old expanding bronze point ammo, point to it?

[drgrenthum]

I am a relative new comer to firearms. I have only been shooting consistently for about 3 years. This year i have decided to try a hog hunt and on the 29th of this month will get my chance on a 1700 acre perserve. Being that i only own an ar and a 10/22 I have decided to borrow a old remington 721 in 30-06 from my wifes uncle.

I purchased some federal 180grain softpoint but the uncle insists that i use some of his ammo up as he believes he has way too much lying around and will never shoot it. So here is my question, about a third of the cartridges have some sort of corrosion on them. I assme i can take some steel wool to them and polish them up and fire them with out issue, is that correct? I figure the cases will just be a little weaker in that area and not be worth reloading, however still safe to use.

Next, why a bronze tip? While I think anything in 30-06 will be more the enough to take down the biggest hog, is there a reason i would use a bronze tip expanding over a soft point or vice versa. Pics attached of the worst of the ammo.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I assme i can take some steel wool to them and polish them up and fire them with out issue, is that correct?

Yep -- they'll clean up nicely.

I figure the cases will just be a little weaker in that area and not be worth reloading, however still safe to use.

Check them after firing -- especially do a check for incipient head separation -- use a straightened paperclip with a bent end and feel inside for a groove around the base of the case. I would bet they'll be fine for reloading.

Next, why a bronze tip? While I think anything in 30-06 will be more the enough to take down the biggest hog, is there a reason i would use a bronze tip expanding over a soft point or vice versa.

Every bullet design is a balancing act between opening up on a light critter at long range, and blowing up on a heavy critter at short range.

The bronze tip (and more modern polymer tips) solve this by using a wedge (that's what the bronze point is) to open up a very tough bullet. The bronze tip is a good-for-everything bullet.

Another advantage is a good ballistic coefficient -- which means the bullet tends to lose less velocity as it goes down range. Pointed soft points "slump" on firing -- the sudden accleration turns them into flat tips, with more drag.

 

[atvalaska]

the broze point was for "big" game to punch in deep.... watch those pitted rounds i have shot some "green ones" and they cracked and put some smoke out thur the bolt end :eek that "721" is what i would like to see as that is what my dad shot for years... the gun is long gone now ...and he left us last dec/2008

 

[hardluk1]

The bronze tipped rounds were a quick expanding round . Very good or deer ,elk most any thin skinned animal . You can still get them from remengton and they did explain the bullet there too.