Pulled M855 bullets?? Yay or Neh?
ran into a couple of listings on some sites for machine pulled and resized m855 projectiles....... so, first question is, yes or no? think they would make a safe and practical plinker ammo? i just ran through a box of hornady zombiemax 55gr's( my first box of reloads FYI, might keep the box for nostalgia) and need to get some more. i definitely want heavier rounds, 77 would be perfect, but i would be willing to do some 62's for the right price.
the idea plan would be grab a 1000 ct bag of these puppies if they are worth it, figure probably 5% as throw aways i would imagine, and then make 600 77gr HPBT serious business loads for the ammo box. Any thoughts on whether or not its worth getting a bag of these rounds to make paper fall over dead? again, i would accept the fact that there would be a % of these things that are no good, but would be happily surprised if not!
if this doesnt sound like a good idea, i would love to hear some opinions on a good brand of mid to upper 70's gr either FMJ"S (preferred) or HPBT's BULK, with No cannelure on them ( im just not digging the extra work on the cannelure/crimp, plus for a plinking round, i just dont see the real benefit? maybe im wrong, so please school me if so!) looking for something in a NON ridiculous price range, like say the Hornady HPBT 75 gr 600 ct for $75 or less, or even some brand that im not even noticing out there that makes a similar bullet, for bulk purchasing range rounds.
let me know, i want to purchase asap. now all i have to get is some damn CFE223 powder! locally here in Iowa that is.. the search is on!
pulls are gtg for plinking search around some places are cheaper than others hi-tec has them at $70 + shipping
I bought some pulled green tip ss109 bullets one time and when they came they looked horrible. Big deep pull marks, really bad. I loaded them up anyway and shot them. Surprisingly they shot ok at 50 yards. They grouped about at an inch at 50 yards with an aimpoint. I never shot them past 50 yards but they shot the same as "new" M855. I was surprised but happy.
Not .5.56, but years ago I bought a few thousand pulled Privi .308 150gr projos. I also bought some 147gr pulls from an unknown source.
The Privi ammo shot really good. It was air pulled. Very consistent, no marks, no damage, no anything.
The other was still really good for plinking and was at least as accurate as SA surplus or better. It was mechanically pulled. It had marks, some oddballs in there. Still, I was able to use 99.9% of them.
It really depends on how they are pulled, and the quality of the bullet to begin with.
Overall, they should be fine.
Originally Posted By reelserious:
I bought some pulled green tip ss109 bullets one time and when they came they looked horrible. Big deep pull marks, really bad. I loaded them up anyway and shot them. Surprisingly they shot ok at 50 yards. They grouped about at an inch at 50 yards with an aimpoint. I never shot them past 50 yards but they shot the same as "new" M855. I was surprised but happy.
Remember that your loading techniques will be more consistent than a military supplier. You will get at least surplus accuracy most times.
Originally Posted By pavlovwolf:
Originally Posted By reelserious:
I bought some pulled green tip ss109 bullets one time and when they came they looked horrible. Big deep pull marks, really bad. I loaded them up anyway and shot them. Surprisingly they shot ok at 50 yards. They grouped about at an inch at 50 yards with an aimpoint. I never shot them past 50 yards but they shot the same as "new" M855. I was surprised but happy.
Remember that your loading techniques will be more consistent than a military supplier. You will get at least surplus accuracy most times.
I use better powder too.

The SS-109 is my favorite plinking/blasting bullet for 223. I get them from Hitech or Wideners.
I get around 2 in to 2 1/2 inch 10 shot groups at 100 yds.
So not a match bullet, but a good practice bullet.
I seat them to mid cannelure and lightly crimp with a Lee FCD, factory crimp die.
Up in the
Gateway tacked thread you will find my loads on page one about half way down the page.
Start 10% below listed load and work up.
I get the bullets with the heavy pull marks, I save some money and they shoot just as good as the "pretty", no pull marks bullets.
A recent batch.
Purdy

You make me sick!!!!!
I still have about 800 pieces of resized, trimmed, and deburred 5.56 brass laughing at me in the basement.

It was easy to reload when I was laid off....
When you have been reloading for awhile and stay with it, you too will have a nice setup.
I started with a single stage Lyman C press in 1976. It doesn't happen overnight.
Before that loaded with my dad on his single stage.
If they are anything like the pulled M855s we used to get in the 90s I wouldn't waste my time and money of them.
I like them for plinking, I get about the same as dryflash3 2"/2.5" @ 100yds , wished I'd got more @ 4¢ each

Have you found any accuracy differences between 'resized' pull down bullets and those that have not been?
I could try a little harder on finding the right load, but I've got some pulled 55gr pills that are pretty nasty. They have some horrific smiley face marks where they were jerked out. Most land within 3-3 1/2", then the fliers throw the groups out another inch or two. I found new PRIVI 55gr for $8 more/K and I'm done with pulled pills. Surplus powder on the other hand I could eat with a straw!!

My opinion is from little experience though, I'm a beginner.
SS109's have a steel insert that is problematic to get centered when the bullet is manufactured, and have a well deserved reputation for not being especially accurate. Note that some of the better groups listed here are 2 1/2" @100 yards. I've regularly got better accuracy than that shooting poorly cast patched round balls from a slow twist muzzleloader. So, for perspective, the pull marks aren't all that likely to have a significant impact on SS109 accuracy.
SS-109s are fine for for shooting your old discarded tube TV, a long abandoned car,or that hard drive that failed you. But I hate 'em on paper. 2-3" groups are embarrassing, and hardly worth the brass prep in my book.
Bulk Privi's in 69 or 75 are a little better, and might meet your need, especially if you sort by weight and buy in bulk.
Originally Posted By skylark:
Have you found any accuracy differences between 'resized' pull down bullets and those that have not been?
No