Bought some Federal factory seconds in 470 nE

[SStomcat]

I bought some factory seconds that I thought were a great deal. Should be good or some good practice and the used brass i nothing else..

Anyone has any experience wit seconds ?

Federal Premium Ammunition - 470 Nitro Express - 500 Grain Barnes Triple-Shok - 20 Rounds - Factory Seconds

89.99​

Federal Premium Ammunition - 470 Nitro Express - 500 Grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw - 20 Rounds - Factory Seconds 89.99

 

[gajie270]

I would think it would make good practice ammo but don't use them when hunting.

 

[Kurt Swanson]

I've shot a lot of Federal seconds, mostly 9mm and .40 S&W. But I acquired quite a few boxes of .375 H & H with 260 grain Nosler Accubonds several years ago which shot very accurately in two of my .375 rifles. I’ve used it for deer hunting here in Wisconsin and for plains game in Namibia. They’ve performed great on deer, black wildebeest, springbuck, and impala.

I did have some trouble with a zebra last year, but not due to the ammo. I shot it broadside at a range of 80 yards, but because of thick brush I had to shoot behind the shoulder and a bit higher than I would have liked. The bullet didn't exit. We didn't do an extensive post mortem, but I suspect it caught just the tops of the lungs. The zebra went about 100 yards with virtually no blood trail, so finding it in the tall grass was difficult. I think a Partition or A-Frame would have worked better, but the Accubond worked as designed.

Overall I’ve been quite pleased with Federal seconds and would use them again on a plains game hunt.

 

[SStomcat]

Great information Kurt and Gajie, much reassuring to know as this is my first. Also at this price I could not pass.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

Pardon my ignorance, but it surprises me that ammunition mfg. sell “seconds”. Please can some one inform me what is the difference between #1s & seconds.

Lon

 

[SStomcat]

From what I have read they have mainly cosmetic blemishes, case or the bullets may have some minor dings not to effect the performance or accuracy of the bullets.

 

[Kurt Swanson]

That's always been my understanding too, but in theory it could be any defect. It's possible that cases or bullets could be out of spec in such a way that accuracy is affected, but they wouldn't let ammo that is unsafe out the door.

 

[deewayne2003]

Pardon my ignorance, but it surprises me that ammunition mfg. sell “seconds”. Please can some one inform me what is the difference between #1s & seconds.

Lon

Mostly cosmetic such as tarnished casings, or discolored tips on the bullets.

Sometimes they are just factory overruns or excess inventory… I bought a ton of Nosler partitions & Accubonds like that.

 

[CAustin]

From what I have read they have mainly cosmetic blemishes, case or the bullets may have some minor dings not to effect the performance or accuracy of the bullets.

Exactly right. Often it’s discoloration of the brass.

 

[steve white]

Or just a cracked plastic case

 

[SStomcat]

That's always been my understanding too, but in theory it could be any defect. It's possible that cases or bullets could be out of spec in such a way that accuracy is affected, but they wouldn't let ammo that is unsafe out the door.

From the website it lists these as failed visual inspection. While I do understand that a defect could be any of what you mention, I'd doubt if these inconsistencies could be detected visually. IMHO

 

[Woodcarver]

From the website it lists these as failed visual inspection. While I do understand that a defect could be any of what you mention, I'd doubt if these inconsistencies could be detected visually. IMHO

Those 2nds are rated as such because; 1) the brass is discolored and didn't get caught in the 1st round of inspection, or 2) the projectile is discolored and didn't get caught in the 1st round of inspection. And they went through the loading process.
The ammo meets all specs as to COAL and powder charge (it was loaded right along with all the "1st" quality).
Discolored brass and bullets stand out like a sore thumb in a pile of polished components. Typically they get pulled out of the the mix before loading, but, it's humans looking and picking, some gets missed. Some people find that discoloration objectionable and the manufacturers want new ammo to look new. So, we get cheap ammunition or components occasionally when they have enough 2nds to warrant selling. You rarely see 2nd of brass because that can be easily sent back to the polishing step. Same with the bullet if it's caught before being loaded.
The only 2nds on bullets I've seen that are questionable for use for hunting are those with a plastic or rubber tip. I recently bought a bunch and had to sort them due to a percentage that the tip wasn't seated fully or the tip was deformed-those get used for load testing and plinking, not hunting. The majority are definitely "off" in coloration, but I haven't had any issue with performance.

 

[SStomcat]

Plus at $89 for a box of 20, it pays out just by recycling the brass given that it is expensive for these calibres wherever you can find them...

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Federal Premium Ammunition - 458 Winchester Magnum - 500 Grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw - 20 Rounds - Factory Seconds

Wholesale Ammunition

miwallcorp.com

 

[Woodcarver]

Federal Premium Ammunition - 458 Winchester Magnum - 500 Grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw - 20 Rounds - Factory Seconds

Wholesale Ammunition

miwallcorp.com

They are now out of stock

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

They are now out of stock

Good buy lol

 

[SStomcat]

So I received the bullets today and had a close look at all of them. There are some minor dings on the cases , and some discoloration. The lead tips on the bear claws are not as clean and perfect as my Swift A frames but nothing stark to worry me.