Bevel base or flat bottom??

[claybird]

I'm trying to find out which one gives the best performance. I use to cast my own
with flat bottoms but due to Lung problems I now have to buy my bullets. I use mostly 38 cal. 158 gr. semi wad cutters sized to .358 for my Blackhawk and a couple of Smiths.
Almost every bullet seller on the net seems to be pushing bevel edge bottoms.
My use now days is mostly paper punching and stump busting. I don't go for the "hot" loads, usually under 1000 fps.:???:
Help the old man out will you?.

Jack

[targetshootr]

I used to use them and I know of one fairly good shot who still does, Bob Munden.

[Patrick L]

I prefer flatbase bullets to BB ones. They are definitely easier to lubsize when you cast your own, and I think they shoot a little better. I'll be the first to admit I have no hard, scientific data to back that statement up. Its kind of one of those Jim Clarks things; you know, if you think it makes a difference it does make a difference. In fact, I shot thousands of BB bullets, and shot them pretty well before I got on the flatbase bug. For most pistol shooting, I'll bet most of us aren't good enough shots to tell the difference.

I think the reason most commercial casters offer mostly BB bullets is that's what sells. The IPSC/combat crowd that load their ammo by the boatload prefer them because they feed into the cases very easily, making for smoother loading on progressive presses.

[AZ-Stew]

And with all due respect, Bob Munden (unquestionably a good shot) does limit himself to very short distances. In my experience, at 25 yards and beyond, bevel base boolits are not as accurate as the flat base or square cornered ones. My $0.02.

Regards,

Stew

[runfiverun]

they sell the bevel based ones simply because they fall from the mold easier.
you want shooting results go flat based.

[targetshootr]

And with all due respect, Bob Munden (unquestionably a good shot) does limit himself to very short distances. In my experience, at 25 yards and beyond, bevel base boolits are not as accurate as the flat base or square cornered ones. My $0.02.

Regards,

Stew

If you can shoot a quarter out of the air with em, he's good to go on cans and stumps.

[anachronism]

Bevel bases are easier to cast & have a lower rejection rate from bullet base defects. They just seem to cast with fewer rejects from commercial machines.

[Matt_G]

Don't forget that bevel bases seat easier in cases as well. Another reason commercial casters like them.
Newbies don't shave lead with them like they would flat bases.
Cut's down on the gripes.
Add to that the lower rejection rates as stated earlier, and it's a no brainer for a commercial caster to go with BB.

[Firebird]

And with all due respect, Bob Munden (unquestionably a good shot) does limit himself to very short distances. In my experience, at 25 yards and beyond, bevel base boolits are not as accurate as the flat base or square cornered ones.


I guess you missed the show where Munden was shooting a S&W snub nose at a balloon 200 yards away - and popping it with a single shot.

[geargnasher]

I guess you missed the show where Munden was shooting a S&W snub nose at a balloon 200 yards away - and popping it with a single shot.

I didn't, but I wouldn't swear he did it with a bb.

My experience is with identical guns and boolit weights shows the bb has a disadvantage accuracy-wise, although very slight. They sure so cast well, and for pistol I can't tell offhand the difference between a load that benches 3/4" at 25 yards and one that benches 1-1/2" at the same, they both kill my silhouettes and bowling pins just fine.

Gear

[KYCaster]

Welcome to the forum Jack.

You've asked a question that's been kicked around here several times and I don't remember this group ever reaching a consensus. You'll find as many different opinions as posters.

Most of the opinions come down to something like, "I tried both and this one SEEMED to be better." You'll find shooters who get good results from either style and most of us (me included) can't shoot well enough to tell the difference.

A lot of the complaints about BB boolits boil down to "that's what the commercial casters make and my FB boolits perform better." Well, DUH, that's why you cast your own...so you can custom taylor a boolit for your gun. If you don't cast though, you're stuck with commercial boolits that are designed to give acceptable results for the other 99% of lead boolit shooters. Like any other business, commercial casters depend on repeat customers for most of their sales. If every customer was dissatisfied they'd soon be out of business.

You've heard several reasons why commercial casters prefer BB boolits, but I disagree with most of those. It isn't any easier to cast a BB than a FB, a poorly filled out base will be a reject with either style. BB's don't fall out of the mold any easier than FB's...the more angles and contours in the mold, the more it will tend to hang up.

The real reason for the BB is at the lube/sizing machine. The tube that feeds the boolits into the machine has to be a fairly close fit to the boolit dia. in order for it to line up with the size die. Any flash around the base of a FB boolit would not fit through the feed tube and cause a jam which would stop production till it is cleared. The BB boolit can have a small ammount of flash on the base and still fit through the feed tube...simple as that.

I've never noticed any difference in reject rate between BB and FB boolits. Rejects increase the cost of the product and any cause of rejects has to be identified and eliminated in order to keep costs in line and profits at an acceptable level. No different than the shape of the nose...RN vs. SWC vs. WC...rejects are not acceptable so you gotta do what it takes to eliminate them.

Bottom line is...the only person you have to satisfy is you. If you're not able to cast because of your health then commercial boolits may be your best option. Don't be concerned if the first ones you try don't do the job for you. Try another source of the same style or a different style. Check with some of the competition shooters in your area. There probably is somebody local who supplies their boolits and he will most likely work with you till you find something that will work.

Good luck
Jerry

[Recluse]

And with all due respect, Bob Munden (unquestionably a good shot) does limit himself to very short distances. In my experience, at 25 yards and beyond, bevel base boolits are not as accurate as the flat base or square cornered ones. My $0.02.

Regards,

Stew

That's interesting, Stew. With my handguns, I rarely ever shoot beyond 25 yards--so that has become my "default" standard. My test and development distance has been unchanged for over 20 years--50 feet, handheld, standing.

I like to test my boolits and loads out how I'll be shooting them for real, and I've never liked using a rest for handgun shooting.

I have a bevel-base 200SWC in .452 that gives me exceptional accuracy out to 25 yards--but I've never tried it beyond that.

Now you've given me something new to explore.

For sure, BB boolits are a pain to lube through a sizer, but because this one mould throws such good boolits, I just deal with it.

:coffee:

[Windy City Kid]

KYCaster,

Well said.

As for what base I like the best, the answer is it depends on what cartridge I am casting for and the design of the bullet.

Heavy boolits in a short cartridge case like a 9mm, I like the bevel base boolit. The bevel base does not bulge the case by the base of the boolit when the heavy boolits are seated deep. The bevel base acts like the base of the boolit isn't seated as deep, thus you get the heavy weight of the boolit, but you don't get the bulge in the case. The bevel base is a big plus in 9mm case when you are casting a .358" diameter in a tight chamber. The 9mm is tapered case externally and internally, so if you have to seat a boolit deep because of a short throat, you need a bevel base boolit.

So for the anti bevel base people, Yes the bevel base design does have a function in some cases.

As for which is more accurate, in some cartridges the edge goes to the flat base design, but this is very minimal.

I have done a lot of testing with pistols cartridges in Ransom rest at 50 yards with flat base and bevel base boolits. In some cases the flat base design will out preform the bevel base and some cases the bevel base will out preform the flat base.

Unless you plan on shooting all of your boolits with a Ransom rest, I my opinion most people will never see any difference in accuracy.

Most people that don't like bevel base boolits, don't have a Star sizer.

[AZ-Stew]

I guess you missed the show where Munden was shooting a S&W snub nose at a balloon 200 yards away - and popping it with a single shot.

And you're quite certain he did this with bevel-based cast boolits?

I have no doubts he made the shot, but his typical exhibition shots are at 10 yards or less.

Regards,

Stew

[doubs43]

If you're buying your bullets pre-lubed, and you're limiting yourself to 50 yards or less, I'd go with BB bullets. You'll still want to flare the case mouth slightly but BB bullets do load easier than plain base bullets.

If you're lubing the bullets yourself with a Lyman, RCBS or Saeco lubrisizer then buy plain base bullets to keep excess lube from ringing the base of the bullet by filling the bevel. The Star lubrisizer won't cause that problem when it's adjusted properly.

[maas]

I haven't seen the Bob Munden shot for quite a while, but if I remember correctly, it looked like the bullet impact was below the baloon, and then may have been broken by bullet splatter. If any of you have the tape, maybe you can check this out for us.

I am,
CM in NEbraska

[44man]

What I found. Lee bevel base first and after I cut out the bevel to make it flat base. Shot at 50 yards from S&W .357.

[Bret4207]

In theory the BB should be able to shoot as good as the FB. In practice I've not found BB to shoot as well, either commercial ( awful) or homecast. That's not to say they can't, I just haven't found any that do. When going with a commercial offering I'd get a sample of as many different types as I could and see what fits my gun best and start there. Fit comes first no matter what the design. I'd also look at what type of packaging the boolits come in. IME those where you get 500 or 1000 boolits dumped in a box or bag tend to have more damaged bases than those in smaller packages or the rare guy that provides them sitting on their base and separated into layers. I haven't seen that in some time, but still have a few boxes set up that way.

[claybird]

Thanks fellows for all the info on the bullet base post. Glad I found this site a couple of weeks ago. I remember seeing Mundun hitting the ballons at 200 yds. I always wondered how many shots it took to get the one we saw on TV.
I can hit the side of a cereal box at 50 ft. now with my J frame. Well, (somtimes anyway).

[wallenba]

As long as you are buying them lubed a bevel base is Ok and easier to seat. I'd still use a Lyman 'M' die to expand.

[Dave C.]

I am a distinguished master, presidents 100 badge holder and a 2600 club member. I cast and shoot H&G #68 bevel base bullets because they work well @ 50 yds. As in sub 2" groups out of my Clark long heavey slide. If I found another cast lead bullet that works better I will use it as i have only one goal, The X-ring.
As for 25 yd shooting anything resembling a bullet will work.

Dave C.

[Bret4207]

There ya go, Dave found one that works for him. Note however they're homecast H+G's, not commercial 1K per box. That could be a big part of the difference.