Another why I don't like TC bullets.

[Idaho Ron]

Here is a picture of a TC bullet I found in a package. I wrote a little while back I weighed some TC bullets and found big differences in the weight. I also found they were not round. Here is another bullet. This one is not even straight. I took the lube off the rest of the bullets I had and melted them down. I won't buy another TC bullet. Ron

 

[Blizzard of '93]

Wow, I'm glad their guns have better quality control then slug inspection. that's shoddy work fer sure.

 

[roundball]

People can and should shoot whatever projectiles they prefer of course.

But to bring another perspective to this discussion, there's not a manufactured product in the world that hasn't for some reason or another allowed the occasional quality defect to escape, so simply switching to anther brand of anything isn't magically going to guarantee that other choice will be a 100% defect free product as there's no such thing as a 100% defect free product and if there was, we couldn't afford the cost to buy it.

The real test of product quality is to decide if something is an aberration or if its the norm.

I shoot round balls 99% of the time but have always had a love affair with TC's .45cal/255grn Maxi-Hunter...absolute tack drivers in TC 1:48's and the only conical I keep on hand and deer hunt with occasionally just because...have probably done through a couple dozen boxes of 20...400-500 maxi-hunters and by contrast, have never had a defective one yet...if I had one tomorrow I'd keep right on using them as 1 out of 400-500 would be outstanding quality control.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I agree with Roundball. Switching brands is not guarantee of quality control. If I had that slug, and others, I would call T/C, and then send them the slugs, and given them any information that might be on the box they came in that can identify the lot of the shipment. T/C would be able to tell you what to look for and where. I know T/C would do right by you, and probably send you a free box or two of new slugs, to replace the bad ones you had.

As to the complaint about being out of round, first measure the slugs to find out just How Out of round they are. Talk to T/C about that, too. I doubt that this is going to affect the accuracy of the slug all that much. However, if you absolutely need the same exact diameter of slug for shooting, get a sizing die and bullet sizer/lubricator--- you don't have to lubricate them, or make up a sizing die yourself, or at the local machine shop, and size your bullets. My brother has a sizing die for his pellets he uses in a high grade pellet pistol. It does make a difference in those light, small caliber, pellets and accuracy. In heavy caliber guns, the slugs can vary as much as 5 grains before they start hitting a different POI. Even home cast slugs need to be sorted by weight, and dimension for target grade accuracy. I have one friend who casts his own slugs, and then runs them through a swaging die and press to squeeze out the bubbles to get more uniform weight. Off a bench, you can see the difference in group size. Off-hand, there is no reason to bother, and he is a very good rifle shooter. Considering all the labor and effort it would take to deliver a slug that is consistent in both weight, and dimension, what you pay for those maxi-slugs is a good deal. They are sold for use in hunting, and not long range target shooting.

One last thought: The diameter of your bore is absolutely critical to good accuracy with slugs, of any kind. if you haven't measured the bore, do so. If the slug is more than .002" under bore diameter, consider using cigarette paper to paper patch the slug before loading it. Or use a card wad under the slug to seal the gases so they don't cut the sides and bottom edge of the slug.

I hope these ideas help you. I know how frustrating it can be when you find something you paid good money for doesn't work in your gun. :cursing: :thumbsup:

 

[Walks Alone]

While I can appreciate your frustration Ron, I agree with roundball and paul. Have you really lost faith in a company or one of its products over such a minor thing?

Since you said you melted them down, I assume you also cast some of your own fodder. Do you get 100% perfection in every RB/Maxi you cast yourself? If so, do you offer casting classes to the rest of us (I must be just a greenie even after near 40 years of running ball)?

I don't buy precast or buckshot for any of my ML's. Use a full set of TC RB and Maxi molds for 32, 36, 45, 50 and 54 as well as many other brands of molds and cast all my own. So quality control is entirely on me when I run ball. I have my fair share of flubs that go back into the melting pot for one reason or another.

Seems to me that it would be much easier for flubs to slip by quality control in a larger scale commercial casting operation than here at home too.

I also agree that minor weight differences and being out of round a little doesn't make much if any difference in the killing fields.

TC is an exceptional company, rare in todays world, and will make it right if you just give them the chance.

WA

 

You can always cast your own and YOU will have total quality control to match your standards. Besides, it is cheaper over the long haul and quite enjoyable once ya get the hang of it.
Try it you'll like it.
Cooner

 

[rabbit03]

What Cooner said :thumbsup:

rabbit03

 

[longcruise]

You can always cast your own and YOU will have total quality control to match your standards. Besides, it is cheaper over the long haul and quite enjoyable once ya get the hang of it.
Try it you'll like it.
Cooner

Right on, I can't imagine why anybody buys conicals if they are going to do any amount of shooting at all! :shocked2: I cast all my conicals but do buy quite a few Hornady RBs too.

Can't agree with you on the enjoyable part. I don't care much for casting at all. It's drudgery to me, but the savings are just to huge to pass by, IMO.

 

[Idaho Ron]

I am casting my own now. I still use Hornady Great plains 410 gr 50 cal for hunting. I cast my own "varmint bullets" They are 395 Lyman Great plains and 320 gr Lee real. I am also moulding 45's as well. I do Lee Real, Whitworth 475, and Lee 405 gr Hollow base.
I am very picky when I cast and I normally only keep bullets that are 1/2 gr over or under the majority.
I wrote other threads about those bullets. Some like this one were up to 30 gr light. While most were within 10 gr. I think someone was just sloppy. I like TC as a company but Man I can't justify buying another bullet from them.
I should have kept the package to let them know. That was a mistake. I should have given them that chance. Ron