds a week counting weekend matches, so thinking of having a couple thousand loads isn't all that unusual and I can get all my reload bench time in at once. I have been thinking of starting going to the local matches again too so I will need to increase my practice too.

Elvis · Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 12:09 pm Post subject: Re: Berry Copper Plated Bullets

Sounds like you are having a heck of alot of fun. It is a pity we here in godzone are not allowed the handguns to tootoo with aswell Sad

Im sure they would be a load of fun Sad

SyberShooter · Member Joined: Jul 23, 2010 Posts: 93 Location: Arizona

I've been lucky enough to acquire a nice variety of pistols over the years, but to feed them, one has to find the time and then work with them...

I know it's a crappy job but someone has to do it! Shocked

res45 · Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 6:27 am Post subject: Re: Berry Copper Plated Bullets

I shoot the new Berry's 9mm 124 gr. HBRN they are thick plated and rated to 1450 fps. I don't think you will find a 124 gr. 9mm load that will meet or exceed that velocity.

For those bullets you can use standard 124 gr. FMJ 9mm load data if you like. I shoot 5.0 grs. of Power Pistol and the above mentioned Berry's bullet as my general purpose shooting load.

The hollow base bullet also adds length and more bearing surface which helps improve accuracy. I can load my 124's out to 1.160" and they feed and function great.

MacD · Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 7:20 am Post subject: Re: Berry Copper Plated Bullets

Thanks Res45.