Do you need match 175 BTHP's
- Thread starter Niles Coyote
- Start date
I was told that many blems are put there as the result of a cosmetic problem such as tarnish. When the bullets go past the inspection station, it is too difficult to try and grab one bullet off the conveyor, so they do a swipe that removes the bullet they wanted, and a number of perfectly good ones around it. That is why many "blems" look perfectly fine....because they are.
Don't think you can always count on this 100% of the time. I bought a bunch of Hornady 178 AMAX blems, and yes there were quite a few tarnished ones, but also the weights were all over the place. Much higher deviation than normal production boxes I was used to. I'd say they are fine for banging steel or fireforming/plinking, but I'd never buy em again for precision loads.
I found something similar with pulled bullets. Trying to get a consistent C.O.A.L. was impossible. Apparently the squeeze required to hold the bullet securely enough to pull them pushes the front end out. I couldn't get either a consistent length to ogive, or a consistent C.O.A.L. I ended up having to individually measure each bullet, and then seat them to a C.O.A.L. I still wasn't getting a consistent length to ogive though.
They were fine for practice, or banging steel inside 500 yards or so as long as the targets were at least 2-3 MOA. But like you, I wouldn't buy them for precision work again.
I have had similar results with nosler (visual blems according to them). Didn't shoot worth a crap at 1k or 100
I measured oal, bearing surface and weight and mine were every bit as consistent as the new smk's I have. I loaded some up with a known good load and compared them along side new smk's at 600 yards on Friday and they again showed a nice consistent POI and grouped every bit as tight as the new smk's... a far cry better than some pull's I bought a while back. The only difference I really noticed was the ogive was different enough that when I loaded to jump .020 they were around .050" shorter in OAL than my SMK's.
So to wrap it up, I am glad I got them. Unlike the pull's.
I visited the site and they seem to be out of stock now... but then I realized that for only 10 more dollars, I could get 5 boxes (500) of first quality Hornady 178 AMAX's. So it was a worthwhile visit to the site. 
They were out by the time I got home Friday from the range... was going squirrel away a few more.
I visited the site and they seem to be out of stock now... but then I realized that for only 10 more dollars, I could get 5 boxes (500) of first quality Hornady 178 AMAX's. So it was a worthwhile visit to the site.
They were marked down to $99.99 when the OP made his post, so it was actually $35 more.
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