I remember reading about people cutting of the tip of 8mm and 30cals to make them "hunting" SPs, with some degree of success....

I am NOT looking for hunting accuracy, rather, cheap bullets to let me get accustomed to my 500 jeffe. I am going to chuck up some 647grn's M33 or 650 M2, and cut them down, and then post pics... I am wondering how much I can cut off and still have a more or less useful hunk to chunk down range.

I am NOT expecting anything like accuracy... if it hit's a trash can at 50yards, i would be happy, but I am wondering about jacket sep/dangers of shooting whacked off bullets...

I'll let you know what weight I wind up with

anyone shoot cutback fmj's before? Is this stupid?

I bet the cut back bullets will tell me.
jeffe

[ 01-28-2003, 19:22: Message edited by: jeffeosso ]

Just take a big pair of bolt cutters and whack off what you need.

If you don't want to do that it would be fine, use a full case of slow powder. IMR-7828, RL-22, H-870, H-1000, H-4831.

I've heard that you can "squirt" the core out of FMJs if you cut the tip off, leaving the now hollow jacket in the bore (barrel obstruction), but I've never tried it to see if it is true....

Roger,
... i know i can shoot the 650s... as I cut the throat .350 longer to do this... but, I wanted to see if it could get it around 535-570 grains... just to match like for like... It's going to take me awhile to get used to the beast!!

I am worried about squirting... But the bullet shape might help, with it's nasty boattail

I'll cut off some today in my lathe, and see
jeffe

You could go the Harold Johnson route, cut off the ogive, and use the boat tail as the front of the bullet. I believe you end up with a 450 gr bullet.

I hadn't thought about making cheap practice bullets with flat point BMG bullets, but it certainly should work. I've done it with 6.5X55, .308 and 8X57, and never squirted a core. For the life of me, I don't recall what I used as a meplat die, and how I figured what was a reasonable meplat. With the long ogive of the 50 BMG, you ought to be able to take off 100 grs, and still have enough nose to keep the core in place. Also the jacketes on the BMG pills are thick, so I'd be suprised if you spit a core.

Jeffe,

The pressure behind the bullet is equal over the entire rear surface. I have never heard of any "squirt" anywhere. This is one of those urban myths.

I am sending you some of the Dreaded Hawk Exploding Bullets for your inspection. You will find they have a large area on the base devoid of the jacket. If you cut one in half you will be able to see the jacket does not completely encase the core.

[ 01-28-2003, 22:05: Message edited by: Roger Rothschild ]

Interesting... Here's a 650gr bmg cut off and shoved in to the crimp (at 500 grains, btw) next is the side view of the same bullet, ~1.35", then hawk schuler 535 and then hawk RN 535. the pictures about are the base (now nose) of the bmg bullet, the base of it (wide open) the base of the two hawk bullets.

yep, that piece of brass is abused.

I am not certain it's worth the effort, btw. The nose FELL off when I cut through the lead, ZERO bonding. Tip of nose filled with powder, not sand, I think it's something nasty like lead ozide, but I dont know.

jeffe

[ 01-29-2003, 00:46: Message edited by: jeffeosso ]

jeff,pop over to the Hanned site and talk with them I have used their Flatpointer for years now on millitary ball and have had great luck

nevermind www.hanned.com

Dave,
do you have a link to "hanned"?
jeffe

[ 01-29-2003, 01:20: Message edited by: jeffeosso ]

Jeffe - I've shot quite a few "chopped" .30 caliber bullet without a problem so I don't think you will have any either. But it seems to me you could just fire a shot then take a peek thru the bore. If there has been a jacket separation, all or partial, you will see it in there. This would be the absolutely safest way...NO??

Personally I don't think you'll have any problem.

All ball ammo for the 50 BMG has a steel core. The lead disc at the base of the bullet is only there to assist in forming the boat tail.
I guess they would make great solids.

Bob,
These didnt. Copper and lead, at least ~1/2 the way through, and no steel...
go figure?
jeffe

Roger Rothschild is absolutely wrong stating that a lead core cannot be "squirted" out of a bullet, leaving the jacket in the bore so the next shot destroys the gun! It can and has happened to people who have made "softpoints" out of .30 M2 ball bullets. In addition, it has happened to some of the copper tubing type bullets that have bases folded in, leaving a small hole in the base that you can see the lead core through!! It may not be as likely to happen if the bullet is a boattail, but be careful!

[ 01-29-2003, 19:22: Message edited by: eldeguello ]

My granddad did this with 30-40 Krag military ammo for years without a problem. He ground the tip off with a grinding wheel and used them on deer. Accuracy was adequate for this. He was frugal and ammo was non-existent during WWII.
I tried this with Greek surplus 8mm Mauser ammo, but never got the accuracy I was looking for. Got a few groundhogs with them though.

I've taken apart two different kinds of M2 Ball. In both cases they had a copper jacket with a cannelure, a steel core with a groove into which the cannelure could be crimped, and a little bit of swaged lead in the nose that took up all of the space in the nose between the jacket and the steel core. No lead in the back. The copper jacket is just crimped/swaged around the back of the steel core. In both cases the steel core would fall out of a bullet cut in half lengthwise. I've found the cores lying around in the grass at some of the local small rifle ranges (Quail Creek), though now that there are so many flaky people shooting, FMJ and larger calibers are no longer permitted.

The only way that I considered that it would be safe to make a lighter bullet out of my M2 Ball was to take some of the boattail off the back. My bread always lands jelly side down though, so you might do alright.