Blemished vs. Regular Boxed Bullets?

[Chas1]

Never found anything wrong with blems, then again I only buy blems for blinking.

 

[baldhunter]

Here is a real Nosler blem.The plastic tip was inserted backwards

 

[.300 Dakota]

I have a 6.8 Western, could only find blemished 165 Nosler ABLR Bullets. Under 3/4" groups at 200 yards. Have shot them at 1000 and 1200 yards. Could do no better than 10" group at 1000 and 20" group at 1200 yards. I shot the factory 175 Sierra TGK at those yardages and did no better. Have not had a single flyer out of any of the blemishes. I had the same questions you have about these bullets. Hard not to buy when they are half the price.

MOA @1000 is nothing to sneeze at, no matter what bullet you use!

 

[.300 Dakota]

Blemished bullets are fine, even if in original boxes, in my opinion. We had moved and in the process some boxes were placed in boxes and then misplaced. When found, they worked fine, same as new.

A neighbor, doesn't shoot, was given some boxes of 308s. Tarnished, case and bullets not dented or any physical damage. She gave them to me. During my inspections before a practice trip I pulled out the styrafoam/rounds. Behind it was a tiny note. It had the reloading information on it.

I have trouble trusting reloads that I did not make. A couple I know get their recipes from the "web", have no problems with the recipe(s), because the poster said the recipes are safe.

I took them apart, dumped the powder, disposed of it, reloaded with my tested and true recipe.

Even if the recipe is correct, you don't know how long they've been there or the conditions they've been exposed to. If the loads are compressed, especially with ball powder, it tends to clump and fuse into a single huge pellet almost over time. I have some 35 Whelen rounds that are compressed with LeverEvolution from like 8 or 9 years ago. No way I shoot those now! Sorry for deviation from subject of OP. My blems won't be in until next Tuesday says Larry.

 

[Bruce Treloar]

Hey from Western PA! 1st of all I'd like to thank you all. I have been reloading for years but only a member for a few. But have learned more in the few than all the rest.
I purchased a few boxes of (blemished) bullets. I was skeptical but. After inspecting and weighing I found nothing I would call a blemish. In fact the weights varied less than some regularly priced. Am I missing something?

I have made bullets commercially over the last 50 odd years
The best results (World Open Class record ,50 shots into .2") was shot with very tarnished bullets made from J4 jackets. I didn't find out how good the jackets were until most had been sold.

 

[sw282]

Another great source of cheap components are ''Pulled Bullets''.
These can come from ammo that was not safe to shoot or ''0ut of date/surplus ammo''.

 

[Firewurx]

Hey from Western PA! 1st of all I'd like to thank you all. I have been reloading for years but only a member for a few. But have learned more in the few than all the rest.
I purchased a few boxes of (blemished) bullets. I was skeptical but. After inspecting and weighing I found nothing I would call a blemish. In fact the weights varied less than some regularly priced. Am I missing something?

Nope, not really. Where you at in W. PA? I'm in Mercer County.

 

[5oomiles]

Washington Co.

 

[TXTrained]

I always check my bullets- weight-diameter-etc and keep them isolated by groups- thats 1st-2nd's just a habit from benchrest days.

Ruffian R-NY
How much deviation in the bullets before you cast aside from one group to another?
Ruffian was one of my favorite Thoroughbred fillies to watch race

 

[Crockett12]

I've bought blemished bullets of several brands and could never determine why they were called blemished! They all shot just as accurately as normal bullets and I've used them on game and never found any difference between them and normal bullets. I'll buy blemished for the price break every time!