Rainer Ballistics .50 AE bullets

[Black Snowman]

I have a Desert Eagle I like to shoot more than is healthy for my wallet. Anyone tried these lower-cost bullets in their Desert Eagle? With the .44 and .357 Rainers I get leadding at loads hot enough to cycle the action. I was wondering if these were beafy enough for the job since that seems to be their intention.

 

[Third_Rail]

Personally, I would steer clear of anything plated or lead in a DE. It's not worth it to save a bit each shot if you destroy the gun.

I think Sierra or Hornady made "cheap" .50 AE bullets for reloading, and they're jacketed, so they'd be okay.


EDIT: Speer makes them, I was wrong.
JHP 325 grain
GDHP 300 grain
FMJ 300 grain

 

[Black Snowman]

Thanks for pointing those out. I've only ever seen the Gold Dots. I'll have to get some of the TMJs.

 

[Third_Rail]

TMJs are really just FMJs with a bonded core and no exposed lead.

I'm glad all my latenight websurfing finally paid off!

 

[MoNsTeR]

Actually, the Speer TMJ's are plated as well. If they work, I'd section one of those and one of the Rainiers and compare. If the plating thickness is similar, the Rainiers should work too.

 

[Black Snowman]

My problems with the Reiniers in the past have not been the jacket but the lead core being too soft and deforming through the jacket at the edges of the lands (I managed to find a couple spent bullets). So if the Speers are a hard cast lead, plated bullet, they should be fine. Particularly with my "barely lock back reliably" loads. Of course the Reiniers are still nearly half the price.

 

[Third_Rail]

TMJs ARE NOT plated.

Here is the Speer website, which plainly says "bonded jackets for integrity" (emphasis added)

That's the reason they're expensive. If they were plated, they'd be a heck of a lot cheaper.

I just wanted to clear that up, since I don't like having misinformation here. Sorry if I came off sounding mean, that's not my intention.

 

[MoNsTeR]

It's not misinformation; they ARE plated. This is common knowledge, and if you do a search you'll find it easily confirmed by dozens of other posts.

Just because Speer calls the copper a "jacket" doesn't make it so. It may be thicker than other platings, but it is still deposited electrolytically rather than by swaging. In fact, if you think about it, how could you possibly swage a one-piece jacket? You can't, that's why all true jacketed bullets that have enclosed bases have two-piece jackets.

 

[Third_Rail]

Sure, bring common sense and logic into this, I see how it is....


Yeah, I see that you're correct now. Funny that it's so thick, then. I'm impressed by a plating that thick, if the pictures aren't exaggerated.