I want to convert Winchester target load ammunition by removing the 115gr jacketed round nose bullet and replacing it with a 115 gr Hornady XTP bullet. No other changes except bullet. Anyone see any problems doing this?
Well the bullet profiles are not the same so you are going to be putting the bullet base into the brass a bit further. The hollow point has to be accounted for somehow. This will increase the pressure some. That is an unknown due to the factory using an unknown powder. So if I was doing this I would drop the measured charge by 5% at least and try. You might be able to work up some but do so with a crony and do not exceed factory velocity. Or use data in a manual and work up with a canister propellant like normal. YMMV
Definitely want to run them over a chrono after you figure out a safe way to do this. With the different profile the velocity could vary a good deal and you'll want to make sure you are still in the performance velocities of the hollow point bullet. Might be worth weighing the charge in a dozen or so of the factory rounds as you pull them apart to see what kind of consistency you are getting as well. Too much of a swing there and it would be very difficult to say if swapping projectiles would ever be safe.Self defense ammo.
I give you high marks for inventiveness, but with the unknown powder it’s tough to say how it would perform with a different bullet even with the same seating depth. I’m presuming you’d resize the case first, dispense powder and seat/crimp. Then you’d want access to a chrono just to see if you’re getting the velocity you wanted for SD ammo.I want to convert Winchester target load ammunition by removing the 115gr jacketed round nose bullet and replacing it with a 115 gr Hornady XTP bullet. No other changes except bullet. Anyone see any problems doing this?
Self defense ammo.
I’d be more tempted to drill a small hole in the FMJ, you wouldn’t want to remove much material, and see if it performed anywhere near what an HP did. If I had no other ammo, I’d just carry the target ammo until I could get some SD or some known powder to load SD. Good luck.
That hurts my head.
A Winchester round nose 115 FMJ bullet is .575" long. A Hornady 115 XTP is .545" long. A difference of 0.030". So, you can seat the XTP up to a 0.030" shorter OAL and there would be no change in the space available in the case.
And then, I think it would be easier to simply drill the round nose, file grooves or whatever elseI wouldn't do it unless it was a serious SHTF situation, like zombies or something equally serious.