Inspecting pulled 173 Gr Match bullets for use in long range competition

Joined
Mar 4, 2018
Messages
92
Likes
43
Feedback: 0 / 0 / 0
GGsH5hPh.jpg


If you have pulled 173 bullets or even new ones you will see a big variation in how the bases are formed. The third bullet from the left is a perfectly formed base and will be best for 600 yards and beyond.

Note how the lead is nice and uniform below the rolled radius of base of bullet? That is what you are looking for.

Bullet base uniformity is critical in long range applications.

A ammo tech from Frankford Arsenal put this tidbit on me about 25 years back. You can prove it yourself. Select 10 bullets like the one on the extreme right and ten like the one 3rd of left. Load them with same load and shoot for dispersion. You should see a much smaller group from the ones that look like 3rd from the left.
 
Last edited:
Many years ago a old gent turned us onto this.
He actually sat with a group of us with a Lee loader ( the one you use a hammer with) loaded iirc 173s anyway it was about open bottom jackets and how they have accuracy depleting tendencies. He touched briefly on why some shooters prefer flat base over boat tail for accuracy.
What I found eye opening is how his damaged bullet tip demo on accuracy really did not have as much influence as the poorly formed bases. This was the one and only time I have seen a mann accuracy device. That was a fun day
 
Yep the meplat doesn't care, the bearing surface won't really like to be disturbed but the base is a whole different ballgame. do you remember who it was? was this at Springfield Armory by any chance?
 
Yep the meplat doesn't care, the bearing surface won't really like to be disturbed but the base is a whole different ballgame. do you remember who it was? was this at Springfield Armory by any chance?
wish i remembered his name. local club member at hanson. he did a few fun learning day events. Basically would just let people know when he would be at the club. Always brought out cool stuff.
 
Forgot to add, had a long talk with W C Davis (the father of the 173 gr bullet) and he said it was designed by slide rule in 60s. Then MATCH went out of production and brought back on and they ran the numbers on computer programs and computer indicated no improvements could be made to shape.

Also the 173 gr bullet when fired at maximum range (about 31°) angle will remain stable all the way into the ground at maximum range. This begs the question of how was this determined. Doplar radar at Aberdeen can track bullets as far as they fly and determine if they become unstable in flight.

It also begs the questions of why the commercial bullet manufacturers don't copy the gov't drawings for match ammo? Simple hollow point bullets are cheaper to produce and all have perfect bases and not susceptible to deformations indicated above.
 
Back
Top Bottom