Got an ammunition question

[JTHunter]

Has anybody done modification to factory ammo to see what happens?

I'm specifically interested in finding out if someone has tried this: making the hollowpoint cavity of a rifle bullet deeper. The opening would stay the same diameter (within 0.01") but the depth of the cavity would be 2-3 times deeper. And, while the change would be minimal, the bullet would lose a little weight and travel slightly faster with this mod.

Would this cause the bullet to:
1 - disintegrate in flight;
2 - almost explode after entering ballistic gelatin (or flesh);
3 - mushroom more and faster than an unmodded bullet; or
4 - almost no difference?

Has anybody ever tried this?

[l921428x]

Nosler, Remington, Speer, Hornady, Sierra, Norma, Federal...........
not trying to be an asshole tonight, but i stayed in a holiday inn.
I am sure, unless the concept is very, very radical, most of these thoughts are on the table or have been eliminated.

[cevulirn]

Are you trying to say... Modify 'hollow point' 7.63x39? with that tiny little hole at the end?

[El Laton Caliente]

I knew a bullet caster that did this with .38 spl. He took a semi wadcutter shape and had a hollow point 2/3rds the way to the base. The point was to get full expansion out of a snub nose. His problem was soft lead just came apart and hard lead didn't expand. It took him numourous trys to get the hardness of the lead correct, but the finished product would expand to 3/4" with a (IIRC) 5 grain bullseye charge out of a 1 3/4" or 2" barrel...

[JTHunter]

Are you trying to say... Modify 'hollow point' 7.63x39? with that tiny little hole at the end?

Specifically, yes. A 5/64th drill bit just fits and I drilled the lead out so the bit goes 2-3x deeper but I don't have any ballistic gel and i was wondering if anybody had ever tried anything like this.

El Laton - I've done something similar with some .38 Spec. too. I drilled the holes on SJHP's to be a little larger then put a steel .177 cal "BB" in the tip. To some of those I have also "pie wedges" in the exposed lead tips so there are 4-6 slits in the tops.

[Schuetzenman]

Nope, never tried to do what you ask.

[mriddick]

I've seen lots of FMJ 30-06 rds with a cut tip to expose lead (in an effort to make legal hunting rds), although I was always doubtful it helped much. I'm guessing what you are doing as long as the base is solid is safe enough but only testing will tell you what the results will be.

I've modified and drilled lots of rds over the years, so it can be done, just use safety precautions.

[Silicon Wolverine]

Specifically, yes. A 5/64th drill bit just fits and I drilled the lead out so the bit goes 2-3x deeper but I don't have any ballistic gel and i was wondering if anybody had ever tried anything like this.

El Laton - I've done something similar with some .38 Spec. too. I drilled the holes on SJHP's to be a little larger then put a steel .177 cal "BB" in the tip. To some of those I have also "pie wedges" in the exposed lead tips so there are 4-6 slits in the tops.

i would avoid putting steel BBs in pistol rounds as the ATF considers that illegal manufacture of armor piercing ammunition.

as to your bullet question, ive tried it, and it really doesnt make much of a difference. the bullet expands farther down, but the width doesnt change much because the expansion petals curl inward on themselves. you also have more calving of the bullet core and loss of weight. yes it works, yes it can be done but the results arent going to be anything more than what it was to start wtih if not less.

SW

[JTHunter]

Thanks for the info SW. It was running through the back of my mind that increasing the depth would allow more air to be trapped, possibly causing a more violent expansion or even fragmentation of the round.

[l921428x]

Yesa the old air thingy do dad........ ahh..

ahh...hmmmmm......My mother is dead but she just told me the ridge is over the top of the hill.

[deth502]

i dont know exactly how much time, education, and research money you threw at this idea so far, but i can bet you dollars to doughnuts that it is not even close to 1:1,000th the amount that even the lowest bullet manufacturer has. they make them the way they do for a reason.

the amount of "air" in the bullet has VERY little to do with its performance. unless you are going to mess with the copper hardness, lead hardness, thickness of the lead jacket, ratio of copper to lead, or the specific alloy that the copper is made of, dont expect much change, at best, or you might be creating a very dangerous situation, at worst.