Fiftydriver
Official LRH Sponsor
I wish that Sierra still made their big 155 gr SMK. That bullet with this tip would have had a great BC, plenty of bullet weight and affordable in price.
Boosting BC of commerical bullets.....
- Thread starter Fiftydriver
- Start date
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Outlaw6.0
Well-Known Member
Hornady still offers the 160 gr Interlock .. although it does not have a boat tail and the round nose looks a bit short and abrupt in ogive taper giving it a long bearing surface .....
would this bullet be a candidate ? It has an impressive SD but could use some help with a bc upgrade
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would this bullet be a candidate ? It has an impressive SD but could use some help with a bc upgrade
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mmayberry
Well-Known Member
Dont forget the Woodleigh bullet. It actually shoots great in my 6.5WSM as is..
MM
Fiftydriver
Official LRH Sponsor
There is close to an endless list of potential bullets that we can improve on. The trick is in the process so that all can be modified with these tips.
Oh, and the time to do it......
Oh, and the time to do it......
elkaholic
Well-Known Member
Kirby.....ain't it fun! you sound like my kinda guy I started making my own bullets about 7 or 8 years ago and soon realized the need for a ballistic tip. The first ones I changed were my own. I stole the tips out of my 17 HMR ammo (hornady) and figured out a way to insert them into my bullets in the final point forming process. The results were amazing not only with b.c. but long range performance (expansion). I also made rebated boatails with secant ogives out of SMK's and added a ballistic tip to them as well. It makes an entirely different animal out a std. SMK! I think you are really on to something as MOST of the so called long range hunting bullets fall short because they lack low end expansion and when you can add b.c. to boot; why not! I use a jacket serrator in mine as well when I really want them to open easily. Some of the bullet makers use a lead allow to help control expansion rather than do it with a thicker jacket but this is not the correct approach IMO. I like the solid lead cores which are more mallable and yet expand easier. Keep up the good work!.....rich
I started making my own bullets about 7 or 8 years ago and soon realized the need for a ballistic tip. The first ones I changed were my own. I stole the tips out of my 17 HMR ammo (hornady) and figured out a way to insert them into my bullets in the final point forming process. The results were amazing not only with b.c. but long range performance (expansion). I also made rebated boatails with secant ogives out of SMK's and added a ballistic tip to them as well. It makes an entirely different animal out a std. SMK! I think you are really on to something as MOST of the so called long range hunting bullets fall short because they lack low end expansion and when you can add b.c. to boot; why not! I use a jacket serrator in mine as well when I really want them to open easily. Some of the bullet makers use a lead allow to help control expansion rather than do it with a thicker jacket but this is not the correct approach IMO. I like the solid lead cores which are more mallable and yet expand easier. Keep up the good work!.....rich
royinidaho
Well-Known Member
The trick is in the process so that all can be modified with these tips.
Oh, and the time to do it......
"these tips" ???
Someone needs to come up with other choices! And that isn't easy, or inexpensive or non-time consuming. I know!
One tip fits all isn't the best solution to boosting bc. Fitting Corbin's AL tips replaces heavier lead and jacket material aluminum. The smaller the caliber the more heavier material with lighter material.
My bc boost efforts (successful ones
) were with a brass point with a press fit stepped shank into Nosler Accubonds and Ballistic Tips. Base of the point is 0.182" and a meplate of 0.030"Brass is a bit heavier than aluminum resulting 130/140/150 retipped being nearly 9 grains heavier.
Also $0.85 each is a bit much. One of us had some made and ended up with a $0.77 each cost which in my opinion is also too steep for the typical LR shooter.
Having said that if one of you "Sharks
" chips in $15,000.00 I get you more brass tips/points than could ever be use of a specific design. That's the best quote I could get However, I haven't given up. . .
elkaholic
Well-Known Member
"these tips" ???
Someone needs to come up with other choices! And that isn't easy, or inexpensive or non-time consuming. I know!
One tip fits all isn't the best solution to boosting bc. Fitting Corbin's AL tips replaces heavier lead and jacket material aluminum. The smaller the caliber the more heavier material with lighter material.
My bc boost efforts (successful ones
Brass is a bit heavier than aluminum resulting 130/140/150 retipped being nearly 9 grains heavier.
Also $0.85 each is a bit much. One of us had some made and ended up with a $0.77 each cost which in my opinion is also too steep for the typical LR shooter.
Having said that if one of you "Sharks
Hi Roy, it's good to hear from you! I completely agree with you on needing some other choices. The aluminum tips are pretty good for most bullets "when you are making your own" but as you stated, you can really upset the balance when you are adding to an existing bullet. Corbins is making a mild steel tip now which weighs 15 grains that might be ok for re tipping but it is too heavy for most of my applications. My 10 twist doesn't like that much weight forward. I had some brass tips made that have a .175" meplat and weigh 12 grains which work pretty well but I used up most of the kids inheritance in buying them
I've been thinking about trying to work with a hard poly tip that could be pointed, but as Kirby said, Oh the time and $$$! I think a light tip would work REALLY well with the new 215 Berger Hybrids as they have .4" of air space in the nose anyway......Rich
royinidaho
Well-Known Member
Rich,
There certainly ain't no free lunch!
The 15 grain offerings sound interesting. I'll look into them.
However, my never ending urge to use up my remaining daze doing interesting stuff has me on another quest. I've discovered Zirconium which is interesting stuff.
Also, an 8 twist likes that long front heavy stuff.
There certainly ain't no free lunch!
The 15 grain offerings sound interesting. I'll look into them.
However, my never ending urge to use up my remaining daze doing interesting stuff has me on another quest. I've discovered Zirconium which is interesting stuff.
Also, an 8 twist likes that long front heavy stuff.
MT4XFore
Well-Known Member
"Wood Tips" YEAH!!! Then you could use your super glue Roy!
Fiftydriver
Official LRH Sponsor
A high density plastic would be the trick but start up manufacturing is spendy and installation is tricky compared to metal.
Most of the bullets I am modifying are HP design and most of the SMKs have a sizable hollow cavity under the meplat so there is not a dramatic change in finished weight, just finished bullet length.
Been busting on rifles to much the past week to get much testing done. Wanted to do some on Sunday but had to take the chance to get on the range and accuracy test several customer rifles. Next weekend Easter, kids and family events all that weekend so probably not get any more testing done then either.
I will be doing ballistic testing on the 175 gr SMK in 7mm in my 7mm AM loaded to +3450 fps with and without tips.
Also in my 300 AX using a tipped 240 gr SMK compared to a conventional 240 at around 3250 fps.
Then we will be playing with one of my 338 Allen Magnums with the 300 gr SMK loaded to around 3400 fps with and without tips.
Will be interesting to see how they do.
Most of the bullets I am modifying are HP design and most of the SMKs have a sizable hollow cavity under the meplat so there is not a dramatic change in finished weight, just finished bullet length.
Been busting on rifles to much the past week to get much testing done. Wanted to do some on Sunday but had to take the chance to get on the range and accuracy test several customer rifles. Next weekend Easter, kids and family events all that weekend so probably not get any more testing done then either.
I will be doing ballistic testing on the 175 gr SMK in 7mm in my 7mm AM loaded to +3450 fps with and without tips.
Also in my 300 AX using a tipped 240 gr SMK compared to a conventional 240 at around 3250 fps.
Then we will be playing with one of my 338 Allen Magnums with the 300 gr SMK loaded to around 3400 fps with and without tips.
Will be interesting to see how they do.
Here's an idea......
instead of modifying manufacturers bullets..
why not get a 3D printer and print as many bullet jackets as ya want in a high BC bullet design, then mix an alloy of lead and tin..(hardcast) pour into the jacket then either drill a hollow point or install one of those tips to initiate expansion...................
if you can print an AR15 and a handgun from a 3D printer, bullets jackets would be a piece of cake....
may not have the accuracy as a conventional bullet but things can always be improved by playing with the jacket thickness to properly engage the rifling for bullet spin and stability.....
3d printer info here.............
http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f111/3d-printed-gun-make-gun-3d-printer-111683/
you could also print all the plastic bullet tips ya want ................
instead of modifying manufacturers bullets..
why not get a 3D printer and print as many bullet jackets as ya want in a high BC bullet design, then mix an alloy of lead and tin..(hardcast) pour into the jacket then either drill a hollow point or install one of those tips to initiate expansion...................
if you can print an AR15 and a handgun from a 3D printer, bullets jackets would be a piece of cake....
may not have the accuracy as a conventional bullet but things can always be improved by playing with the jacket thickness to properly engage the rifling for bullet spin and stability.....
3d printer info here.............
http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f111/3d-printed-gun-make-gun-3d-printer-111683/
you could also print all the plastic bullet tips ya want ................
