I bought a couple of boxes of .270 Winchester Super X Ammo 150 gr. a month ago at Sports Authority. When I examined the ammo at home, I discovered that the ammo had deformed lead bullet tips all varying in degrees of deformity. The ammo looks like it was dropped on its head with the tips bending this way. Some even looked flattened. I suspect that deformed tips have an effect on trajectory that detrimentally affects accuracy. Haven't shot a lot of different ammo since my rifle is new so I can't tell if this sort of ammo deformity is common and what effect, if any, it has on accuracy.  The ammo in the background is the Winchester I'm talking about. The ammo in the foreground are 130 gr. Federal Premiums.  The necks also appeared to be sloppily crimped. Anybody have any experience with Winchester Ammo?

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I'd return it and get a new box.  The bent tips will definitely have a detrimental effect on accuracy.

I always open it up and check them first before buying, same with car parts and oil filters too.  You don't know how many times the wrong part is in that box, filter has no gasket, or bullet tips are bent.   

Deformation of the bullet bases have a far greater effect on accuracy than deformation on the nose.

Nevertheless, I'd try to return the ammo (most retailers won't take back ammo) and contact Winchester about it (send them the pic), especially with respect to the sloppy crimps.

The trouble is, if you return it, they'll probably just stick it back on the shelf so the next customer gets it.

The bad crimping can't help accuracy, either, since the cases now have varying internal volume.  But worse than that, the rightmost one in the pic looks like the bullet might get stuck in the rifling on feeding.  Bad news, especially with an autoloader.

NOTE:
I would be fairly certain that it didn't leave the Winchester factory that way, though.  It somehow looks like someone deliberately tampered with the ammo.  I can't imagine a mere droppage damaging the noses AND pulling the bullets out that far, both at the same time.

I hate to sound paranoid, but that kind of nose deformation makes it look like the bullets were pulled with an inertial bullet puller, which can damage the noses, and then inexpertly replaced in the cartridges for some reason.

I won't speculate on why this might be, but I do know that enemy ammuniton has been sabotaged by reloading their captured ammunition with tetryl or other high explosives.  This was done with a little more finesse, however.

Don't shoot it.

This follows the general principle that if anything at all is funky about ammunition, the arm, or a particular shot, stop and thoroughly investigate immediately.

Terry, 230RN

REFS:

Google "Project Eldest Son" or "Sabotaged Ammunition"

Crimps don't look that bad.  The tips..........looks like the box could have been dropped tip down.  I've dented my 62gr 223 ammo the same way.  At 100 & 200 yds it really didn't make a difference to me, but no telling how it will shoot out of your rifle.  You can try to take it back, but a lot of places have a no return policy on ammo since they don't know what could have happened to it once it left their possession.  Risks of buying soft points I guess........won't hurt to try and return them.  Good luck.