Anyone know if you can take a RCBS case trimmer and replace the cutter with a drill bit and use the trimmer to hollow point loaded rounds with cast lead bullets?

quote:

Originally posted by df06:
Anyone know if you can take a RCBS case trimmer and replace the cutter with a drill bit and use the trimmer to hollow point loaded rounds with cast lead bullets?

I think that the drill bit would have to have the same size shank as the pilot because the collet is sized for that.

There is a lot more to good hollow points then just drilling a hole in the bullet.

Unless using close to pure lead I don't think you well gain much expansion if any.

I did it in the past with so so results I do not bother any more.

It would better to use a WFN design.

At one time there was a tool for just that but for pistol bullets...saw one somewhere not too long ago...on line "somewhere"...I'm on dialup so can't help with any searching...too slow.

AHHHH....FOUND IT....FORESTER UNIVERSAL HOLLOW POINTER...DO A SEARCH FOR "HOLLOW POINT JIG" LOTSA OF "STUFF" ONLINE.

I do go along with P dog...I've tried the same thing not long ago(and still trying)but for drilling a hole and installing Cutting Edge plastic tips to increase the BC of my cast lead WFN slugs...I wasn't looking for the bullets to "open up" much at all and they DIDN'T as the velo dropped off...but still a 375-50 cal slug is pretty big anyway...WITHOUT...any additional upsetting.

So far out to about 50 yds they work...occasionally...accuracy was atrocious and needed over 1800 fs to even start to open slightly...but keeping the bullet center of balance with my loosey goosey lathe has proved difficult. I finally bought a 5C collet holder which might help.

As P dog intimates...there are many variables surrounding hollow points such as velocity, bullet construction and hardness, type of tip, size of hole many other factors, that all influence whether or not a hole in the bullet nose will actually help or hinder...it has been thought of and worked on for at least 50 years that I know of and we're just now finding out just what is required and what works...most of the time.

You might do some 'net crawling...I see no reason why something similar cant' be made, but, I think the cost of a machinist making something that will actually work MIGHT be prohibitively expensive, but you never know...CNC and all that...it might just be the right time and the right place to make your million on Ebay.

Good Hunting

A small lathe is a better platform to do anything with cast bullets. I chanced upon a good thing when thinking about how I could put a shoulder on plain based 404 cast bullets for gas checks. I replaced the handle on my RCBS pullet puller die with a bolt and welded a suitable socket on the end of a long handle to access the bolt head from the rear of a small lathe centre. With the puller die held in the three jaw it is relatively quick to chuck a cast bullet in the collet (44 cal collet works for 404J bullets) tighten up collet and then run a shoulder on the bullet base. The bullets 'bottom out' in the collet so the turret only moves one direction to make the shoulder.

By reversing the bullets in the collet you can hollow point too.

I can do about a 100 gas check shoulders an hour. Why I never got a gas check mould when I ordered from Richard Hoch all those years ago I shall never know

Here's the bullet puller setup.

I'd suggest instead of a regular drill bit,
That you get center drills and lightly chamfer the edges. Much like Saeed makes with his CNC lathe using ground rods for material.

Eagle: That's slick!
George

Bullet aerodynamics and stability are affected by very minor factors.

How can you be sure of centering the drill exactly? I mean exactly with precision. A few thou off centre will not do. Most case trimmers are not that precise. It could work if you use the neck turning models.

What about tool marks inside the hollow affected by resistance to atmosphere when bullet is in flight?

If you plan using it on game, then a whole range of other issue come up.

You're right of course, Naki...BUT/AND a whole lot depends on velocity, bullet size, cast or jacketed, how you hold your mouth, your glasses and so on...besides the only way to know for sure is to do it and see the results...FOR THAT PARTICULAR SET OF PARAMETERS ONLY...a slight change in any one of these myriad of parameters might just prove something much better...you just have to doit.

Good Hunting

One thing is certain though; the inside finish of a hollow point is irrelevant. Air does not flow through that cavity. Early in the conical bullet design days, there was a completely hollow bullet, theoretically allowing air to flow through it and improve ballistics. It failed because the air flow went around it, not through it.

As testament to the quality of the RCBS bullet puller die shown in my post above it runs perfectly true in a 3 jaw chuck so the gas check shoulders I turn are absolutely concentric. These bullets shoot very accurately. I am getting some cast up again soon so will try hollow pointing, using centre drills as George has suggested. I have a pottle of 6mm white plastic pellets for airsoft guns so could hollow point the right size and depth to take a pellet in the hollow point.

Plastic point cast now that would look kind of cool even it it doesn't make any difference to expansion.

Sounds like some of Herters "bullet improvement" stuff...DP...like his "wasp waist" bullets that increased velo and decreased pressure that I couldn't get to shoot straight.

Fury bullets makes a nice jacketed bullet with a round plastic/nylon/whatever pellet embedded in the nose in .452 and .458 cals...I'm going to try some in my 450 Bushmaster...someday soon???

Shoot, Eagle...that is a TOTALLY cool Idea ...why didn't I think of that...I GODDA try that tomorrow. Spotting drills might work well also, they are short and STIFF...guaranteed not to wander.

Good Nunting

So, Eagle...I copied your setup...BUT...one small problem...my RCBS bullet puller knurled top part is 0.030" BIGGER than the 7/8" threaded part so I'll have to turn it down(or grind it...it's HARDENED) a bit when it stops snowing again and my shop warms up...


Good Hunting

Yesterday...I tried out Eagle27's neat tool, turning down the larger OD to 0.825" and made ONE bullet before the cold sussed me out. Run out was nil, it was easy to set up BUT I did find a couple of things that needed revamping...my lathe head stock is 20" deep so I will need to make/use a LONG wrench for releasing the bolt(might take longer to hut the bolt head than just opening the 3 jaw each time) and I need to make an adjustable jig to hold the bullet nose/base at a uniform depth for insertion into the collet...and setup a carriage stop for the cut length.

I'm still trying to learn how to work IMGUR...YES, I did watch the YO0T00B and tried to download it, but nogo...will keep on trying.

The bullet came out totally cool.

Turned the OD down to 0.497" to the beginning of the grooved section and drilled a 0.250" hole with a spotting drill 0.400" deep.

Went from 475 gr to 400 gr but it did give me 0.300" that much additional cartridge length, which adds up to ~20% more case volume...AND ~160 fs more velocity and 680 more ft lb energy...not too shabby in a 22" 50-90. Kinda looks like one of those Cutting Edge "exploders"...I guarantee this bullet will open up or collapse totally and turn into a buzz bo**...time will tell.

Interesting project to me at least.

Good Hunting