Accuracy Berrys 9mm Thick Plate vs Traditional and RN vs FP

[chiltech500]

Howdy,

Have just begun trying plated bullets with a renewed interest in 9mm since buying a CZ75 recently. I had been experimenting with lead in 9mm and just couldn't get the accuracy of 45/38's at 25 yards.

Folks like BDS and RC had suggested plated and thanks to a couple of Cabellas gift certificates I received some. Honestly the cheapness of lead appeals to me so I will still be using them for up close self-defense type practice.

Bought traditional RN and HBFP- thick plate by Berrys. I was hoping the flat point would make a cleaner hole more similar to a SWC. Haven't made any yet so don't know if my theory is correct.

Those of you who use the thick plate in any shape, do you do anything differently with the OAL vs the traditional thickness bullets. Clearly using the same OAL for the hollow body will get me more bearing surface and a smaller volume compartment in the case.

So I'm trying to see how to adjust powder loads, OAL's et.c for the hollow body thick plate variants.

Thanks

 

[Artofgolf]

From Berry's website: Courtesy - Berry's Manufacturing

Our Hollow Base allows the bullet to be longer and provides more contact area with the barrel and rifling which will stabilize the bullet and improve accuracy.
The bullet profile is longer but the weight of the bullet remains the same and you can load these bullets using any published load data for a jacketed bullet as long as it is the same weight bullet.

The Thick Plate allows these bullets to handle velocities up to 1500 feet per second and is ideal for competitive shooters who are looking for increased accuracy and higher velocities needed for 9mm Major loads, .38 Super Comp/Open guns and the .357 Sig.

For the 9mm we recommend a COL of 1.060"

(Info above was for the HBFP-TP)

 

[Walkalong]

They are not going to cut clean holes like a WC or SWC, just won't do it.

They have a hollow in the base, so you have to figure out how deep they are seated in the case compared to the solid version (Not the OAL difference), and take into account that they have a little more case volume if they are both seated equally deep in the case.

 

[chiltech500]

Edited for bad content by me, I was in a bad mood, sorry Art. I appreciate you taking the time to look up info at berry website. I had as well. I'm interested in maximizing accuracy not concerned about velocity so in essence these hollow body are overkill for me. I bought them because I had a gift cert. and didn't want RN

I like the idea of 1.070 as it sounds somewhat in line with the 1.055 OAL I developed for the Berrys target hollow point. I wish I could have bought those instead but they weren't available - per the Berrys website those are being manufactured again. My guess is they stopped making hoping the hollow body thick plate would suffice.

Walkalong thanks. In my brief shooting exposure of RN (few hundred) vs Hollow Point Targer (1000) the hole the hollow point are a bit cleaner, more distinguishable than a RN shape.I have zero experience with the flat point shape.

 

[Artofgolf]

..........

chiltech500, sorry that you feel insulted; that was not my intent. By no means did I imply that you can't read. In trying to be helpful, I've offended you. My apologies....

 

[mstreddy]

Chilltech,
I would load them at the same length as their regular flat base bullets. Yes, they are longer, but the hollow base allows for "extra" volume in the case.
In my case (no pun intended) I loaded the HBRNTP at the same COAL as I used for their plain base RN. I loaded all at 1.15"

You wrote:

Clearly using the same OAL for the hollow body will get me more bearing surface and a smaller volume compartment in the case.

I think that what Art was pointing out with his quote from Berry's is that the hollow base will do the opposite of what you were thinking - they will allow for more room in the case.

And from having shot a couple thousand of them in my 9MMs, I agree with Walkalong, they will not cut the clean holes like the WC or SWCs.

I'll add that the CZ will probably take some fine tuning of the OALs as most that I'm aware of have shorter chambers/leade, and you generally have to seat a bit shorter than what will work in other guns.

But, hey, that's another aspect of reloading. We get to fine tune our ammo for our guns.

I hope this helps.
Eddy

 

[chiltech500]

Thanks Eddy for clarifying and explaining.

My past "sensitive" chamber/barrel was from a Springfield Armory 1911 in 9mm which was used as the guide - if a round worked in it it would work in my other 9's. The Hollow Point side by side with the Flat Point Hollow Body look similar, but just as you mention the HB is longer. Thus as Art mentions Berrys suggestion of 1.070 -my OAL kind of transitioned to a 1.055 OAL ( for the Hollow Point) as a fit for the SA barrel. I think that 1.055 OAL began as a 1.060 or 1,065 from Lymans.

Truth is I have tried to memorize too many numbers rather than making concise notes on how I came up with OAL's. In 45acp recently I discovered the revolver OAL has to be shorter for the cylinder than the 1911's , but that OAL isn't as accurate in the 1911. I switched to shooting revolver this summer and now will be including 1911's again (two were out for repairs). So I have to make 2 type rounds for 45 acp. I have all my measurements so I'm good there. I was hoping to cut 9mm to only one type round to simplify life. I was happy with the HP and am curious the HB compares. I don't want tp pay an extra penny for the thick plate of I don't have to - I'm a cheapo.