Nosler Quality Control

Flat base bullets need a consistent release of gas at the muzzle, hence why the crown is important. A damaged base will cause more problems on flat base bullets. A boat tail is likely less to be as affected, but I argue there is still an effect.

In general the overall qc of this lot gave me fits seating. The cbto was all over the place. These are 190 ABLR.

They did not shoot well.
Now I'm gonna have to check out my 265gr ABLR to see how they are.
Send pictures and lot number directly to nosler. See what happens.
 
 
Any one else seen a box of Nosler bullets with bases this beat up? Seating depth aside I don't know how they could accurate with the base edge dented randomly.
Did you contact Nosler? That would be the first thing I would do. On the dents I received some Barnes Match Burners from Midway where the packaging inside got so destroyed the bullets were tumbling around inside. The Barnes packaging was split in two and atleast 70% of the bases were dented worse than yours. Midway made it good and since it was during covid I kept the bullets. To my amazement they shot fine. I used the worst to fire form my 260 AI brass. The rest I used to confirm my dope out to a mile and shot rock chucks and badgers. Granted I wasn't happy seeing all those dents either. And I admit they could affect accuracy. But the ones I received shot fine. YMMV.
 
I have seen a lot of bullets with uneven and damaged tips from several companies. None were 'seconds', cosmetic stuff doesn't really matter, does it?
Have had Accubonds that lost their plastic tips, they still shot into the group with those that still had tips at 300.

Cheers.

At short range I be had similar experience not so much at longer ranges. Lost some tips in some Hornady VMax 120 7mm bullets and significantly more drop at 650 yards when shooting steel at friends ranch….. like a couple MOA if memory serves me right!
 
This is a 160 accubond. Not sure how this happens, but the tip was in backwards. I had some accubonds in the past that had tips that crumbled......which Nosler acknowledged in the past. First time I had one like this.
 

Attachments

  • 20240808_202758.jpg
    20240808_202758.jpg
    152.9 KB · Views: 44
  • 20240808_203019.jpg
    20240808_203019.jpg
    168.7 KB · Views: 38
Bballard , I ve had the exact same thing on some 200 gr Accubonds 15 years back or so. Some of those also were Holliw points as plastic tip fell out …. Never bothered trying to send back to Nosler; just used the funky ones for foulers/offhand practice.
 
Probably so but if this is acceptable QC, what else is acceptable?
Nosler TECH,. told Me that, up to, .025 of, the Bullet's OAL, ( Length ) "Variation" was, "Acceptable" for, AccuBonds from, Set Up to,.. Set Up.
And, Sure enough, EVERY Box with, a Different Lot Number,.. Varied YEP,.. A,. FACT !
Now, I Shoot, Hunting VLD's or, Classic Hunter,.. BERGER's,. for,.. ELK
They're, very Accurate and seem to "Kill better",. anyway !
 
Last edited:
I'm no completion shooter but would have liked to have gotten into it when I was younger. I just spent so much time at my profession I never had the time - but I have spent a lot of time at thr range working up loads for various calibers and have read a lot of research done by experts.
I've never seen any difference in group size at 100 yards using bullets with deformed tips. However I have seen negative differences using bullets with damaged bases on flat base bullets!
 
Im not sure if i missed what these style these bullets actually were but based off what nosler thinks their ablr bullets are worth, I would expect them to be almost perfect in every single way hahah. I dont care about any "tests" anyone claims shows little difference. When it comes to LR accuracy, logic tells me that any imperfections to any part of my bullet could transpire into something less than desirable. This would be an easy call for me to relieve any doubt I would have after I seated them. I would 100% cull these bullets if they were to be considered 1st's....
 

Recent Posts

Top