Nosler blems (short for blemished) or “seconds” are bullets, brass, and ammunition that doesn’t meet the Nosler standard for cosmetic perfection. These products must still meet the same performance standards for safety, reliability, accuracy, and terminal performance as all other Nosler products. Blem products just don’t look quite as nice as first quality product. Common cosmetic flaws that result in a product being graded as a second include:
- Water spots (small black spots leftover from the cleaning process)
- Scratches
- Minor dents/dings
- Small fold lines on the nose/ogive of the bullet (these looks like cracks, but they are not. These are simply folds where the copper folded in on itself as the ogive was being formed.)
- Ugly tips (sometimes the bullet tips can be malformed or damaged resulting in a tip that is a little bit misshapen. These do not have an effect on accuracy)
When buying blem products, you can rest assured that they have undergone the same rigorous inspection and testing as all other Nosler products, and blems can be relied on to perform at both the range and in the field.
