I bought a box of Federal Premium Barnes TSX 225gr, most of the bullets were loose in the casing. I traded for a new box and they were the same. At least 75% of the bullets spin freely and there is even some movement back and fourth. The rest are tight in the casing.

Is this normal?

Are these cartridges still safe?

Thanks

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"The true trophy hunter is a self-disciplined perfectionist seeking a single animal, the ancient patriarch well past his prime that is often an outcast from his own kind... If successful, he will enshrine the trophy in a place of honor. This is a more noble and fitting end than dying on some lost and lonely ledge where the scavengers will pick his bones, and his magnificent horns will weather away and be lost forever."

Elgin Gates, Trophy Hunter in Asia

They're safe, but not particularly reliable. The loose bullets won't have the same ballistics as the tight ones. The loose ones won't get the proper powder burn and will likely have a lower velocity, which could chance your point of impact. This may or may not make a difference in the field. You'll get real problems if they get wet, as the loose bullets won't seal the case. If you reload, pull the bullets and resize the cases.

I killed my first few deer with 7.5 Swiss ammo made by Toyo, and the bullets were easy to spin, so they can work.

Bye
Jack

What about just running them thru a Lee factory crimping die?

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Uh, what about taking them back and getting some ammo that's made right?
When you exchanged them the first time, you probably got another box from the same lot. Look at the lot number on your box, and make sure you get a new box of ammo with a different lot number, or get some different ammo.

With the price of ammo these days, there is no reason at all to settle for sub-par product at a premium price. Bullets loose in the case is definitely sub-par and NOT normal.

__________________
"America wasn't founded so that we could all be better. America was founded so we could all be anything we d**n well please."
-- P.J. O'Rourke

Ditto zthang's recommendation. With the money you paid for the ammo, no sense in not getting what you paid for. If the local shop where you bought the stuff only has the one lot number in stock, you might want to contact Federal, give them the lot number and see if they can't provide you with some proper ammo.

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"Firearms only have two enemies - rust and politicans" author unknown

Another reason why everyone should put their location in their profile. It can save making some irrelevant answers. Unfortunately, straightening out this kind of a problem is hard enough in southern Canada, what with the current border regulations with the USA. Sometimes you just have to take what you can get when you live in the Northwest Territories.

Bye
Jack

Yes 338 ammo is not uncommon up here but there is only a handfull boxes of it in town at any time, and most of it goes to me . Most people here shoot 30-30, 06, 303, and 7mm.

I get a pretty good deal on the ammo so I wont sweat trying to get replacements, like Jack said it will be more trouble than it's worth by the end of it.

As long as they are safe I think I will fire off what I have left one at a time, I wont put them into a magazine. Then do a little more quality control of my own and inspect the amunition before I leave the store.

I have the reloading dies for the .338 now and a good supply of brass so I think it's about time I learned how to load. My dad has all the gear and a few potions he wants to try out.

Thanks

__________________
"The true trophy hunter is a self-disciplined perfectionist seeking a single animal, the ancient patriarch well past his prime that is often an outcast from his own kind... If successful, he will enshrine the trophy in a place of honor. This is a more noble and fitting end than dying on some lost and lonely ledge where the scavengers will pick his bones, and his magnificent horns will weather away and be lost forever."

Elgin Gates, Trophy Hunter in Asia