Terminal performance and Meplat trimming?

[bigngreen]

So Bud Martins thread on the 6.5 SMK got me to wondering about what would happen with terminal performance if we would trim the meplat.
I have seen where trimming will help your accuracy to some degree which is good but you have also blunted the point of the bullet which I would think would help some bullets like the SMK or Berger get started expanding. Or would meplat trimming be insignificant to terminal performance??

[MontanaRifleman]

Making a larger HP meplat would definitely fascilitate expanding. The question is how much do you trim. Unless you have a very precise way of doing it, it would also introduce a lot of inconsistancy in external ballistics and your BC will drop.

GS bullets have a larger HP meplat for this very reason. Terminal performance seems to be their highest prority for "hunting" bullets. They design their bullets for reliable expansin down to 1500-1600 fps, depending on the bullet.

[bigngreen]

I think the trimmers would set the bullet the same, I may take some Bergers and try it and shoot some wet paper out at 1000yrd and see what difference it make. I can turn a tool out on a lathe.
This may be a moot point though, I see that there is a slight lose of BC so it's may be counter productive to try to make up for a slow bullet by slowing it down more, unless there is a marked terminal effect increase.
I have looked at the GS bullets but I shoot .277 cal stuff and it looked like they only have up to 130gr bullets with a .410 BC, which doesn't tempt me enough. If I shot some 30 cal stuff that 177hv looks like it would be the ticket. I'm awaiting the 169.5 Wildcat for my .277 stuff.

[elkaholic]

Trimming the meplat will increase expansion and lower B.C. to some degree depending on how far you go. Sometimes you can drill out the tip slightly leaving the same dia. meplat but THINNING the nose section of the jacket. This can create a change in airflow with the slightly hollow pointed tip which may or may not be a big deal, but it will help expansion at lower velocity. Everything is a trade off! Test it on the range and see.....Rich

[bigngreen]

elkaholic
I'll just give it a try and see what goes. I'm sure your getting bullet requests like crazy but anything 160+gr .277 would be nice

[Michael Eichele]

I tried this a couple of years ago. I never tested it on game due to the fact that the BC dropped off hard. I used the 190 SMK which I was running at 560+ and dropped (I cant remember exactly) but it was around .470? The 190 BTSP is higher than that so I opted not to use it in the first place after field testing it.

[bigngreen]

I wonder if re-pointing them would give you back you BC but create a frangible tip that would blow out and leave a large cavity to get it open faster.