Tipped .20 cal bullets

[Tommie]

Looking for plastic tipped .20 cal bullets in the 50+ grain weights. Now that Blackhole is no longer doing tipped bullets, are there any other options?

 

[TAJ45]

Don't have any . . . but not surprised at BHole disc them. During the private tour I had of Sierra shortly before they discontinued tours, the aggravation of getting the tips on was mentioned by my guide and an operator.
Their operation had them in a hopper but have no idea of the mechanicals required to get them oriented and installed. The difficulty of that op caught my attention but no chance to explore further.

It just occurred to me what it takes to mfr a mold that produces those tips. Reminds me of a conversation I overheard - two master moldmakers discussing the gang molds, 124 per "shot", of spray can tips...... look at one, think about it...... A lot of journeymen out there w a double ton of knowledge and SKILL.

 

[Tommie]

Don't have any . . . but not surprised at BHole disc them. During the private tour I had of Sierra shortly before they discontinued tours, the aggravation of getting the tips on was mentioned by my guide and an operator.
Their operation had them in a hopper but have no idea of the mechanicals required to get them oriented and installed. The difficulty of that op caught my attention but no chance to explore further.

It just occurred to me what it takes to mfr a mold that produces those tips. Reminds me of a conversation I overheard - two master moldmakers discussing the gang molds, 124 per "shot", of spray can tips...... look at one, think about it...... A lot of journeymen out there w a double ton of knowledge and SKILL.

Interestingly the reason Blackhole dropped the tipped bullets was due to material costs. Blaine told me the plastic injection moulder was charging upwards of 38 cents per tip - and Blaine even owns the dies. He was going to try sourcing the tips somewhere else but I guess he never found a better deal.

 

[TAJ45]

Very interesting......that is ridiculous - I think.
Reason being: Set up time which includes mounting mold in the press, bringing to operating temp, X amount of cycles to verify product which may also in- clude changing temps, cost of plastic granules (called powder). Also, how many pcs per cycle/shot, how many pcs ordered.
I only worked part of an apprenticeship in a factory that mfrd steering wheels, dash pcs, consoles, all by injection molding. The criteria mentioned above are the limit of my knowledge. I understand there could be significant other factors that could contribute to the price.....possibly a more desirable, longer term gig, for openers.

 

[65WSM]

It doesn't make any difference if you only shoot at 100 or 200 yards, but I doubt if any of the plastic tips are actually in place at 500 yards. Hornady found that polycarbonate tips melted enroute to the target and had to search for a higher temperature resistant plastic. Twenty caliber bullets tend to fly faster and are subject to more bore drag to volume ratio, resulting in higher temperatures than other bullets except 17 caliber bullets. I did a study on the 77 gr "Tipped" Match Kings and found that when launched at .22-250 Ackley (Swift) velocities in fast twist barrels, melted by 400 yards. The same bullets do not melt at .224 Valkyrie velocities.

 

[Bocephus]

It doesn't make any difference if you only shoot at 100 or 200 yards, but I doubt if any of the plastic tips are actually in place at 500 yards. Hornady found that polycarbonate tips melted enroute to the target and had to search for a higher temperature resistant plastic. Twenty caliber bullets tend to fly faster and are subject to more bore drag to volume ratio, resulting in higher temperatures than other bullets except 17 caliber bullets. I did a study on the 77 gr "Tipped" Match Kings and found that when launched at .22-250 Ackley (Swift) velocities in fast twist barrels, melted by 400 yards. The same bullets do not melt at .224 Valkyrie velocities.

Really interesting. Certainly not questioning your findings, but that sure raises a lot of questions.
What method(s) did you use?
Can we assume that the BC numbers deteriorate from .435(A-max) to maybe <.4 beyond the 400yd mark?
I’ve used 75gr A-max in an AI and the numbers seem to run pretty true.
Thanks again for the info!

 

[ohiofarmer]

It doesn't make any difference if you only shoot at 100 or 200 yards, but I doubt if any of the plastic tips are actually in place at 500 yards. Hornady found that polycarbonate tips melted enroute to the target and had to search for a higher temperature resistant plastic. Twenty caliber bullets tend to fly faster and are subject to more bore drag to volume ratio, resulting in higher temperatures than other bullets except 17 caliber bullets. I did a study on the 77 gr "Tipped" Match Kings and found that when launched at .22-250 Ackley (Swift) velocities in fast twist barrels, melted by 400 yards. The same bullets do not melt at .224 Valkyrie velocities.

65WSM, what was the melting temp of the TMK's polycarbonate tips? I'd be curious to know that as Blackhole was, and may have been until most recently, using Lexan tips.