Bullets-Your Not Going To Believe What I Did!

[CaptnC]

This could go into the AR Forum, but it's reloading so I picked this forum.

First...the why; just recently built a pair of 6.5 Grendel gasser's. IMO 120gr bullets are a bit heavy because you have to watch over pressuring the platform. So normal pressure signs don't come into play.

Combine that with my most recent bullet purchase from a guy here. Roughly 300 lead core, exposed lead tipped bullet. 100 of Sierra 120 Pro Hunter which get great reviews by Grendel users. Plus about 200 120 Speer bullets, which are discontinued. From what I'm reading they are bonded.

Ok so I have a bonded, lead tipped bullet that is most likely built too well for Grendel velocity. So the problem is obvious!

Right?

I've been thinking about doing this since I was a kid in the late 70's, so I took 20 bullets and did it!

I break out a razor blade, small drill bit, digital scale and core less drill.

Yep, you know what I'm about to do...don't you? I bet nearly everyone reading this has thought about doing this.

So I cut the exposed lead tip off. That took me down to 117gr. Then I drilled out the tip about an 1/8". Now I'm at 115gr. I use a slightly large drill bit to counter sink the hole and clean it up a bit.

Now the weights are kind of every where. So I use the drill bit by hand to match the bullets weight. I then weighted, grouped the bullets that had matching weights.

I only did 20 bullets, 4 - 112gr, 4 - 114gr the remainder 115gr. I loaded them all to the same powder load of 28.2gr of IMR 8208. I seated them slightly longer than the lead tipped, measured at the ogive, but not to the mag length of 2.280.

So off to the range. I just bought two new Athlon 5x24 50mm scopes for these rifles. Without bore sighting either scope, I had both in the bull at 100yds in less than 5 shots out of each rifle!

The 18" likes these bullets the best. It out shot my 20" group wise with the Speer bullet, altered and non-altered.
I only had 4 of the 112gr so I shot them out of the 18". I pulled the third shot as usual but settled back done for the 4th shot.

The SD 7 and ES 14 average velocity of 2531was better than the 20"...that is a first.

 

[Ingwe]

You sound very excited about your project but I don't get it??

Why don't you just buy lighter Bullets and save yourself the trouble?

 

[Capt RB]

I've watched hi speed footage of the lead melting at 3006 velocities. It stands to reason that your bullet stays more consistent. I'd bet it will make a helluva sound when you hit game.

 

[Ingwe]

I've watched hi speed footage of the lead melting at 3006 velocities. It stands to reason that your bullet stays more consistent. I'd bet it will make a helluva sound when you hit game.

Why not just use a plastic tipped Bullet?

I don't really see how the melting of a lead tipped bullet will affect your accuracy in the thousands of a second that your bullet is in flight...how much lead can be washed away in that micro-second?

I bet that we humans are not capable of being consistent enough with our firing for it to matter either way

PS: I don't mean to pee on your post or your project...sounds like you are having fun messing around

 

[Capt RB]

Why not just use a plastic tipped Bullet?

I don't really see how the melting of a lead tipped bullet will affect your accuracy in the thousands of a second that your bullet is in flight...how much lead can be washed away in that micro-second?

I bet that we humans are not capable of being consistent enough with our firing for it to matter either way

PS: I don't mean to pee on your post or your project...sounds like you are having fun messing around

It's the reason why match bullets are hollow points. This is not my project. It read to me that the op got a deal on the bullets and wanted to try something because the grendel does better with less bullet weight. I'm interested in his work only because i'm looking at a 6mm wildcat off of the grendel case for my ar

 

[DENWA]

Brings back memories of when I was 17. All we had were FMJ Garand ammo.

Cutoff wheel made them Soft points for hunting! My uncle found out and bought me a box or two of Speer bullets.

 

[therifleman556]

Sounds to me like he's hollow pointing a bullet that is a bit on the stout side to make it perform better at the lower velocities that his chosen round generates. Well done as far as I'm concerned.

 

[biggen]

Nothing ventured nothing gained.

Don't say "why" say "why not."

Hope they work for you.

 

[CaptnC]

You sound very excited about your project but I don't get it??

Why don't you just buy lighter Bullets and save yourself the trouble?

Got a great deal on the bullets. I knew the Sierra 120's are hard to find. So I jumped on the deal.

From the reviews I found about the Speer bullets I could just use them in my 6.5x55. But it rarely comes out of the safe.

I have really enjoyed shooting the Grendel's so I have been burning a lot of powder through both of them. So the Speer bullets will be used, some as is even though they didn't shoot great, I can still hit steel at 400yds with them.

I will hollow point some of the Speer bullets for the wife's 18" Grendel because it doesn't really like the 123 SST's. My 20" shoots this better.

It has been fun!

Just incase one of you want to secretly try this...chuck up the bullets in your cordless drill. It seems easier to keep the drill centered. Go slow, lead will snap a drill bit in the blink of an eye.

This isn't the first time I've done this. I cast a bunch of 54 caliber bullets for my side lock black powder rifle back in the 90's. I hunted with it for one season. Shot two hogs and one bobcat with it. No deer, but I bet it would have crushed them.

It is a open sight side lock so I never weighted them, just drilled them and shot them.

 

[hunter67wa]

hey Cap my safe has a spot in the front for a 6.5x55 so it can get some use if its lonely. just saying

 

[CaptnC]

hey Cap my safe has a spot in the front for a 6.5x55 so it can get some use if its lonely. just saying

Sorry hunter, that one is ear marked for my grandson!

He is certainly a one of a kind in today's world, especially because he is only 8yo. Back when I was kid he would been just another kid. He has zero interest in video games. He likes watching fishing tournaments! Hunting shows if no fishing is on. The rest of his time is spent fishing in his grandma's stock tank!

 

[Rudolph Ferdinand]

This could go into the AR Forum, but it's reloading so I picked this forum.

First...the why; just recently built a pair of 6.5 Grendel gasser's. IMO 120gr bullets are a bit heavy because you have to watch over pressuring the platform. So normal pressure signs don't come into play.

Combine that with my most recent bullet purchase from a guy here. Roughly 300 lead core, exposed lead tipped bullet. 100 of Sierra 120 Pro Hunter which get great reviews by Grendel users. Plus about 200 120 Speer bullets, which are discontinued. From what I'm reading they are bonded.

Ok so I have a bonded, lead tipped bullet that is most likely built too well for Grendel velocity. So the problem is obvious!

Right?

I've been thinking about doing this since I was a kid in the late 70's, so I took 20 bullets and did it!

I break out a razor blade, small drill bit, digital scale and core less drill.

Yep, you know what I'm about to do...don't you? I bet nearly everyone reading this has thought about doing this.

So I cut the exposed lead tip off. That took me down to 117gr. Then I drilled out the tip about an 1/8". Now I'm at 115gr. I use a slightly large drill bit to counter sink the hole and clean it up a bit.

Now the weights are kind of every where. So I use the drill bit by hand to match the bullets weight. I then weighted, grouped the bullets that had matching weights.

I only did 20 bullets, 4 - 112gr, 4 - 114gr the remainder 115gr. I loaded them all to the same powder load of 28.2gr of IMR 8208. I seated them slightly longer than the lead tipped, measured at the ogive, but not to the mag length of 2.280.

View attachment 117551

So off to the range. I just bought two new Athlon 5x24 50mm scopes for these rifles. Without bore sighting either scope, I had both in the bull at 100yds in less than 5 shots out of each rifle!

The 18" likes these bullets the best. It out shot my 20" group wise with the Speer bullet, altered and non-altered.
I only had 4 of the 112gr so I shot them out of the 18". I pulled the third shot as usual but settled back done for the 4th shot.

View attachment 117554

The SD 7 and ES 14 average velocity of 2531was better than the 20"...that is a first.

I built 6.5 G a year ago, but I wanted speed, so I ordered and installed a 24" barrel (match). I started with Hornady's brass but its, not the best, so I bought 250 brass cases from Starline. I loaded up fifty cases, so when spring comes, to the range I go; I'll plan to do chronograph for SD/ES using Hornady's 123 A-Max/SST bullets. I have used Sierra's 120 grainers, they produced groups about 1/2" size groups @ 2700fps (two different groups same day of shooting).

 

[HARPERC]

Experiment and learn, it's what we do, and in this day and age share it on the net.

Thanks for sharing. Nicely done.

 

[Rudolph Ferdinand]

I did not mention what powders I have been using. My first AR-15 like most guys is in 223/556 cartridge, so I try to pick powders for several cartridges, the 6.5 g and the 223/556, the powders that I use are: CFE223/2520. The powder 2520 it appears to be the best for 6.5 G.