Anyone make FMJBT's into HPBT's?

[ChrisNZ]

There certainly is some amusing speculation in this thread. This might give some insight into the viability/safety of doing what was suggested.

From the late '40s for about two decades, New Zealand had a -major-problem with feral deer destroying vegetation leading to serious land erosion. The Govt paid professional cullers to control numbers and they shot literally millions. For at least a decade, the shooters largely used ex-mil SMLE .303s with 174gr FMJ mil ammo. These of course pencilled through many deer leading to poor killing power. Many cullers took to filing off the tips of the FMJs and some even drilled them afterwards. The rough guys would just whack a chunk off the tip with side cutters! It was a common and safe way of improving the killing power.

As a kid and before I could afford a commercial hunting rifle, we used .303s on deer. I made a little jig to drill ~1/16" hollow points. It was just a plate with a tapered hole with pilot hole of that size. You'd file ~ 1/8" off the tip then drill the hole. It definitely improved terminal performance. Accuracy wasn't noticeably affected. I thought it was well known that bullets are somewhat tolerant of nose asymmetries but highly intolerant of base asymmetries.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Why would the core temp change enough to liquify by opening the tip?

Same bullet, same spin rate, same velocity. Bonded or not, liquid lead would drain or be pulled out the back due to low pressure or vacuum.

Didnt say it was going to do it because of the point. I said IF the core slips and liquifies itll just fall right out the back. Dont know when or if itll even do it

 

[Charlie-NY]

I had a box of 165gr Accubonds that had tips falling/breaking off as they sat in the box. I called Nosler who advised me that it was an older box, based on the lot number. They were happy to send me a new box and told me to NOT send the bad bullets back.

Just for laughs, I loaded up some of the new bullets and some of the old (pointless) bullets with the same load. I shot the new bullets for group at 200yds. Then I shot a few of the pointless bullets. To my amazement, all of the bullets grouped together.

I assumed that at 200yds there would have been enough distance to see a significant divergence of POI, but that just wasn't the case. I think the poster just needs to give it a try and see for himself what the changes are.

 

[troupe]

I recall when I was a child growing up in W.Va, and while being by my late and great Dad's side, he had altered the military ammo by filing the tips off of the bullets that he had for his Springfield 06 to shoot ground hogs. It was all he had at the time. I do remember him shooting a few whistlepigs and it was devastating on them. Of coarse he was using a 30-06 to shoot groundhogs, it was all he had. I remember that he would screw the fine peep aperture back in for the long shots. Many, many years ago, but fine memories for sure.

 

[Thor357]

Why would you feel the need to lie? Lying is a bad trait.

I wouldn't feel the need to lie but if I had such a "bad trait" I could lie.
And lying is not always a bad trait. Ask the Jews who were in hiding under Christians in WWII when the Nazi's came knocking on the Christians door asking if there were any Jews around. I know, I'm the product of such a case.

 

[Thor357]

Use guys are wasting your time, the OP obviously nose more than all of yu…..

Really? I haven't claimed to know anything regarding this experiment. That's why it's an experiment, to find out the truth, which by the way no one has claimed to have tried in actuality.

 

[mills braswell]

All I know is.... When Dusty speaks, I listen.

 

[Dave M.]

I've read and heard that HPBT's or variations of such are more accurate than FMJBT's. I have a truck load of .308 FMJBT's and a mini-lathe. See where I'm going with this! Any thoughts?

Never heard of it but that doesn’t mean that you couldn’t try it if you have the time and the resources to do so.

 

[wkdickinson]

I wouldn't feel the need to lie but if I had such a "bad trait" I could lie.
And lying is not always a bad trait. Ask the Jews who were in hiding under Christians in WWII when the Nazi's came knocking on the Christians door asking if there were any Jews around. I know, I'm the product of such a case.

WOW, were did that come from??? For a guy who has only been a member of this forum for 6-7 months, proposing a really "off-the-wall" idea, you seem to be hostel. There are a lot people on this forum who really know what they are talking about and you seemed to have discounted them all.

Why be so argumentative, do your testing and then tell us how it worked out. Then you have something to talk about, now its just noise.

 

[PigButtons]

Well, I made 10 rounds of 150gr. Hornady FMJBT's into BTHP's for my .308 BA.
I weighed them before and after and they lost about .2grs. I only drilled in about 0.0475 give or take a thou. Loaded them with Acc. 2460 to 40grs. That's a load that has worked very well for this rifle for many years using these bullets as intended, FMJBT's.
When the opportunity and weather are favorable I'll try them out and provide a report.

Where did everyone who is talking about a hole in the base. Or all the way through the bullet get that from what @Thor357 posted? It would be a mighty short bullet at 0.0475".

 

[dellet]

I might have completely missed it, but I don’t think @Thor357 ever said he hopes to make the FMJ’s more accurate, or even as accurate as a factory HPBT.

I read it as, he hopes to improve the accuracy of what he has, and that was stated quite clearly in post #11.

Honestly about all he did was probably uniform the metplats. Lots of people claim improvement from that. If he got the bit centered properly, and it wasn’t too large of diameter, it has a chance to work.

At least in theory....

 

[Thor357]

I might have completely missed it, but I don’t think @Thor357 ever said he hopes to make the FMJ’s more accurate, or even as accurate as a factory HPBT.

I read it as, he hopes to improve the accuracy of what he has, and that was stated quite clearly in post #11.

Honestly about all he did was probably uniform the metplats. Lots of people claim improvement from that. If he got the bit centered properly, and it wasn’t too large of diameter, it has a chance to work.

At least in theory....

THANK YOU!!! And yes!!! That is exactly ALL I am saying.
And as a matter of clarity, I drilled a 3/16" diameter hole 1/16" deep into 30 62 gr. FMJBT's of .223/5.56's and 30 into 150 gr. FMJBT's .308's.
And I did my best to smooth out the meplats to make them as uniform as I could with what I had (a small flat file). I do not disagree, as some have said, that I very well may have made some perfectly fine bullets into perfectly fine pieces of $%#@ but maybe not, Nobody has provided definitive evidence.

 

[Thor357]

Where did everyone who is talking about a hole in the base. Or all the way through the bullet get that from what @Thor357 posted? It would be a mighty short bullet at 0.0475".

I know, riiight!? Thank you!
Did I imply that I drilled a gaping hole through the bullet? Through the base to the tip? Or vice versa?

 

[Thor357]

WOW, were did that come from??? For a guy who has only been a member of this forum for 6-7 months, proposing a really "off-the-wall" idea, you seem to be hostel. There are a lot people on this forum who really know what they are talking about and you seemed to have discounted them all.

Why be so argumentative, do your testing and then tell us how it worked out. Then you have something to talk about, now its just noise.

WOW, were did that come from??? For a guy who has only been a member of this forum for 6-7 months, proposing a really "off-the-wall" idea, you seem to be hostel. There are a lot people on this forum who really know what they are talking about and you seemed to have discounted them all.

Why be so argumentative, do your testing and then tell us how it worked out. Then you have something to talk about, now its just noise.

Knotwild said:
"Why would you feel the need to lie? Lying is a bad trait".

I'm argumentative/hostile? I'm defending myself against those who claim or imply that I'm (insert word) for conducting this experiment.
And I agree, there are some that do know what they are talking about and I've listened to them and have taken their advice and ideas into consideration but there are some that feel the need to "whiz in my Wheaties" and I won't take that sitting down so I respond in kind. I have a backbone, unlike some folks today. I stand up for myself and I punch back!
The "woke" need not reply!
Let's go Brandon and thank the Lord for Kyle Rittenhouse!!!

 

[mills braswell]

I might have completely missed it, but I don’t think @Thor357 ever said he hopes to make the FMJ’s more accurate, or even as accurate as a factory HPBT.

I read it as, he hopes to improve the accuracy of what he has, and that was stated quite clearly in post #11.

So one sentence you say he didn't hope to make them more accurate, then the next it is to improve the accuracy. Pretty good theory you got going.

 

[mills braswell]

My theory is that even if it does work, it might make a 3/4" group into an 11/16" group, but it will be definitive proof. lmao

 

[Thor357]

So one sentence you say he didn't hope to make them more accurate, then the next it is to improve the accuracy. Pretty good theory you got going.

SHEESH!!!
Again, my goal is to see what will happen. I read somewhere long ago about some folks stating that they believed that OTM's were more accurate than match grade ammo that didn't have an open tip. They hadn't a clue why just a theory. If my memory was better and I could recall where I read this, I'd provide the source. My memory is poor and I cannot provide the source, hence this experiment

 

[Thor357]

My theory is that even if it does work, it might make a 3/4" group into an 11/16" group, but it will be definitive proof. lmao

Ha!
I'm hoping to make a 1.5" group into a 1.4" group!!

 

[mills braswell]

Again, my goal is to see what will happen.

So is mine.

 

[SweaterDood]

Knotwild said:
"Why would you feel the need to lie? Lying is a bad trait".

I'm argumentative/hostile? I'm defending myself against those who claim or imply that I'm (insert word) for conducting this experiment.
And I agree, there are some that do know what they are talking about and I've listened to them and have taken their advice and ideas into consideration but there are some that feel the need to "whiz in my Wheaties" and I won't take that sitting down so I respond in kind. I have a backbone, unlike some folks today. I stand up for myself and I punch back!
The "woke" need not reply!
Let's go Brandon and thank the Lord for Kyle Rittenhouse!!!

Your threads and defense mechanism posts for your them don’t indicate that you have taken any consideration by those much wiser and more knowledgeable on the topics. It’s very clear that you are not well acquainted with many of the veteran forum members and the wisdom given forth, by them. If you were, the combatant attitude would not be present.

Nobody is insulting you, or butthurt by your theories, but the general attitude of the majority of posts conveys an unfounded arrogance at this point. As far as opinions and impressions, the law is guilty until proven otherwise. At this point continue with the experiment... or don’t... your choice, of course. Evidence is be preferred if you do carry on.