Bullet pointing

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All handloading data posted on Full-Bore UK from 23/2/2021 must reference the published pressure tested data it was sourced from, posts without such verification will be removed.
Any existing data without such a reference should treated as suspect and not used.

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All handloading data posted on Full-Bore UK from 23/2/2021 must reference the published pressure tested data it was sourced from, posts without such verification will be removed.
Any existing data without such a reference should be treated as suspect and not used.

Use reloading information posted here at your own risk. This forum (http://www.full-bore.co.uk) is not responsible for any property damage or personal injury as a consequence of using reloading data posted here, the information is individual members findings and observations only. Always verify the load data and be absolutely sure your firearm can handle the load, especially older ones. If in doubt start low and work your way up.
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Alpha1
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Re: Bullet pointing

#21 Post by Alpha1 »

bradaz11 wrote:so if it's not tapered, what are you doing to the tip of the bullet? I thought pointing would require you to put the tip into a taper to get it uniform?
Sorry I thought you were refering to the meplat trimmer.
The pointing tool is a different thing all together I will know better to morrow when I have had a go. Im guessing I will drill a small hole in the centre then cut a taper using a minature carbide cutter.
Or maybe a small carbide burr. I have a few of them.
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Re: Bullet pointing

#22 Post by The Gun Pimp »

OK I know - more fun but why not buy the actual itty bitty carbide pointing thing and just make the holder - you can it it from Hannam's. If you don't get the actual pointing tip spot on you'll ruin your bullets.
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Re: Bullet pointing

#23 Post by Alpha1 »

The Gun Pimp wrote:OK I know - more fun but why not buy the actual itty bitty carbide pointing thing and just make the holder - you can it it from Hannam's. If you don't get the actual pointing tip spot on you'll ruin your bullets.
Because they are roughly £58 each and I don't want to pay that.

WHIDDEN GUNWORKS
PDS POINTING DIE SYSTEM (REQUIRES SLEEVE & INSERT) £245.50
PDS-22 POINTING DIE SLEEVE .22 CAL £57.75
PDS-6 POINTING DIE SLEEVE 6mm £57.75
PDS-25 POINTING DIE SLEEVE .25 CAL £57.75
PDS-6.5 POINTING DIE SLEEVE 6.5mm £57.75
PDS-7 POINTING DIE SLEEVE 7mm £57.75
PDS-30 POINTING DIE SLEEVE .30 CAL £57.75
PDS-338 POINTING DIE SLEEVE .338 CAL £57.75
PDI#0 POINTING DIE INSERT # 0 £57.75
PDI#1 POINTING DIE INSERT # 1 £57.75
PDI#2 POINTING DIE INSERT # 2 £57.75
PDB SHELLHOLDER BASE £20.40
MTK MEPLAT TRIMMER KIT (REQUIRES HOLDER) £45.29
MTH-22 MEPLAT TRIMMER HOLDER .22 CAL £14.95
MTH-6 MEPLAT TRIMMER HOLDER 6mm £14.95
MTH-25 MEPLAT TRIMMER HOLDER .25 CAL £14.95
MTH-6.5 MEPLAT TRIMMER HOLDER 6.5mm £14.95
MTH-7 MEPLAT TRIMMER HOLDER 7mm £14.95
MTH-30 MEPLAT TRIMMER HOLDER .30 CAL £14.95
MTH-338 MEPLAT TRIMMER HOLDER .338 CAL £14.95
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Alpha1
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Re: Bullet pointing

#24 Post by Alpha1 »

Alpha1 wrote:
The Gun Pimp wrote:OK I know - more fun but why not buy the actual itty bitty carbide pointing thing and just make the holder - you can it it from Hannam's. If you don't get the actual pointing tip spot on you'll ruin your bullets.
Because they are roughly £58 each and I don't want to pay that.

WHIDDEN GUNWORKS
PDS POINTING DIE SYSTEM (REQUIRES SLEEVE & INSERT) £245.50
PDS-22 POINTING DIE SLEEVE .22 CAL £57.75
PDS-6 POINTING DIE SLEEVE 6mm £57.75
PDS-25 POINTING DIE SLEEVE .25 CAL £57.75
PDS-6.5 POINTING DIE SLEEVE 6.5mm £57.75
PDS-7 POINTING DIE SLEEVE 7mm £57.75
PDS-30 POINTING DIE SLEEVE .30 CAL £57.75
PDS-338 POINTING DIE SLEEVE .338 CAL £57.75
PDI#0 POINTING DIE INSERT # 0 £57.75
PDI#1 POINTING DIE INSERT # 1 £57.75
PDI#2 POINTING DIE INSERT # 2 £57.75
PDB SHELLHOLDER BASE £20.40
MTK MEPLAT TRIMMER KIT (REQUIRES HOLDER) £45.29
MTH-22 MEPLAT TRIMMER HOLDER .22 CAL £14.95
MTH-6 MEPLAT TRIMMER HOLDER 6mm £14.95
MTH-25 MEPLAT TRIMMER HOLDER .25 CAL £14.95
MTH-6.5 MEPLAT TRIMMER HOLDER 6.5mm £14.95
MTH-7 MEPLAT TRIMMER HOLDER 7mm £14.95
MTH-30 MEPLAT TRIMMER HOLDER .30 CAL £14.95
MTH-338 MEPLAT TRIMMER HOLDER .338 CAL £14.95
I will have a go and point a couple of bullets if it doesn't work I will buy the shooting sheds version.
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Re: Bullet pointing

#25 Post by Ovenpaa »

Alpha1 wrote:
bradaz11 wrote:so if it's not tapered, what are you doing to the tip of the bullet? I thought pointing would require you to put the tip into a taper to get it uniform?
Sorry I thought you were refering to the meplat trimmer.
The pointing tool is a different thing all together I will know better to morrow when I have had a go. Im guessing I will drill a small hole in the centre then cut a taper using a minature carbide cutter.
Or maybe a small carbide burr. I have a few of them.
Not really and no are the simple answers.

I build my tip tooling from 316 stainless steel however I have also built prototype tooling from brass and am still using it many years later so I do wonder if carbide tip tools are necessary.

The hole down the middle serves two functions, firstly it acts as a path for dirt, grease oil and similar to be pushed away from the tip of the bullet when pointing, secondly it acts as a theoretical minimum meplat size. The issue is drilling a small hole through a 25-30mm long piece of 316 stainless can be quite time consuming and drill breakage is an occupational hazard, especially so when you are drilling a 0.4mm/0.017" hole. So what I do is drill through from the back with a 2,5mm drill for a set distance, finish with a 0,4mm drill and then reverse the insert and cut the tipping chamber which in my case is conical form with a slight curve on the walls. This means the cutter is piloted and stops around 2,5mm before the 2,5mm diameter hole from the back.

Yes, I know I can pilot with the 0,4 then cut the chamber then reverse for the 2,5mm however I am using a micro adjust collet system which is clocked to virtually nothing and a tenth of a thou or so will make no difference. Plus I get less breakages this way as I am using shorter drill bits. (I only use Gehring)

My chamber cutters are my design and are solid carbide, however I still have a range of prototype cutters which are just silver steel spoon cutters machined and ground and then hardened in house.

The sleeves are machined from 6082T6 and I drill and ream the main diameter that holds the tip insert and spacer and drill and bore the reduced diameter for the bullet, why bore? Well I batch build the sleeves for either Forster or Redding dies and leave the minor bore piloted so I can then bore to suit whatever the order is for, so 22cal, 7mm, 30cal etc. I normally bore the minor 0,05mm over or a couple of thou for you imperial sorts and find this gives a nice sliding fit for the bullet, I also add a very slight radius to the front edge to aid the alignment of the bullet and prevent potential marking of the bullet jacket.

Everything is done with D6-1 micro adjust collet chuck systems (5C) so I know exactly what my axial and radial runout is. Accuracy wise, the tolerances I work to are exactly the same as I would to chamber a rifle.
/d

Du lytter aldrig til de ord jeg siger. Du ser mig kun for det tøj jeg har paa ...

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Re: Bullet pointing

#26 Post by dodgyrog »

I was always led to believe it's the back end of the bullet that has the most effect on a bullets performance, accuracy wise.
How's YOUR back end?
Purveyor of fine cast boolits.
All round good guy and VERY grumpy old man.
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Re: Bullet pointing

#27 Post by Alpha1 »

I went into the Shed full of good intentions then the phone rang. So I turned two Calligraphy fountain pens in ebonite. WHY. Because I love making them and I get paid for them and they look beautiful when they are polished up.
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Re: Bullet pointing

#28 Post by Alpha1 »

After a couple of hours in my shed, I now have a meplat trimming system that works with my L.E.Wilson trimmer. I can add other calibers to it just need to machine a suitable bullet holder.
I then moved on to machining ebonite for a couple of other projects I had to drill long accurate holes the first attempts did not go well but I got there in the end. It proved to be an expensive exercise I ruined quite a bit of ebonite before I got it right. My shed is actually a brick built building with a concrete floor and low roof it was stifling hot once the machines had been running for a while.
I then turned my attention to the bullet pointing thing having never actually seen a bullet pointing die I struggled to get my head around were to start and by this time I was melting and losing interest.
So I have sold and made money on the bespoke pens I have made to order so I can afford to buy one of the shooting sheds offerings and a mount for the Ruger precision with the profits. So if I decide to go down the bullet pointing route Ill let David at the shed do the work and cross his palm with silver.

Question: If you use a Redding micrometer die does it have to be caliber specific or can you use any caliber die. I have redding micrometer dies I have purchased in the past but all my full-bore reloading stuff tends to be L.E.Wilson the bulk of my jacketed bullet reloading is done using an arbor press. For my milsurp stuff I use a wamadet press. I also have a Lyman crusher single station but I very rarely use it nowadays.
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Re: Bullet pointing

#29 Post by Alpha1 »

dodgyrog wrote:I was always led to believe it's the back end of the bullet that has the most effect on a bullets performance, accuracy wise.
How's YOUR back end?
The same as your back end full of brown stuff. :squirrel:
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