Anyone Familiar With Herters Bullets 38 Caliber Jacketed SWC

[tred1956]

Had a friend contact me this morning and ask if I knew anything about the bullets pictured below. I don't think I have ever shot a Herters bullet. Are they good bullets? He also inquired as to the value of them, if anybody has a clue. They are 38 caliber 158 grain jacketed SWC. When were these marketed? Any and all input will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Doug
https://i.postimg.cc/nrhV3h4t/Hert.jpg (https://postimg.cc/dkgK1vNW)
https://i.postimg.cc/T1sxQq2r/Hert-1.jpg (https://postimg.cc/vx5CZnVB)

[2A-Jay]

I have shot Herters 230gr 45acp FMJ a lot, great rounds. Have never seen Herters bullets for reloading.

[curiousgeorge]

I have no experience with those bullets as Herters brand, but I do know what they are. They really aren't a 'jacketed' bullet, but a half jacket swaged bullet. I have made several with my C-H swaging press, Hornady half jackets, and the lead cores that came with the press. The problem I had was the large amount of exposed lead above the half jacket. It wanted to leave quite a lot of itself in the barrel, even when fired at low velocity. I don't know if the Herters bullets have any sort of coating to help prevent leading, but if not you just need to expect it.

That being said, if they could be purchased at a reasonable price, I say go for it. An occasional jacketed bullet or two and some barrel brushing will work. If I had them, I suspect they would become my low noise 1.5 grs Bullseye out of a 357 Handi rifle back yard critter getter.

[Buzz Krumhunger]

I would guess those were made in the mid 1960s or earlier. I remember seeing them in my uncle’s Herter Catalogue as a kid. I spent many an hour reading that thing over and over. Everything Herter sold was the “World’s best”.

:wink:

[Mk42gunner]

I've got a partial box of them that came in a box of stuff from an estate auction, minus the top of box, so I wasn't real sure what they were until I saw your picture. Did that sentence seem run on to anybody else?

I currently have no plans to load them, but if I did I think I would put a light coat of one of the tumble lubes on them. bare oxidized lead cannot be good to run through a rifled barrel.

Robert

[Binky]

The bullets could have been made up until about 1977-78. I believe that Herter's closed its last retail outlet in 79(Mitchell, S.D.) I still have some 45 cal. 185 gr. Half Jacketed bullets along with some rifle bullets that I bought when they were closing out stuff. In case you didn't know, Herter's was a family owned company that, in its day, was what Bass Pro and Cabela's are today. If I recall correctly, they got crossways with the Feds. (over importation of fur and feathers, used for fly tying. At least that was the story floating around SE South Dakota, where I lived at the time.) and that and other poor business practices caused their demise. The herter's name had been bought and sold several times in the last couple of decades and is currently owned by the Bass Pro corp. They marketed almost anything you could want for hunting and fishing along with reloading, gunsmithing tools and a plethora of other sporting goods related things. They also marketed their own brand of rifles and handguns. They sold some really good stuff but also sold a lot of junk. HTH I know, more information than you really wanted. Sorry bout that!

[skeettx]

As said above, they are half jacketed.
They shoot good at moderate velocities
No particular collector value to me.
The similar 38 bullet that I recently loaded
were with 3.1 grains of Win 231.

Also, I loaded and shot a bunch of Herter's 30 cal 220 grain bullets
just last week.

At 71 I am in the process of using up non-replaceable
powder and bullets.

Just loaded up a bunch of 218 with Winchester 680.

Soon to load Alcan 7 in something.

Mike

[john.k]

The Herters story is an interesting read....the long one used to be online.......in a nutshell ,its an object lesson on hanging on until you re too old........IIRC,Herter refused a good offer for the business,then a short few years later (maybe 3 or 4) went bust ,and Cabelas got the business for peanuts from the bankruptcy.....Sad really ,as he was certainly a character.....Incidentally ,all his relations were just imaginary .

[Green Frog]

Edelman’s was an outlet/vendor for Herters at one time... are they still around in any form?

Froggie

[1hole]

George Lenard Herter operated the same as big retailers; like Sears, Montgomery-Ward, J.C. Penny, et al, they bought stuff they liked and, sometimes had stuff made as they wanted it, from a variety of small manufactors and had their own label stamped on the item. Most of their makers did excellent work and the worst of them seem to have made good quality products for the price.

The worst of it was good, the best was great, and the prices were right. Like Lee today, Herter made it much less costly for po' white boys and occasional users to enjoy many outdoorsy things that would otherwise have been out of their reach. And, again like Lee, Herter's prices kept a lid on what the big names could get away with so everyone benefited.

LBJ's administration determined to bankrupt Herter and, using the massive powers of government, it took them awhile but they did it. Herter himself and moderate to lower income sporting Americans took the hit.

What happened to him was just another example of lovin' Democrat politicians "helping" us the way they always help common people; right between the cheeks. I miss Herter's and for the political injustice done to him (and for a LOT of other reasons) I still despise LBJ and all of his still bloody and power hungry tribe.