bullet pointing die

[LCazador]

Opinions on best die? I know of Whidden and Accuracy One. Others?

 

[Bill K]

Whidden has of the best products on the market.

 

[LVLAaron]

The whidden die is not spectacular.

Accuracy one..... is a work of art.

 

[quest450]

This /\ /\
I have both

 

[Ccrider]

This /\ /\
I have both

Does one point any better?

 

[LVLAaron]

Yes, Accuracy one.

 

[bozo699]

I don’t have an accuracy one but I do have other products from them and there top notch so I would guess there pointing die would be no different.
I do have a Whidden and a Hoover pointing die, I believe they both did a good job, I want to say I liked the Hoover better but it’s been almost 10!years since I trimmed and tipped bullets with both I believe I used the Whidden on Berger bullets and the Hoover on Sierra and if memory serves the Hoover kept the bullet profile closer than the Whidden did I do remember there was a learning curve to get them just perfect. Sorry this wasn’t exactly what you was looking for as I have to first hand with the accuracy one
Wayne

 

[6BRA]

Hoover is A1.

 

[Fuj]

Like 6BRA said......If you have Accuracy One, you have a Hoover.
I'll point out that the list of punches for Hoover, far exceeds what
Whidden offers.

 

[bozo699]

Hoover is A1.

Did not know that thanks for the info
Wayne

 

[Ned Ludd]

As has been noted, Accuracy One is merely a vendor; the pointing die they sell is made by Hoover, as is the meplat trimmer they sell. I have had both, and I also have the Whidden pointing die. I use the Whidden die. Both have their merits and caveats, both can do a very good job at pointing bullets. In other words, they both work and you won't go wrong with either one. However, it's also important to note that the user also has a pretty substantial amount of input in the final product, regardless of the pointing die they select. For example, length sorting bullets can be of benefit for creating more uniform points. It is also not desirable to overpoint bullets, so determining the optimal pointing die insert and setting for a given bullet/length group is critical.

For someone just starting to point bullets, I would suggest backing the pointing die micrometer off sufficiently that the insert won't even touch the bullet meplat at the bottom of a downstroke with the ram. Leave the ram in the down position, then dial the mic down carefully/incrementally to "touch". From that point, proceed using small increments, maybe .001" or .002", until the desired point has been achieved. I generally try to close the meplat by about 50-75%. It is not necessary to attempt to completely close the meplat and doing so will likely result in a "bulge" in the bullet ogive behind the point. I have always found that when pointing, a very conservative approach works best.

 

[6BRA]

As has been noted, Accuracy One is merely a vendor; the pointing die they sell is made by Hoover, as is the meplat trimmer they sell. I have had both, and I also have the Whidden pointing die. I use the Whidden die. Both have their merits and caveats, both can do a very good job at pointing bullets. In other words, they both work and you won't go wrong with either one. However, it's also important to note that the user also has a pretty substantial amount of input in the final product, regardless of the pointing die they select. For example, length sorting bullets can be of benefit for creating more uniform points. It is also not desirable to overpoint bullets, so determining the optimal pointing die insert and setting for a given bullet/length group is critical.

For someone just starting to point bullets, I would suggest backing the pointing die micrometer off sufficiently that the insert won't even touch the bullet meplat at the bottom of a downstroke with the ram. Leave the ram in the down position, then dial the mic down carefully/incrementally to "touch". From that point, proceed using small increments, maybe .001" or .002", until the desired point has been achieved. I generally try to close the meplat by about 50-75%. It is not necessary to attempt to completely close the meplat and doing so will likely result in a "bulge" in the bullet ogive behind the point. I have always found that when pointing, a very conservative approach works best.

I thought CTK was manufacturing the die for A1. Which is owned by the Hoover's, which are both pretty good shooters from what I have heard. My communication with A1 has always been with Dianne Hoover....at A1.

 

[Bill K]

The whidden die is not spectacular.

Accuracy one..... is a work of art.

Maybe, but John Whidden, I am sure uses his products, and he sure wins a lot of shooting tournaments.

 

[Ned Ludd]

I thought CTK was manufacturing the die for A1. Which is owned by the Hoover's, which are both pretty good shooters from what I have heard. My communication with A1 has always been with Dianne Hoover....at A1.

Bullet Tipping - Accuracy One Shooting Supplies

Accuracy One Shooting Supplies, located in Tyrone, PA, specializes in long range shooting components including benchrest stocks, actions, barrels, scopes, bullet tipping, meplat trimming and reloading supplies. Call us at 814.684.5322.

www.accuracyone.com

Their website states "Hoover" right at the top for both the pointing die and the trimmer. Accuracy One sells products from a variety of manufacturers. As far as I am aware, this die and trimmer have always been made by Hoover or at least were called "Hoover Pointing Dies", but it's really not something I paid close attention to, so there could possibly be some arrangement or relationship between the two companies. If you talk with bullet pointers and use the terms "Hoover" and "Whidden", most will know exactly what dies you're referring to. I had never before heard the Hoover pointing die referred to as an "Accuracy One" pointing die, which is why I had to look it up while reading through this thread. Regardless of who makes them, both of these dies can be made to work well.

 

[F Class John]

I'll just add the A1 is my choice as well. Owned them both and the A1 is my preference if for no other reason than the assortment of punches you can get that are tailored for the bullets. Fit and finish are a step up too I feel. I know people who successfully use the Whidden but going in fresh I'd get the A1.

 

[mgunderson]

Used them both with success. The inserts matter and may influence the decision based on the bullet you shoot. I found the top of the Whidden die to feel loose and a little flexible. The whidden inserts were soft and in the early die I owned.

The hoover feels more solid, but seems to come apart more during use and needs to be checked more often.

Neither is perfect and many shooters are successful with both. I prefer to buy and try tools like this. Been known to rebuy and try it a second time. The best tool might not be the right tool at this point in time. The experiment continues.

 

[6BRA]

Bullet Tipping - Accuracy One Shooting Supplies

Accuracy One Shooting Supplies, located in Tyrone, PA, specializes in long range shooting components including benchrest stocks, actions, barrels, scopes, bullet tipping, meplat trimming and reloading supplies. Call us at 814.684.5322.

www.accuracyone.com

Their website states "Hoover" right at the top for both the pointing die and the trimmer. Accuracy One sells products from a variety of manufacturers. As far as I am aware, this die and trimmer have always been made by Hoover, but it's really not something I paid close attention to, so there could possibly be some arrangement or relationship between the two companies. If you talk with bullet pointers and use the terms "Hoover" and "Whidden", most will know exactly what dies you're referring to. I had never before heard the Hoover pointing die referred to as an "Accuracy One" pointing die, which is why I had to look it up while reading through this thread. Regardless of who makes them, both of these dies can be made to work well.

I guess this is what led me to think that...

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[JFrank]

For those Gents that point bullets, how do you go about testing results and at what distance do you begin to notice the differences ?

 

[Ned Ludd]

For those Gents that point bullets, how do you go about testing results and at what distance do you begin to notice the differences ?

FWIW - I have compared unpointed bullets to length-sorted and pointed bullets otherwise loaded identically numerous times in a 300 yd F-Class match. I do not not trim the meplats prior to pointing. The length-sorted and pointed bullets would routinely require 1/8 to 1/4 MOA less elevation to center the group, demonstrating that the pointing process increases BC slightly, as expected.

The groups fired using the length-sorted and pointed bullets were also routinely smaller than those that were not pointed. However, I cannot rule out that there was some benefit to precision due to the length-sorting process. In my hands, Berger bullets are very consistent in their BTO dimension such that sorting by OAL is almost the same same as sorting by nose length. Thus, sorting bullets by OAL may have improved bullet consistency as well as seating depth consistency and added to any precision benefit realized from the pointing process itself.

Regardless, the pointing process does what it's supposed to do. However, it's important to remember we're talking a fairly small effect here in that a typical increase in BC from pointing might be in the 3-6% range depending in part on the meplat diameter relative to the bullet diameter. So not huge, but not zero, either.

 

[tom]

I have the Hoover/A1, Whidden, and also one from bench source. They all do the same shit, and go about it the same way. The Hoover is the nicest looking piece, and has the most options for different punch profiles. That said, currently my Bench source is set up for 6mm Roy's, and my Whidden is set up for my own 30 cal, and my Hoover is idle.

Tom