Meplat Trimming

[Lime Dawg]

Does anybody on here do it? The only reason I ask is that I have some 6mm 95gr Matchkings that look really uneven and I'm wondering whether there'd be an argument for evening everything up. I haven't loaded any yet and I'm sure they'll be more accurate than me but I just thought I'd ask. It'd be just the excuse I need to buy another gadget lol!

 

[Gene]

Meplats

I trim meplats in four calibers for competition, but not certain of the benefits. It will lower your BC very slightly. You may or may not see an improvement in groups at 500 plus yards. I frankly feel meplat trimming may be another "feel good" task involved in long range shooting. Kinda like weighing brass and bullets, etc.

 

[Lime Dawg]

That's the sorta idea I get as well Gene as some top shooters do it and some don't. Shooting is a very mental game though and we've got to do what we can to give ourselves that extra confidence. Which tool do you use to trim?

 

[overbore]

B.C

uniformity is the reason behind trimming. IF you have equal BC's you may minimize vertical stringing at long ranges. Consider a Coyote shot at 700 yards--- you have a 8" lethal zone and the unequal BC's may contribute to missing it. This is why the polymer tipped high bc bullets are so popular. There are three ways to handle: 1. measure and sort equal length bullets. 2. purchase trimmer from such sources as Dave Tooley. or 3l, The Rolls Royce method, trim and close the nose after trimming with a $$$ set of dies. Overbore
ps: I do #2 for all long range rounds

 

[Varminator 911]

bullet pointer

Has anyone tried the bullet "pointer" die? This is a die written up on 6mmbr that not only makes the tips of VLD bullets more uniform but also more pointed and increases the BC. By pointing, trimming and pointing again you get a really good looking tip. Only thing I wondered is if it made the VLDs even more likely to pencil thru game esp at longer ranges where velocity is down. But for target shooting it looks like a great idea for the perfectionist!!

Personnally, I'm waiting for the Wildcat aluminum tipped bullets. Seem like a great bullet for long range game, if they ever arrive. I suspect there will be other high BC bullets for long big game coming soon...just my guess.

 

[wc872]

Meplat

I used to trim the meplat on my 1,000 yard stuff. With no other changes my groups were more round. Even if the groups were large they were round. (my lack of talent with a firearm..............again). I now have a Whidden bullet pointer. Now I point all the bullets first and then just barely touch them if at all with the Meplat trimmer. In testing with a 6x47L bench gun @ 400 yards. Same load, same everything pointer bullets were exactly 1/2MOA higher (using graph paper) than the un-pointed bullets. Good enough for me.

 

[uncleB]

In 2005 I did quite a bit of testing on uniforming meplats, specifically on 2 different bullets. The .338 300grain SMK and the .243 107grain SMK.
I can say without reservation that there could be no bigger waste of time than doing this to a .243 107grain SMK.
With the .338 300grain SMK there was a measureable difference in group size but a huge difference in B.C.
After much testing with these 2 bullets I found that measuring bullet bearing surface length makes much more of an effect on accuracy than a bit of an uneven meplat.
UB
If you want to buy a .243 or a .338 meplat uniformer I will sell you either cheap !!!!!