Geezer Ray
Senior Member
When listing reloading bullets as blemished what are they typically referring to? Any effects on hunting accuracy or terminal performance? Never bought any before but times being what they are ,,,,,,,,,,,,
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What do they mean?
- Thread starter Geezer Ray
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BeerThirty
Senior Member
Call and ask before you buy. "Blem" is a loose term.
chuckdog
Senior Member
My experience has been mostly discoloration with bullets. Brass may have a few dents to go along with the stains.
Be sure to check any repackaged bullets for proper weight. It’s been years ago but I have actually opened a factory sealed box of Hornady .243 and found lighter weight bullets in the mix.
Be sure to check any repackaged bullets for proper weight. It’s been years ago but I have actually opened a factory sealed box of Hornady .243 and found lighter weight bullets in the mix.
Buckstop
Senior Member
Good question. Wondered myself. My guess would be “mostly” not enough blemish to effect flight path. Which would be fine in non-competitive target shooting, where an occasional flyer is no big deal. Maybe a big deal though in hunting where a flyer on the first shot is not accectable.
doomtrpr_z71
Senior Member
From midway? It's usually blemishes in the jacket or the polymer tips are the wrong color in something like a vmax. I've bought a bunch from midway and had no issues.
Most times its water stains, out of spec weight, nose tips under length, cannelure misplaced, some times bullets are blems due to die start up process, it's all cosmetic for the most part.
I bought several hundred blem Hornady SST bullets a year or so ago from Midway. Aside from them being about 4-5 thousandths shorter you could not tell them from first quality bullets. There was also no difference in the way they shot either.
Bottom line, if you can find them, 'blems, seconds" or whatever they are called are a very good buy the vast majority of times.
I bought several hundred blem Hornady SST bullets a year or so ago from Midway. Aside from them being about 4-5 thousandths shorter you could not tell them from first quality bullets. There was also no difference in the way they shot either.
Bottom line, if you can find them, 'blems, seconds" or whatever they are called are a very good buy the vast majority of times.
Bobby Bigtime
Senior Member
I have not had a negative experience with blems, mostly discoloration. I am generally a proponent of cheaper.
B. White
Senior Member
bighonkinjeep
Senior Member
I've been shooting the Noslers "2nds" from Shooters Pro Shop for years without issue and love them. I really cant tell the difference so I keep buying them usually at least 500 at a time to save on shipping when I can get the ones I want. I have seen some with slight discoloration on jackets but in my experience with the Nosler 2nds they shoot and perform just like first run bullets. I've been through quite a few batches of custom comps, accubonds, ballistic tips, silvertip combined tech and bonded bullets.
A couple of years ago I ordered 500 180gr .30 cal Accubonds and the "blem was quite obvious. The ones that showed up had orange tips where someone had forgot to switch out and put white tips in the machine and made a run.
As far as terminal performance I've never recovered one of the hunting bullets, so they are punching all the way through and the trauma is what one would expect from a top tier modern hunting bullet.
The pics of what Accubonds and Ballistic Tips do are are a pretty graphic, but here's a pic of a deer hit with a "Nosler 2nds" .257 110gr Accubond at about 240 yards from a 22" 25-06, Through and through, bang, flop. I'd say the terminal performance is there.
All the Noslers I've ever received from S.P.S. are money well spent.
I Shot a bunch of moly coated "blems" (back when that was the latest greatest thing) from Midway USA in the late 1990s but since it's been decades ago I cant remember the manufacturer and I'm pretty sure they just came in a blue box labeled "Midway USA" without reference to a manufacturer. I do recall using them for plinking and targets and they worked fine and I never really noticed what the "blemish" was.
A couple of years ago I ordered 500 180gr .30 cal Accubonds and the "blem was quite obvious. The ones that showed up had orange tips where someone had forgot to switch out and put white tips in the machine and made a run.
As far as terminal performance I've never recovered one of the hunting bullets, so they are punching all the way through and the trauma is what one would expect from a top tier modern hunting bullet.
The pics of what Accubonds and Ballistic Tips do are are a pretty graphic, but here's a pic of a deer hit with a "Nosler 2nds" .257 110gr Accubond at about 240 yards from a 22" 25-06, Through and through, bang, flop. I'd say the terminal performance is there.
All the Noslers I've ever received from S.P.S. are money well spent.
I Shot a bunch of moly coated "blems" (back when that was the latest greatest thing) from Midway USA in the late 1990s but since it's been decades ago I cant remember the manufacturer and I'm pretty sure they just came in a blue box labeled "Midway USA" without reference to a manufacturer. I do recall using them for plinking and targets and they worked fine and I never really noticed what the "blemish" was.
JeffinPTC
Senior Member
What he said. I can't tell the difference maybe cause I almost always buy what's on sale, but I'm not shooting 1000 yards.
And nothing's on sale any more.
The last 1000 Nosler 77gr I bought from SPS was $127 delivered, vet disc. Now they're over $300
And nothing's on sale any more.
The last 1000 Nosler 77gr I bought from SPS was $127 delivered, vet disc. Now they're over $300
Jester896
Senior Clown
yeah...their prices aren't that low and I think they only have 5 or 6 different bullets in stock right now of something I can't use
bullgator
Senior Member
Most blem bullets I’ve bought looked new. The worst I’ve seen were worse than an opened box I’ve had sitting on the shelf for a year or two.
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