West Coast Plated Similar Enough to Berry's?

[GunAdmirer]

I ran out of Berry’s 124 grain plated 9mm bullets and need more bullets for a match next Saturday. A local store has West Coast plated. Are they similar enough in shape and construction to substitute for the Berry’s? I need to do some reloading this weekend. They only come in a box of 500, so I want to make sure they are a good substitute.

 

[45Badger]

I've used both company's .45 acp bullets with no noticeable difference.

 

[Rockstar]

I've loaded a bunch of West Coast bullets and have found them to be of excellent quality. I use jacketed bullet data for West Coast plated bullets.

 

[Navy joe]

West coast are generally known to have a thicker plating than Berry's, so like the previous post said use jacketed bullet data. I love Berry's and have no problems with what little W. Coast I've had.

 

[GunAdmirer]

Thicker plating = slightly lower or higher velocity for same powder charge?

I'm guessing a little lower velocity?

 

[trickyasafox]

this is just a guess, but plating should not adversly affect velocity because in theory the bullets are the same weight so the same powder charge should propel them the same speed. that being said, a thicker coating to me might mean a slightly larger diameter?

anyone who knows feel free to chim in, but i cant think of how 2 objects of equal mass with similar coefficients of friction with the same force could reach two different velocities

 

[Rockstar]

Mass is just one consideration. Thicker, harder jackets don't require the same powder charge as thinner, softer jackets.

A plain jacketed bullet requires less powder to attain the same velocity as the same bullet moly-coated. Less friction means lower pressure means lower velocity.

 

[GunAdmirer]

I picked up a box of West Coast copper plated 9mm round nose bullets this morning from Sportman's Warehouse in the Austin, TX area. The WC bullets' profile is almost exactly the same as the Berry's. If I didn't know any better, I would think they were made by the same company. I don't know for sure, but it does seem that the West Coast have a slightly thicker plating on them.

BTW, West Coast has changed to Accura Bullets. I think they were bought out.

I like Berry's just fine but am glad to have a semi local source. With local sales tax, the Accura bullets are just a couple of dollars more than the Berry's shipped, unless you factor in Berry's service fee for orders less than $30. Then they come out about the same. Can't go wrong either way.