Tj Coneveras 9mm 115gr Hp Jacketed Bullets Review

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OK, I take to admit that, later a layoff of around 20 years, I've started reloading once more about 3 years ago. Since my long layoff, it seems that plated bullets have come up to the market place, and I've been tempted to give them a try.
I've tried a few so far(won't mention from where since I don't want to cloud any suggestions), only honestly tin't find where they make sense for me. Certain, they are less expensive than jacketed and not much more than cast, but that'south a secondary reason for using them to me. My primary goal is high accuracy and from what I've personally used, my gold standard has go the XTP or HAP lines from Hornady in diverse calibers. I find that properly sized, bandage bullets come in a close second. Plated comes in last.

So, with all the positive posts I see her about plated bullets, I'm guessing that there must be some secrets in how to best use them that I'chiliad missing. Yeah, I try to use those sized properly for each quotient, reload them using bandage data, don't drive them likewise fast and yes, I don't crimp them at all to prevent damage the thin plating

So what is the hole-and-corner guys? Is in that location a "gold-standard" plated bullet mfg. or bullet way that I demand to take a wait at?
I use rainers plated mainly for the fact they are non much more expensive but significantly lower the amount of leading in my barrel.
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Most of the people I see using plated bullets isn't because of accuracy, but because they're cheaper than jacketed and cleaner than cast bullets. I see a lot of them used in IPSC or IDPA matches, where accuracy is secondary to speed, you lot use a tremendous volume of ammunition in matches and do, and you aren't trying to punch the x-ring at 50 yards. I don't know of a unmarried bullseye shooter that uses them.
Personally, I use a lot of them, but just on steel targets so I don't know how well they group.
I used to shoot plated bullets six years ago simply when the price went up and I could purchase jacketed for the same price or cheaper I stopped ownership plated. You can all the same purchase jacketed for the same price or cheaper.
If you lot are paying comparable or more for plated bullets than jacketed, y'all are shopping at the wrong store (When you especially buy on auction/promotions, jacketed bullet prices don't come close to plated bullets).
Rocky Mountain Reloading (Free shipping on all orders) - http://www.shop.rmrbullets.com/
TJ Conevera (Gratis shipping on $l+ order) - http://www.tjconevera.com/bullets.html
Powder Valley - http://www.powdervalleyinc.com/
Graf & Sons (Free shipping + $6 insurance per online social club) - http://world wide web.grafs.com/retail/catalog/category/categoryId/551

When I started USPSA Action Pistol lucifer shooting 17 years ago, many seasoned match shooters regarded Montana Gilded jacketed bullets as the "Golden Standard" of lucifer bullets. I was directed to use the FMJ bullets with exposed lead base of operations because the powder ignition high pressure gas would expand the base better to seal with the butt for more consistent sleeping accommodation pressures and in turn greater accurateness.

Now days, many USPSA match shooters also prefer JHP bullets to reduce the exposure of pb, simply personally have not seen that much deviation in accuracy to matter for me - I have shot both Montana Gold FMJ/JHP in my friction match quotient (40S&W) and stage times/scores have been similar. Some shoot plated bullets and I have tried diverse plated bullets and have never found them to be on par with my jacketed Montana Gold match loads in terms of accuracy.

IIRC, the main push for plated bullet use came from greater number of indoor ranges requiring the apply of ammunition that did not accept any exposed lead at the bullet base. I consider Speer/ATK to be the pioneer and the "Gold Standard" for plated bullets with thicker plating than most commercially available plated bullets (They hold the trademark for the term TMJ - Total Metal Jacket) and manufacturing plant loads with these bullets (Speer Gilt Dot and CCI/Blazer TMJ) are driven to jacketed bullet velocities.

Here's a factory CCI Blazer Brass round pulled apart to show "TMJ" plated bullet:

In recent years, various commercial plated bullet manufacturers started increasing the thickness of plating (IMO/IME PowerBond and Ten-Treme bullets have thicker plating than Rainier bullets). Berry'south MFG markets both regular thickness plated bullets (that tin be driven to around 1200 fps) and thicker plated bullets designated "TP" (that can be driven to around 1450-1500 fps).

For me, the "Gilded Standard" of plated bullets is at present the Berry'south "hollow base, thick plated" (HB-TP) bullets as they provide no exposed atomic number 82, have thicker plating for higher velocities and the hollow base extends the bearing surface of the bullet (comparison flick below shows 115 HBRN-TP having similar bullet length as 124 RN) that rides the rifling to ameliorate stabilize the bullet in flight forth with better bullet base expansion to seal with the barrel for more consistent chamber pressure buildup that leads to greater accuracy (remember the exposed lead base of FMJ?).

Berry's regular plated 9mm 124 RN compared to 124 HBRN-TP, 115 HBRN-TP and Winchester 115 FMJ
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Last edited: Aug 12, 2012
Many indoor ranges now require that there be no exposed lead in ammo shot there. This disallows many JHPs, JSPs and cast bullets. In some handgun platforms, FMJs are hard to find and plated bullets make full this niche. I've found the secret to plated bullets is the same as whatsoever other bullet. Ane needs to play with powder and velocities to notice the right combo for their gun. Berry's .45 cal, 200 gr RNFPs are one of my nearly accurate loads outta my v'' Government.
so they're actually pulling bullets to see if the base is jacketed or not?
I think ranges mail service the signs and apply the "honor" system if they lack the sufficient ventilation system.
The indoor ranges I use allow exposed lead base jacketed, JHP and atomic number 82 bullets as they use chopped upward tires as bankroll and their ventilation systems are good.
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The hole-and-corner is nobody cares about accurateness anymore.
Back in the twenty-four hour period when we hanged people for stealing horses, accuracy was everything. Gunsmiths took the time to gather firearms that rivaled Swiss watches in quality.

Today, they moved targets in closer. Guns are sloppy. Infinitesimal of canteen cap is no longer the standard. The new standard is minute of homo torso.

Hence plated bullets. They don't lead in the Glock and that's all that matters.
Thank you for all the in-sight guys. It looks like at that place are a number of reasons for using plated bullets, but that having great accurateness isn't one of them.
Glad I asked the question, as I, for the life of me, couldn't get them to work well; including those new fangled HBTP versions.

If I want accurate bullets, other than jacketed, I gauge I'll have to practise my best to keep our local pulley in business.
I hear ya. For USPSA, we still strive for the "A" zone and I use ane/2 of 8"x11" copy paper as my practice targets at 7-25 yards merely it's no bullseye shooting (I practise until I get all of my shots inside the 1/2 sheet of copy paper).
Did I mention that instead of slow-fire, we double-tap at seven-25 yards and run through the grade engaging multiple targets as fast as we tin? And many of the targets movement? Last time I checked, Bullseye match targets didn't motility ...
I got 9mm MBC 125 gr lead RN/SWC loads that will group i.5" at xv yards offhand slow-fire and Drupe's 124 gr HBRN-TP will practice around 1" at 15 yards offhand.

Last edited: Aug 12, 2012
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Has there been any formal accuracy testing with these HB TP bullets vs jacketed?
Check out Precision Delta jacketed bullets. I oasis't found plated bullets for a lower price...anywhere.
I wouldn't put it exactly that way.
People who buy and shoot plated bullets are doing it for regulatory, cost, and convenience reasons, and because, for their intended use, they are accurate enough.

I reload them for range practice in my SD/HD handguns because they're piece of cake to piece of work with, relatively inexpensive, and authentic enough for those purposes (where in a real state of affairs infinitesimal of human body is the best near of united states of america would realistically achieve and minute of bottle cap is just for range bragging rights). I also purchase and shoot lead SWC and RN bullets, but I detect them a fiddling more fiddly to load (more flare, more mess, more than risk of plain-featured noses, etc.) and oftentimes not worth the savings over plated.

For no kidding, these go in the guns when they get carried or put by the bed at night rounds, I load jacketed hollow points.

Expect around for plated bullets being marketed for long-range accurateness applications. I don't think seeing many.
Well, first off, depending on the make of bullets y'all are using, you lot are loading them wrong. Most plated bullets these days should be loaded using jacketed data. Others like xtreme and powerbond (powerbond appear to be the thickest of the "cheap" plated bullets) are good for even magnum velocities as their plating thickness is nearly twice as much as berry'due south or rainier. That said, even Drupe's and Rainier bullets are usually okay for jacketed velocities. Most of my customers who accept reported back to me about accuracy accept said that they are about accurate nigh the upper end of the spectrum every bit far equally load data goes.
I accept personally shot both using the same exact data for jacketed and plated bullets and depending on the load, the bullets can switch between which ane is more accurate. My bet is that if you were to load a jacketed bullet down equally far equally you lot have your plated bullets y'all volition experience like disastifaction with the accurateness. Non all plated bullets are the aforementioned. My proposition would be to buy either xtreme or powerbond and use jacketed data. I have sold both and both have held up to 2000 fps from lever carbines.

I did some very unscientific testing between powerbond and berrys. The powerbond plating is much thicker and takes quite a bit more abuse before it fails.

Powerbond on top

Powerbond on left. They are both about the same diameter simply information technology looks like powerbond is smaller because it bulged out more on the sides than the berrys did. The berrys simply kinda flattened.

Plain-featured noses on drupe's bullets acquired by using a HP seater instead of a RN seater. The powerbond did not deform though.

They both seemed to hold up to a super heavy taper crimp

This is for informative purposes only and I will not take whatever responsibility nor will I care if you don't like my methods. It was for my own curiosity and I had sold both brands so it wasn't a biased attempt at selling my bullets. I simply wanted to meet if the thicker plating made a difference and to me it did.
918, bds-
It would be interesting if someone had published some extensive accuracy testing, based on jacketed, vs. cast, vs. plated bullets. It would make for interesting reading but probably not mean much, except for the individual gun being used.

Anyhow, simply in example anyone has information available, I might likewise outline what I consider every bit my baseline for accuracy.

A minimum of iv - 10 shot groups fired at 50yds, grouping no greater than 2.8" CTC.

No way am I able to exercise this offhand, or fifty-fifty with a residuum. All my testing is done using a Ransom rest.

Final edited: Aug 12, 2012
Looking at your links the only place that had plated cheaper than jacketed was powder valley. For example I tin buy 9mm 124 grain JHP's for $86 per ane,000 delivered.
Rusty you are correct on the 9mm bullets. PD's FMJ bullets are about the aforementioned or cheaper than Berry's. On the other hand I tin can't discover a FMJ cheaper than XTreme for 45acp or Drupe's 40s&westward from TJ's site. I have some XTreme 180gr RNFP coming to endeavor out in my XDm40. I have always used Berry'southward which mensurate .401", just XTreme mensurate .400". Even if I only save $5-$ten per 1000 it's worth it to me since I load on boilerplate two,000 40s&west, and ane,000-1,500 45acp every month. In the last year I accept started loading more than lead bullets for my 45'south for practice. My wife and I practise shooting drills for IDPA and USPSA nigh twice a week and compete virtually every weekend. And then for me I save a lot of money shooting plated or lead bullets.
gahunter12 I run across they are quite a bit cheaper in the larger calibers. I didn't remember to look at those considering I don't own a 40 and just shoot lead in 45.
The only reliable accurateness test to test the plated vs fmj bullets is with the bribe remainder. Even and then, different pistols with different bbl lengths or rate of twist may requite dissimilar results.
Practically, the Berry'southward 9mm 124 HBRN-TP (Thick Plating) is rated upwardly to 1500 fps and shoots comparably with the Cypher 125gr JHP and/or the MG 124 CMJ bullets. The Berry's 124HBRN-TP is a long .619" X .356" bullet. This is shooting USPSA and various Steel matches at 1040+ ish FPS. On a skilful mean solar day, all three volition hit a 12 cuff hull on the 25 yd berm offhand well-nigh 50% of the time.

At TJC, the Berry's TP bullet is $88/thousand shipped, which is cheaper than the Zero or MG bullets.

Last edited: Aug 13, 2012
I have done it plenty with W231/HP-38 and faster burning powders over the years and was planning something similar with Unique and slower burning powders to AutoComp.
If/when such comparison testing is done, I will keep THR posted of my results.
Truthful enough, but when I meet enough significant trending of shot groupings (say the incidence of specially consistent pocket-sized shot groups), my involvement perks upwardly and so I can place another authentic load.
As an example, these loads seem to produce consistently accurate/small shot groups in diverse pistols regardless of the shooter:

45ACP 200 gr pb SWC - 5.0 gr W231/HP-38
45ACP 200 gr lead SWC - 4.0 gr Promo/Red Dot
40S&W 180 gr plated TCFP - 4.ii gr W231/HP-38
9mm 115 gr FMJ - 4.8 gr W231/HP-38
9mm 125 gr lead RN - four.0 gr Promo/Crimson Dot
I started out with jacketed bullets, then started playing with plated. I commonly could get the plated to shoot as good as the jacketed out of all the guns I had,Beretta 9'south & .40"s, XDm 9,40,&45, 1911 with ii .45 barrels(1 stock, 1 friction match) plus several aftermarket barrels in9, .357Sig, and .40 for the Berettas and XDm's. I have access to, at last count, 22 powders. After trying many of the offerings in each caliber of bullets from several different brands, hundreds of combos and different weights in each calibers ect..
What I kept finding was that jacketed were generaly easier to get to shoot accurate. Plated I usually could get to shoot as accurate(some styles in certain calibers not). They had less of "sweet spot", the worse was in .40. It helped to be on the heavy side for the quotient and ordinarily was best with slower powders.
When all was said and done, I at present switched to casting my ain and am getting some of the ameliorate groups of all, get effigy. It again takes more work, just is funner.
for me, with a pistol, they shoot as well as i practice. but in a rifle, about all i run into them good for is making racket. i get far better accuracy with jacketed or cast bullets than i e'er could with plated.
The neat thing most this hobby is in that location are so many options to accommodate all budgets and needs.
I need Modern (Infinitesimal of Dead) accuracy out of my plated reloads (local ranges prohibit blank atomic number 82 reloads) and I guess my definition of 'plenty good' accurateness is being able to keep all the rounds on a paper plate at 15-25 feet.

Any make plated or FMJ bullet will more than than meet those requirements. Fifty-fifty if I could afford a Ransom Remainder it would be and then darn difficult to discover a holster to carry it that it wouldn't help me much in SD use - lol

A loooong fourth dimension agone I was on an Ground forces pistol team with a few folks who were 'i ragged hole' shooters, and I could keep all my rounds in a mighty tight group......but like I said, that was a long time agone in a galaxy far far abroad.....Fayetteville, NC to be precise.
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What are the specifics?
I tried this load in my P210 using WIN HB bullets, FC contumely, FC Win and CCI primers, 1.130- ane.150" OAL, and is sucked. I was looking for half inch groups but all I got were 2" groups at 15 yards.

The 9mm is real finicky. Sometimes information technology'll tease you with a dandy group but it won't repeat the next time y'all are at the range.