Ever have some ammo that just wouldn't shoot for snot? (pistol rounds)

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Obviously rifles can be picky in terms of accuracy. It's been rare in my experience to find pistol rounds that just weren't up to snuff. One time I didn't have any 9mm loaded so I got some aguila. Couldn't hit any tighter than 5" with my 226 and my G17.

I'm shooting tomorrow and I'm low on reloads since powder is so hard to come by. I have a bunch of TG but I absolutely refuse to use it because I found out years ago that it burns way too hot.

Anybody else ever had some ammo that just didn't do the job, reloaded or factory? I'm having to buy factory now because I can't get powder :(
 
The only load I have been really disapointed in was a load I worked up for my wifes 380. I loaded up some lead 100gr rn . I wanted to load them light for plinkers, loaded just enough for the slide to cycle. Loaded up 500 and found that they were accurate at 50 ft but tumbled bad. Real bad. Oh well.
 
I loader some Ranier 160g rn in my glock 23, over 7grains of autocomp, a starting load but I was overzealous and loaded 50,RDS. At 10,yds my target looked like I was using buckshot, I'm not an incredible shot but I am better than that load
 
I wanted to develop a very low recoiling, accurate .38 Spl. round to be used for teaching a new shooter. I already had that in a hollow base wad cutter, but I wanted a cartridge with a lead round nose bullet that was easier to load than a wad cutter.

I bought some hard cast 115 gr. LRN bullets in .357 diameter that were meant to sized to .356 I had these hard cast bullets sized to .357 instead of the preferred .358; .357 was the best that they could do.

The result was that the hard cast bullets would not be forced into the groves by the low pressure charge and accuracy suffered. With full charged loads the accuracy was reasonably good, but not great.
 
I'm shooting tomorrow and I'm low on reloads since powder is so hard to come by. I have a bunch of TG but I absolutely refuse to use it because I found out years ago that it burns way too hot.
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I've been using titegroup in my glock and sig for years and I get great accuracy with both lead and fmj. Its a great powder.
 
well, I have a TL .429 Lee mold for .44 magnum that drops bullets that won't shoot for beans in anything I've tried them in, with any powder at any weight, sized to any size, at any speed, with any alloy.
There might be a combo there somewhere that I haven't tried, but I gave up when I started using my Keith style Lyman mold and accuracy was instantly improved and only got better.
 
I've found 9mm in some barrels to perform poorly at reduced velocities. Had some 147s that had to be driven to a power factor above 140 to keep them from tumbling in my Hi Power, and CZs. Shot fine in my Glocks and 1911.
str1
 
sexybeast said:
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I've been using titegroup in my glock and sig for years and I get great accuracy with both lead and fmj. Its a great powder.
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Accuracy was not the problem with titegroup, it just heated up the gun way too much.

Fire a magazine of a titegroup loading and then grab the top of the slide, forward of the ejection port. It'll be really hot.

Fire a mag of just about anything else, and it's just warm.

I shoot IDPA and sometimes your shot cadence has to be pretty fast. Imagine holstering a red hot gun and having the slide burn you through a pair of cargo shorts.

No titegroup for me anymore.
 
This is exactly why I don't buy, or even shoot factory ammo since I started reloading. I don't shoot handguns good enough to probably notice any major difference in accuracy, but I do with bolt guns, and the difference in accuracy was astounding when I first compared them years ago.

A couple of months ago one of my Son's asked me to load for a mutual friend. His buddy had just bought a new rem 700 chambered in .270 win and was complaining that it just wouldn't shoot better than 1" with even the most expensive factory, and that was rare. So I got his gun in my hands, did all the usual with the dies and brass, and then gave him his loaded rounds and rifle back. A week or so later when he stopped by, he was ecstatic, and just had to show me his targets, which included 5 shot groups of 1/2" or better. He is now getting set up to reload and has asked me to teach him.

I have encountered very few bolt guns that I couldn't make shoot better with properly made reloads, and a little bit of firearm tuning when necessary.

GS
 
When I first started reloading, I bought a few thousand Israeli surplus 9mm bullets. I was really exited to take them to the range. The day I tested them I was seing 12-14" groups from 12 yards!

It was searching for the cause of this that brought me to THR. It turns out, the Israelis had some Uzis manufactured back in the late 80s-early 90s that ended up with undersized barrels. The fix was to have .354 bullets manufactured for them. Adding to the problem was the fact that I was shooting them out of my 92 which had an oversize barrel at .3585. Needless to say, I leaded the crap out of my barrel. The bullets were so undersized that I could actually push them through the barrel with my finger.
 
I shoot exceptionally tight groups with cheap (all brands) .380 in a llama minimax. Seems if I pay more than $13/box the groups fall apart. Pmc is the worst.
 
I have some Nosler 165 Ballistic Tips that are not doing as promised right now though I think it is the reloader and not the bullet.
BTW, OP, I'd try some Titegroup if I were you.
 
I shoot IDPA and sometimes your shot cadence has to be pretty fast. Imagine holstering a red hot gun and having the slide burn you through a pair of cargo shorts.

No titegroup for me anymore.
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"Red hot" huh? Its going to burn through the holster and your cargos? Good early morning laugh.
I shoot fast with titegroup too, see no difference compared to bullseye, 231 as far as heat and scalding of my hip. Maybe its my underwear.
 
yeah some 105 grain 38 special tcp bullets I got from MO BULLET CO nothing wrong with the bullets just couldn't get them to shoot worth a darn :( was trying to make a soft load for the misses
 
sexybeast said:
"Red hot" huh? Its going to burn through the holster and your cargos? Good early morning laugh.
I shoot fast with titegroup too, see no difference compared to bullseye, 231 as far as heat and scalding of my hip. Maybe its my underwear.
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HAHAHAHA

I use an open muzzled slide holster, because I have several guns of the same build with different barrel lengths. So on the longer ones, the forward part of the slide is able to touch. It didn't really burn that bad, it was just annoying.
 
I had a bugger of a time finding an accurate load for some Berry's 180 FP in .40. Normally one of several loads/powders will bring at least factory accuracy but this was a multi-month process. I eventually found a powder the bullets liked but it's the only time I've had this happen.
 
Sure, pretty much every 9mm load I tried for a while. Now that I have it sorted out, pretty much every 9mm load I try is a success. Good thing, with the availability or powder in my area. If your not flexible your not shooting.
 
rskent said:
Sure, pretty much every 9mm load I tried for a while. Now that I have it sorted out, pretty much every 9mm load I try is a success. Good thing, with the availability or powder in my area. If your not flexible your not shooting.
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Factory 9 is still pretty cheap in my area. My only gripe is that it's 115 grain and not 124 like I load. I can deal with that - I guess you can say that's me being flexible.
 
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