Nosler Ballistic Tips variances

[Freebore]

I just recently purchased 100 95gr .243 and 50 of the 115gr .257 and was very surprised to find them on the shelf.

Anyhow what I found was that the ogive on the newly purchased bullets were .005 longer towards the tip compared to the few older ones I had left. This applied to both the 24 and 25 calibers. I do know that from time to time there is slight difference hence the reason for buying bulk. But I think this applies more to powder vs bullets.

I was just surprised to see this much variance from bullets less than 2 years old. Has anyone seen this in other manufacturers? What effect did you experience if any?

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

rather common for bullet tip variance between lots, but not usually enough to matter. Usually a new tip die is the reason. Tools wear out..... Buy enough for a spell when you get a load going.

 

[Derek M.]

same here and with nosler Btips. BUT, once my seater die was set, it didn't matter much because the newer bullets were just seated slightly deeper according to COAL but the base to ogive remains constant, so jump was unchanged, and accuracy was near identical.

 

[Freebore]

Lefty,

I figured it was new tooling..but I really didn't expect to that much variance from a die to die.

Derek,

I am glad to here your explanation and it makes sense. Obviously range results prove correct. Wouldn't that actually mean that the bearing surface changed as I measured from ogive to the base using bullet comparator gauge or am I all hosed up assuming this would change bearing surface.

 

[Derek M.]

Lefty,

I figured it was new tooling..but I really didn't expect to that much variance from a die to die.

Derek,

I am glad to here your explanation and it makes sense. Obviously range results prove correct. Wouldn't that actually mean that the bearing surface changed as I measured from ogive to the base using bullet comparator gauge or am I all hosed up assuming this would change bearing surface.

yes indeed and I wasn't clear. When I said base to ogive I was talking COAL, not just the bearing surface of the bullet. My experience showed it didn't matter even though the new batch of bullets had a different bearing surface in the bore.

So, either Nosler is just THAT good, my rifle kicks *** and stabilizes them just the same, or both.

 

[Mikecr]

I think you had it right the first time Derek.
COAL is base to tip
CBTO is base to an ogive datum
Your seating sets this regardless of nose length variances.

Freebore 5thou means nothing.
You couldn't even take 25thou as meaningful without isolating and considering the variance for what it actually is.

 

[Derek M.]

I think you had it right the first time Derek.
COAL is base to tip
CBTO is base to an ogive datum
Your seating sets this regardless of nose length variances.

Freebore 5thou means nothing.
You couldn't even take 25thou as meaningful without isolating and considering the variance for what it actually is.

Yes, you are right. I just re-read what I added in the next post. I do know what I'm talking about in MY head

My fingers just don't always translate what my mind is telling them.

I have a dummy round for my 270 die for each rifle. Each dummy round is with a NBT bullet but slight differences in base to OGIVE but it doesn't matter if I change bullets if all else in the loading process is done correctly.

 

[FAL Shot]

Manufacturers have to replace machine tooling on a regular basis. It is a good time to make improvements to their manufactured product, so the new product may vary from old lots.

I use the Hornady COAL gauge setup, and that gives me the same jump to the rifling, no matter what happens to the tip dimension.

However, an ogive change will probably change the BC or the bearing surface may vary, so merely having the same jump to rifling will not comensate for this.

If a load is important, you buy a lot of bullets from the same lot. When you buy again many years down the road, a very good chance you will have a new load development on your hands. More likely than not, in fact.

 

[Freebore]

Manufacturers have to replace machine tooling on a regular basis. It is a good time to make improvements to their manufactured product, so the new product may vary from old lots.

I use the Hornady COAL gauge setup, and that gives me the same jump to the rifling, no matter what happens to the tip dimension.

However, an ogive change will probably change the BC or the bearing surface may vary, so merely having the same jump to rifling will not comensate for this.

If a load is important, >you buy a lot of bullets from the same lot<. When you buy again many years down the road, a very good chance you will have a new load development on your hands. More likely than not, in fact.

FAl Shot,

I agree with you on the Hornady COAL gauge as I too use them. The problem being when you purchase off the shelf and there is only 1 or 2 boxes you sorta screwed to the mercy of their supplier. I got a friend alot younger than me that I'm teaching to shoot and load.

So I'm burning a fair amount of powder again and now I see the dilema of supplies. When I checked on line no body had anything I shoot, powder, bullets, primers and or brass. I wonder why??! Not really.