Win .223 55 gr. FMJ - Variation in cannelure location

[Dick]

I'm loading up a bunch of .223 using GFL-headstamped (i.e., Fiocchi) brass that I got up at MFL, and Winchester 55 gr FMJ boat tails that I got in bulk at a good price. Of course, I prepped the cases as usual - among other things, trimming all to the same length.

I started noticing just about right away that the crimped case mouth was ending up in different places on the cannelure - sometimes almost the entire cannelure would be outside of the case, sometimes almost none of it would. To make a long story short, after checking out the likely causes I finally found that the location of the cannelure on these bullets varies quite a bit and is responsible for the variation. So, a couple questions -

Has anyone run into this sort of thing before? I've been handloading for a long, long, time, though not so much with cannelured rifle bullets, and this is a first for me. And, should I care? The crimps still fall within the cannelure where they should, the cartridge OAL is consistent, and the same amount of the bullet is inside the case on each cartridge, so does the variation I'm seeing matter (other than making my finished rounds look sloppy, that is)? This is just plinking ammo.

 

[Kenny474]

I have some 55gr FMJ that i use in a friends .222, and have the same issue with the cannelure being very inconsistent. I haven't seen any problem with them yet. Though I only loaded about 100 so the cannelure was at the case mouth, as I have found better accuracy with bullets seated almost in the lands. Now, on most all loaded rounds the cannelure is beyond the case mouth, and I still give a light crimp with the Lee FCD and have no problem.

Only way to see if your going to have an issue is to try them, though I would make sure they don't push into the case easily if you plan to use them in an auto-loader. If they work, shoot 'em up!

I also believe the bullets I bought were "pulled" bullets, and they have all been very round and none have pull marks. At $8 for 100 I couldn't say no. I have now shot about 300 and they shoot damn well. Shoot 3/4moa all day, and that's about all this gun has in it.

 

[coastie]

I have loaded several thousand of them for a plinking round and seen the same thing. They have worked fine and I have been happy with the accuracy so far. I also noticed there were some differences in the shape of the nose of the bullet. I think the Hornadys have better consistency but the price was right on the Winchesters.

 

[Dick]

Thanks for the input, guys. I was concerned that I'd gotten into a bad batch of bullets and would have spent all my time and effort making up a bunch of expensive firecrackers.

 

[Sprocket]

Corollary question:
Are there any concerns with using pulled bullets?

 

[BoB13]

Loaded 1000's of rounds of them. They're always like that. But for cheap, plinking ammo......can't be beat.

 

[Kenny474]

Corollary question:
Are there any concerns with using pulled bullets?

With pulled bullets you need to look out for a few things. As they are pulled from loaded rounds they can often have tool marks or be out of round, which doesn't make for good ammo. The pulled bullets I buy are advertised as having no pull marks, as some will claim slight marks and look like they were pulled with a pair of vice grips. Also, I usually look for resized, as they have been run through a swaging die to ensure roundness. The company I buy from uses bullet pulling dies to remove them, so they are usually in very good shape. I sometimes find 2-3 out of a bag of 100 that don't look so hot, but for the price you pay it's no big loss.

I can PM you with the company I order from, as I have had good luck with all the .223 and .308 bullets I have purchased there. I had tried another company, and that was how I was schooled on the risks of pulled bullets.

I have found they are excellent plinking bullets, and are far cheaper than using new bulk bullets. Only about $5-8 per 100 for .223 and $8-12 per 100 for .308, and they are discounted when ordered in large quantity.

 

[55_grain]

Dick,

Load up some 55 grain Hornady FMJ w/cannelure and shoot them for group against your Winchesters.

55_grain

 

[NavelOfficer]

As you're aware, some variations occur with bullet profiles, so as the seater top punch contacts the ogive of the bullet you may have slight differences in COL with or without cannelure variations, too. Again, I never see it from my house, so shoot away, they'll work okay, I'm quite confident.

 

[Dick]

As you're aware, some variations occur with bullet profiles, so as the seater top punch contacts the ogive of the bullet you may have slight differences in COL with or without cannelure variations, too. Again, I never see it from my house, so shoot away, they'll work okay, I'm quite confident.

Yes, that's a good point - and, in fact, that was the second thing I looked at (the first being that I had inadvertently trimmed the cases to very different lengths). I did find some very sight differences in COL, but not nearly enough to explain the differences I was seeing in the location of the cannelure with respect to the case mouth. I eventually lined up a dozen or so bullets on my reloading bench and just eyeballed them - that was enough to show where the problem was.