Hollow pointer for cast bullets?

[armoredman]

Anyone ever used the Forster Hollow Pointer accessory? Will it work on other trimmers beside the Forster?

 

[Quoheleth]

I had asked a commercial caster about using one of those tools with his bullets.

His opinion was most cast bullets are too hard to get much expansion. Even at magnum velocity, the harder lead won't really open up much. He felt you would get as much benefit from a SWC's sharp shoulders as from any potential hollow point cavitating and opening up.

At least, that's what I recall about our conversation.

Q

 

[USSR]

With hollowpoint bullets, you need an alloy with a good amount of tin in it to promote mushrooming. Tin is expensive, and you won't find much of it in the alloys that commercial bullet manufacturers use. Suggest you take up casting and get a HP mould.

Don

 

[armoredman]

USSR, been casting for a few years already, hollow point molds are hideously expensive, done right. That's what I was trying to avoid. I use wheel weight lead, so it may be a bit hard. I have seen some "hollow pointed" bullets expand, was curious about trying it.
I wouldn't mind finding a 9mm hollow point mold for dirt cheap, either, preferably one with the Cramer style set up. I saw one for $125, a wee bit out of my price range for now.

 

[USSR]

http://www.mp-molds.com/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=16&=SID

$93 plus shipping, but out of stock at this time. This guy makes the absolute best moulds bar none. I have 3 (160gr .38, 200gr .45ACP, and 270gr .45LC).

Don

 

[GooseGestapo]

I'm cheap. I use a (cheap) drill press with a cross-slide vise. I clamp the bullets into the cross-slide vise while being held by a spring-loaded clothes pin.

I "eye-ball" the center of the bullet to the drill tip by dimpling it with the drill bit. I then turn on the press and drill them to the desired depth. This can be set by taping the drill bit with masking tape.

You can use 95-5 Tin/Antimony "lead-free" solder available at hardware and plumbing supply houses to increase the tin of your wheel-weight or similar lead.

I've drilled the nose of the Lee 125gr RFN .358" bullet for the .38 sized to .356" in my 9mm Para's. Shoots good and expands sufficiently. I also drill the .338" 200gr RN and some .311" 175gr for my .30/30.

A cheap mould at $19 for 2-cavity, $40 for 6-cavity. You'll loose an occasional bullet due to off centered hole, but, so what? Just through it and drill shavings back in the pot and recast...... Wait to size/gascheck till after you've drilled a centered hole...... 100-200 will take an hour or so.....
I've got a Lee .358" 150gr SWC Hollow point mould thats almost as slow and as much trouble as drilling the holes......

 

[armoredman]

Thanks, no drill press, don't even have an electric drill right now, but that sounds like a good idea. I use Lee dies, and the .356 125 grain RN single lube groove is the one I am experimenting with now, good mold.

 

[ranger335v]

I do some machine shop work and the Forster type hollow pointer is easy to make so I made myself one to play with. Guess I'm glad I did but mostly what I learned is that hollow pointing cast bullets is basically useless. A casting alloy soft enough to expand can't be driven fast, an alloy hard enough for a hot load won't expand.

 

[USSR]

Using clip-on wheel weight lead as your only lead source, no matter how much tin you add to it, will give you hollowpoints that fracture, not mushroom. Been there and got's the T-shirt. It's the antimony in it that reduces the malleability of the alloy. You've got to reduce the antimony to 1.5% or less and boost the amount of tin up at the same time.

Don