Dardas Cast Bullets?

These guys: http://www.dardascastbullets.com/

At their prices and the reported groups from PPC and bullseye shooters, I'm tempted to never cast my own again (at least in .38 & .45)

Anyone use 'em?

I'm impressed that the family has what you might call the precision accuracy pedigree.

Dardas makes great cast bullets!

I know several local guys that have great success with his bullets.

I've found both his and Magnus .45 cast bullets work well.

But, I've not been able to get either in .38 to shoot. My revolvers generally prefer the swaged bullets....

Jim

When I was shooting the .45 used a lot of the Dardas.
Great bullets.
Now that I am starting back into the .45, will make an order again.
Got to use up all that the trade gun owner gave me.

Rwhat is everyone's favorite Dardas bullet loads for their 45acp. . I am recently purchased 185 gr and 160 gr. 
Also what Case OAL

I'm currently using 4.2 N-310 with the 185gr. and my shooting partner shoots 4.3 grs of WST for an indoor load with the 160gr. if that helps.

If you slug your barrel, Dardas will measure the slug at no charge.  He will then tell you the minimum diameter bullet you should use for the gun that was slugged.  If you have more than one gun you wish to use cast lead bullets in, you will want to slug each one and have Dardas measure them.

I use Dardas lead bullets. Nothing but good things to say about them. My current short line/indoor load is 4.2gr WST with his 160gr. SWC. Matt Dardas has been a big help to me regarding reloading, and shooting the M41.

I have been a long time supporter & user of the Dardas 185 gr H&G mold pattern # 130 "button bullet" I will be moving over to the Zero 185 gr LSWCHP even if my shooting does not merit the cost & accuracy of that particular bullet. IMHO Dardas may not be the weight consistency that it used to maintain. I just weighed out tonight 12 random bullets out of my last shipmentof 2,000 that I bought about a year ago and here are the results:
Bullet

#1:185.0, #2:185.1, #3:184.7, #4:185.2, #5:182.8, #6:183.4, #7:185.0, #8:184.6, #9:185.1, #10:184.9, #11:185.0, #12:183.7

Not bad for their cost/price, but IMHO they are not as consistent as they used to be in weight. I am sure they are no match for the consistency provided by Zero and from what I have heard Magnus 's weight is just about as consistent as Zero.
YMMV. I would think that these are consistent enough for the short line, but maybe not the 50 yd line.

In all fairness to DardBullets, I will finish this off into a 50 piece random sample & post the results NLT tomorrow (03-24-17).

How about the 150's anyone shot those they intrigue me.

They were not as consistent as Zero or Magnus when I took random samples, and the lube made a mess in the Georgia heat.
The Zero/Magnus precision in weight is amazing.  I have another 2,000 so I'll add some more to the running tab, but as you can see pretty impressive.

I am testing the 160s this weekend in an RR with a couple of different loads at both 25 and 50 yards. The gun in question holds a sub 2inch group with 185 zeroes. 

I am interested in testing the 160s as a 25 yard load.

jmdavis wrote:I am testing the 160s this weekend in an RR with a couple of different loads at both 25 and 50 yards. The gun in question holds a sub 2inch group with 185 zeroes. 

I am interested in testing the 160s as a 25 yard load.

I'm interested as well

Since since you will be there you will know as soon as I do. 

I'm interested in seeing the gallants as well.

Not had time to chart out the results, but the total dispersion was 4.5 grs with an average of 184.4 (184.39) and a dispersion center of 183.55. Not exactly in the same tier as Zero or Magnus.

Gary Wells wrote:Not had time to chart out the results, but the total dispersion was 4.5 grs with an average of 184.4 (184.39) and a dispersion center of 183.55. Not exactly in the same tier as Zero or Magnus.

Zeros are swaged

Aren't Magnus zero's?

james r chapman wrote:Aren't Magnus zero's?

I think the swaged are. Magnus casts bullets as well

I just bought some zero hpswc, I think? The last time I bought them they sent me SWCs......I did not make a big deal of it but I will if they do it again.

Chris Miceli wrote:

Gary Wells wrote:Not had time to chart out the results, but the total dispersion was 4.5 grs with an average of 184.4 (184.39) and a dispersion center of 183.55. Not exactly in the same tier as Zero or Magnus.

Zeros are swaged

Many thanks for the correction, Chris.
I actually know but I forgot what the correct acronym was.
Also, Hornady had some cool looking swaged H&G#130 but they never shot well for me, and from what I have read, they never shot well for anybody else. I weighed some once & one was about 6 grs light. Evidently there was a bubble in there somewhere.
I will probably be buying some Zero swaged 185 gr HP's or some Zero swaged H&G#130's soon. Is that H&G #130 bullet of theirs swaged as well?

The only button nose that print are the Magnus 801, and a 200gn swagged bullet made by a Company called Taurus in Paterson NJ which is no longer in business.

rich.tullo wrote:The only button nose that print are the Magnus 801, and a 200gn swagged bullet made by a Company called Taurus in Paterson NJ which is no longer in business.

Rich: many thanks, Sir, for your response. I simply assumed that because they were made by Zero, & swaged, they would shoot. I will have to reconsider my plans & quit my assumptions.

My Magnus bullet buying timing sucks. I was just looking at the Magnus 801 on their site & I check the price list and just as I am looking at it the price for the 250 qty box & the 500 qty box increases right before my very eyes.The 500 qty box is now $49 or so & no discount for 2K purchase. I also noticed that it is cast lead & the shape & size of that radius is not going to allow it to cut a clean hole. That's designed for expert shooters that do not need to see where their shots are going. I do not believe that radius is exactly the same as the radius on the Federal 185 gr JSWC, which does cut a pretty clean hole IIRC. Back to the Zero 185 swaged HP. I'm still wigging out on seeing the price change right before my eyes. I'm surprised that it shoots as well as the Zeros being cast & not swaged. I'll bet that the weight consistency is not as good either.

The 801is based on the H&G 68  if you look at the pet loads and loads of the past topics you will see a lot of famous shooters have won with that bullet. Does anyone know what bullet was used for the national record?

Did some weighing if the Dardas 160s. Out of the first 100 in the box of 1000, weights ranged from 159.6 to 161.2. I now have my seating depth adjusted and have loaded 30 with 4.0 if Bullseye. I am about to load more with 4. and 4.5  to test at 50!yards.

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