Around 2013 I had Accurate Molds make me a few designs that I got in a single mold. One of them was my 195 grn version being about the length of a ball as I thought my 2013 NMA would come with the typical slow twist, and I wanted more mass and a wide meplat for hunting. As it turned out it has a 1:16” twist.
What I also learned between my NMA and my ROA was that they both have a preferred more accurate powder charge that doesn’t change despite the projectile used. This is 30 grns in the NMA and 35 grns in the ROA. Both leave a fair amount of excess space so I’ve measured them both, took into account that I need them seated at least 1/16” from the mouth to keep gas cutting from eating them, another 1/16” for a cardboard over powder card I punch from cereal boxes, and another 1/16” for powder charge variance.
I also decided I wanted a little more debated heel to slip further into the chamber for alignment and to reduce the upper driving hand a little since I’m adding more mass and using energetic powders.
Something I’ve learned is that I don’t need large lube grooves even for my 7.5” ROA. Maybe it’s because Olde Eynsford doesn’t create as much fouling as most other BP. I did open it up ever so slightly more to reduce weight just a touch. Those thin walls in my NMA give me pause.
This is my 195 grn bullet:
always remember i love you
Here’s the 245 grn version I created but didn’t purchase as I thought I’d be moving to VA and hunting bears and not just hogs so I wanted a lot more bullet. However it’s a good starting point for this universal bullet:
I’m intending on using an epoxy to modify the ram faces for the meplat as the current rams kiss an odd pattern. You’ll not I’ve also drawn in a HP cavity. A fellow on another forum has tested HPs in his and used epoxy to make a HP pin so as not to deform the cavity. I’d first try it without creating a pin version so as to be able to load either without swapping lever systems.
The idea behind a HP design also is that we know the other can penetrate 2 feet and some, and that’s not always desirable, and a HP creates more damage. The old “Flying Ashtray” from Speer back in the 80’s performed quite well for a standard HP (and later became the basis for the Gold Dot). I’d be looking for the wall thickness to be enough to keep it from sheering off, and deep enough to open up at least to 1.25 times the original diameter that I think should still allow it to penetrate a little further than a typical HP. This is the part I’d have to work with Erik at Hollow Point Mold to help me with.
I’m thinking I’ll order a 4 cavity mold and have Erik HP two of them.
Thoughts? Ideas? Critique?
What I also learned between my NMA and my ROA was that they both have a preferred more accurate powder charge that doesn’t change despite the projectile used. This is 30 grns in the NMA and 35 grns in the ROA. Both leave a fair amount of excess space so I’ve measured them both, took into account that I need them seated at least 1/16” from the mouth to keep gas cutting from eating them, another 1/16” for a cardboard over powder card I punch from cereal boxes, and another 1/16” for powder charge variance.
I also decided I wanted a little more debated heel to slip further into the chamber for alignment and to reduce the upper driving hand a little since I’m adding more mass and using energetic powders.
Something I’ve learned is that I don’t need large lube grooves even for my 7.5” ROA. Maybe it’s because Olde Eynsford doesn’t create as much fouling as most other BP. I did open it up ever so slightly more to reduce weight just a touch. Those thin walls in my NMA give me pause.
This is my 195 grn bullet:
always remember i love youHere’s the 245 grn version I created but didn’t purchase as I thought I’d be moving to VA and hunting bears and not just hogs so I wanted a lot more bullet. However it’s a good starting point for this universal bullet:
I’m intending on using an epoxy to modify the ram faces for the meplat as the current rams kiss an odd pattern. You’ll not I’ve also drawn in a HP cavity. A fellow on another forum has tested HPs in his and used epoxy to make a HP pin so as not to deform the cavity. I’d first try it without creating a pin version so as to be able to load either without swapping lever systems.
The idea behind a HP design also is that we know the other can penetrate 2 feet and some, and that’s not always desirable, and a HP creates more damage. The old “Flying Ashtray” from Speer back in the 80’s performed quite well for a standard HP (and later became the basis for the Gold Dot). I’d be looking for the wall thickness to be enough to keep it from sheering off, and deep enough to open up at least to 1.25 times the original diameter that I think should still allow it to penetrate a little further than a typical HP. This is the part I’d have to work with Erik at Hollow Point Mold to help me with.
I’m thinking I’ll order a 4 cavity mold and have Erik HP two of them.
Thoughts? Ideas? Critique?
