Hello To All of Our Clients,

We are having a sale to remove the older versions of our flat point and cup point solids from our stock pile. These are the bullets which we have built our reputation on and have been making the last 8-12 years. These are NOT seconds and I still trust my life with them. We have moved most of our solid designs (ones that are generally used in bolt guns) to a newer style that improves feeding, especially for mass market guns. In addition, they now have a dedicated crimping groove.

This offer is only to AR members and it is a first come, first serve basis. You must call and order, DO NOT order from the website. If you order more than 4 boxes (of any combination), shipping will be free.

Here is the list and prices of what we have available.

Caliber Type Grain SKU Boxes AR Pricing Samp Pack AR Pricing
0.323 CPS 200 323200CPS 1 $60.80
0.366 FPS 286 366286FPS 7 $68.80 1 $34.40
0.366 CPS 286 366286CPS 1 $34.40
0.375 FPS 300 375300FPS 3 $70.40 1 $35.20
0.375 CPS 300 375300CPS 3 $70.40 1 $35.20
0.375 FPS 350 375350FPS 1 $76.80
0.375 CPS 350 375350CPS 1 $76.80
0.416 FPS 370 416370FPS 5 $79.20 1 $39.60
0.416 CPS 370 416370CPS 5 $79.20 1 $39.60
0.416 FPS 400 416400FPS 1 $84.80
0.423 FPS 380 423380FPS 3 $84.00 1 $42.00
0.423 CPS 380 423380CPS 1 $84.00 2 $42.00
0.458 CPS 450 458450CPS 3 $86.40 1 $43.20
0.458 CPS 475 458475CPS 2 $44.40
0.458 CPS 500 458500CPS 3 $92.00 1 $46.00
0.510 FPS 600 510600FPS 1 $101.60 1 $50.80
0.510 CPS 600 510600CPS 1 $51.60

Note that is some calibers we only have boxes and/or sample packs available.

Once these are gone, they will most likely not be made in the old style in these calibers again (I never say never - someone may just have some deep pockets that can convince us otherwise ). Calibers such as the .408, .410, .413, .474 (basically doubles - yes I know there are some 470 capstick guys out there) will still be in the original design.

Remember, we are still making Flat Point Solids and Cup Point Solids but in a new improved feeding design. Please call if you have any questions.

Regards,
John

North Fork Technologies
www.northforkbullets.com
(541) 929-4016

Any photos of your new style bullets?

John,

Is the new design similar to the prototype you had at DSC?

Are there any plans to make the new design bullets for the double rifle calibers?

Well, pictures of the new design would be nice. What percentage of flat meplat is it?

ANd it would be nice if Michael could test it in one of the big bore calibres, .458, .500, or .416.
Is there a Barnes-virus going around?

To Answer The Questions:

1. No photos yet of all the types. We are upgrading the website now.

2. Mike - They are the design we showed at DSC. We have been working on them for two years and have just completed all the testing for all calibers we are converting. As for the .474, no plans, BUT for you, I can as I have the design complete but our testing did not show any advantage due to most users shooting a double. But if more .474 guys really want this, we will do it.

3. 416Tarzan - NO, NO Barnes-virus. We are still a flat point. The hardest thing about this design has been getting the cup point solid correct. We did not want to do one without the other. We do all of our own testing here and it is different from Michael's excellent testing. You and/or Michael are more than welcome to buy some for testing.

Like I said, this has been on-going for two years with many designs tested along with every caliber. We did not take this change lightly but we were listening to all the wants and issues with the original desing.

I will try and get some picture posted of the new design.

Regards,
John
North Fork Technologies
www.northforkbullets.com

Excellent improvement of nose shape,
and I see the new and improved designation of primary crimping location in the photo above.

I bet the new bullet on the left is a lot heavier than the old FPS design on the right.
Different weight class.

In general, does the new design allow a same length, shorter or longer than the old design of same weight?
I would guess it is really close to same length for same weight.

.500-cal 375-grain and 450-grain FPS and CPS on the schedule soon I hope.

I have one rifle I like to load only with copper bullets,
and another I like to feed with brass bullets.

What is that 11 or 12 degree conical? Close to 13 but not quite

I think the new bullet is a 500 gr 458 and the old design a 450 .458.


CORRECTION:

New Bullet is 550 gr .458

Hmmmmmm recommended twist?
Would be interesting to see the damage and penetration with max loads for a 458 Lott with that bullet against a much lighter BBW 13 solid. 2,150 to 2,200 FPS from a 458 Lott with that 550?

Boy, this is discouraging. I just bought a box of 9,3 cup point solids and just finished working up a load in my 9,3 double. I also bought a sample pack of .375 bullets for my flanged .375 and now North Fork is changing the bullets. Every time I get a great bullet for one of my doubles, somebody has to change it so it sill work through a freakin bolt gun.

Hi Dave,

I am sorry for your disappointment, there are plenty of boxes above to guy enough for quite a long time plus you get them at a discount.

Time moves on, and designs improve. As much as we like the double gun shooters, you are in such a minority as compared to bolt guns along with number of rounds fired per year (total), we decided we needed to review the design to help the "Majority" and lessen our customer support with such a radical bullet design.

THIS IS NOT BARNES. THE DESIGN DID NOT MOVE TO A KNOWN WORSE PENETRATION DESIGN. If this design did not meet or exceed the depth and slight line penetration of the original design, it would have never been released. That is why it took us so long to finally release it. These have been tested more than anything we have done in the past. Also this design is 10 years old, no other manufacture of solid except maybe Woodleigh has keep a design that long and we have such more great information, both from our work and Michael's, that it doesn't make sense to keep an "inferior" product alive. This is a problem of us as engineers by training, there is always something better.

I think you will find that the bullet style will not have an effect on your load. We did not find this and this was one of our goals in the design.

Us gun nuts are a weird breed, we want old guns and old ammo, but we like new trucks, cell phones, and faster computers (so we can bitch to the world how it used to be when we was young and did not have internet). I guess all of us at AR should go back to driving Model Ts and having a switch board operator. Hell, I have even taken up writing letters again (trying to help out USPS) . All jokes aside, just know we did not taken this change lightly or on a whim.

Regards,
John

I'm impressed with the new nose shape in Michael's picture. It is a true flat-nose.
that and somelightweight versions that RIP mentions will fill out the arsenal.

Innovation and technology was always in vogue even back in the glory days of hunting constantly adopting what was better. Not many use cordite and soft lead projectiles these days. I applaud your effort to not knowingly go with an inferior design.

This nose profile is an excellent design, as we all know already. It has everything required of it, radius edges of the meplat, it is a 68% meplat of caliber. It will penetrate deeper than the old design, I guarantee it, don't have to test it to know this. Bearing surface or bands have not changed.

Dave, I was going to tell you just a nose profile change would not make any difference in your double rifles, but then thought better of it, they are doubles, and prone to anything causing an issue. The day I had Sam's 500 Nitro shooting both barrels in the same hole at 25 yards, and he takes it puts it in his hands with the same load and barrels are 4 inches apart did it for me and doubles. Just from one hand to the other? No Thank You never ever! So I suppose that anything on the planet could cause a double to go wacky, even if the wind blew from the South instead of the North?

In any normal firearms system, a nose profile change would make zero difference in anything concerning a real DGR, you know, a Winchester M70!

Had to pick you and the boys a bit, no offense intended! LOL......

This bullet is a huge improvement over the old design, let me tell you why!

First, dropping that meplat size down to 68% will increase depth of penetration by a considerable margin. We all know, optimum is between 65% and 70%, with 67%-68% as good as it gets. It is NOT COMPROMISED by the fact that 65% to 68% feeds and functions in proper DG Bolt Guns. There is NO COMPROMISE OF PERFORMANCE, but quite the opposite, and increase and enhancement of TERMINAL PERFORMANCE. Straight line stability, IS NOT compromised. North Fork bullets are still right with the BBW#13s with barrel strains in double rifles, both of them the best there is in that department, and none other can even approach the low barrel strains that both of these designs can accomplish, no compromise or change there.

The Nose profile is superior in other ways. The new nose profile will react to velocity better than the old profile. In all the test work done here, this sort of nose profile performed better as velocity increased, more so than the old nose profile, and even more than the barnes flat nose profile. All reacted positive to increased velocity, but this nose profile will give more bang for the buck if you add velocity. Not to say it is not as good at low velocity, because it is, it will just react better than normal to added velocity.

The bullet was designed for Terminal Performance first and foremost--its a secondary benefit that it does in fact feed and function better in various bolt guns.

There is no down side to this design. If there was, you would not be seeing it. I for one applaud North Fork for making this change, they needed it badly!

John, you know now that .500 caliber is growing by the day! .500 caliber rifles and cartridges are going to exceed .510 considerably, if they have not already done so, it is for sure headed in that direction! We want to make sure that the .500 caliber bullets already in place and designed get the new nose profile. In particular the Solids. For my part, I don't see a need to change the CPS--.500s are Expanding Cup Points! But the solids, require that new nose profile please. You can count on me for 250 of each New Profile FPS--450s for the larger cartridges, 375s for the Super Shorts.

Michael

NF, is this now the third gen of Norht Fork solids?

1st gen
2nd more bands
3rd new nose profile

Keith

North Fork John:
If Doc M aka michael458 is ordering 250 each of the .500-caliber 375-grain and 450-grain New-FPS,
I'll match that order.
And please do tell:
For same caliber and weight, is the new Gen-III FPS a hair shorter or a hair longer than the old Gen-II FPS?



Keith,
Believe you are right about this being the third generation of North Fork solids.

Generation I FPS:
Mike Brady started out with the ogived flat point solid, similar to the old "Barnes Banded"
solid,
but with the better copper drive bands of North Fork.

Gen. II:
He switched to the truncated cone flat point solid that is giving way now,
to the better design.
Gen-II North Fork FPS is similar to the GSC FN solid.
How long before GSC improves that one?

I bought out Mike Brady's remaining stock of .458-cal/450gr Ogived-FPS at a great price.
They are still a great bullet, and so are the latest discontinued design:

Generation III FPS and CPS:

Yep, just keeps getting better.
Latest solid will indeed be a better feeder in bolt guns.
But does it not also shift the center of gravity slightly forward? And that improves stability and penetration.

Hi Rip and HK,

Yes, these are the 3rd overall generatino of solids. Mikes originals were very much like the Barnes. Actually, it was a blend of Barnes and Micheal's #13 with the band design. They did not last very long with Mike and were long discontinued when we took over the company, but we do have a couple for our history wall. Actually the wall is more of what not to do.

We will be having the large bar in the machines this week. Rip and Mike, please call the shop (541) 929-4016 to place an order and we will start the cutting.

RIP - it depends on the caliber. .366/.375/.416 is slighly longer, .423 on up it is slightly shorter. The length has not changed our loadings though as more of the bullet is beyond the mouth of the brass.

Just to let everyone know, they are still bore riders.

Regards,
John
North Fork Technologies
www.northforkbullets.com

p.s. THANKS Michael for posting pictures!

quote:

Originally posted by North Fork:
Hi Rip and HK,

Yes, these are the 3rd overall generatino of solids. Mikes originals were very much like the Barnes. Actually, it was a blend of Barnes and Micheal's #13 with the band design. They did not last very long with Mike and were long discontinued when we took over the company, but we do have a couple for our history wall. Actually the wall is more of what not to do.

We will be having the large bar in the machines this week. Rip and Mike, please call the shop (541) 929-4016 to place an order and we will start the cutting.

RIP - it depends on the caliber. .366/.375/.416 is slighly longer, .423 on up it is slightly shorter. The length has not changed our loadings though as more of the bullet is beyond the mouth of the brass.

Just to let everyone know, they are still bore riders.

Regards,
John
North Fork Technologies
www.northforkbullets.com

p.s. THANKS Michael for posting pictures!

Thanks, John.
I called and D.C. took my order.
Shorter bullet for same caliber and weight in .423-cal and up,
and CG more forward, even if only ever-so-slightly,
and better feeding for all FPS and CPS: That is a very good thing.

quote:

How long before GSC improves that one?

That depends upon one's definition of 'improve'. If it means change for the sake of change, it is not going to happen. If it carries the correct definition, the answer is still that it is not going to happen. I do not see anything that suggests an improvement yet.

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:

quote:

Originally posted by North Fork:
Hi Rip and HK,

Yes, these are the 3rd overall generatino of solids. Mikes originals were very much like the Barnes. Actually, it was a blend of Barnes and Micheal's #13 with the band design. They did not last very long with Mike and were long discontinued when we took over the company, but we do have a couple for our history wall. Actually the wall is more of what not to do.

We will be having the large bar in the machines this week. Rip and Mike, please call the shop (541) 929-4016 to place an order and we will start the cutting.

RIP - it depends on the caliber. .366/.375/.416 is slighly longer, .423 on up it is slightly shorter. The length has not changed our loadings though as more of the bullet is beyond the mouth of the brass.

Just to let everyone know, they are still bore riders.

Regards,
John
North Fork Technologies
www.northforkbullets.com

p.s. THANKS Michael for posting pictures!

Thanks, John.
I called and D.C. took my order.
Shorter bullet for same caliber and weight in .423-cal and up,
and CG more forward, even if only ever-so-slightly,
and better feeding for all FPS and CPS: That is a very good thing.

Heading out in a few days and did my final run through with the .423 380 grain North Forks, New Solid design and Softs. At a nominal 2400 fps, I am getting one bit hole at 50 yds using both bullets.

Feed, Function, Accuracy, all good to go...

quote:

Originally posted by Gerard:

quote:

How long before GSC improves that one?

That depends upon one's definition of 'improve'. If it means change for the sake of change, it is not going to happen. If it carries the correct definition, the answer is still that it is not going to happen. I do not see anything that suggests an improvement yet.

Gerard,
Making the same weight solid shorter in length and at the same time moving the CG slightly more forward:
That improves stability of the bullet.
And at the same time improving the feeding ease of the bullet in a magazine rifle:
Win win.

quote:

Originally posted by michael458:
Now lets take a look at the 450 North Fork in the 50 B&M.

Again, with the 1st prototype .500s, with the 71% meplat. Feed and function, even in the Winchesters, at 71% was troublesome. Penetration and performance, good.




Dropping the meplat size down to 68% was a success, in both 100% feed and function, and a marginal increase in depth of penetration. All as it should have been, and expected.




Now enter the 450 North Fork FPS, New Nose Profile, and yet again an increase in performance, and feed and function 100% perfect.



Last time I tested the 500 gr BBW#13 it drove to 63 inches in the 50 B&M. For all basic purposes the New North Fork FPS is it's equal.

Michael

quote:

Originally posted by michael458:
While I can find the test work done with the first prototype 450 North Fork at 71%, I come up short on the test at 68% meplat. Evidently I missed that for whatever reason.



We did not see as dramatic a difference as we do at the lower velocities of the other smaller cartridges, and it might be possible we are reaching the upper end of performance with these type bullets at these velocities. There is massive trauma inflicted up front because of this velocity as well, it MAY very well be much of that transfer of trauma up front, might shorten depth of penetration by some margin. I do not know this as fact, only theory. But, all along the way here in these three tests we see the margins tighten as velocity increases, so it's possible. In all honesty, I really don't care one way or the other, performance is incredible and far beyond adequate for anything one would embark upon. I can also say that I believe very strongly in the hitting ability of this bullet, and the BBW#13, at higher velocity, and trauma inflicted up front. Without any doubt, I have seen this in buffalo and elephant at higher velocity impacts.





North Forks new Nose Profile, in my opinion, is a tremendous leap forward for North Fork. These bullets prove a significant gain in terminal performance, and feed and function across the board in calibers. It is my understanding that the 68% meplat is now standard across the board, this will make a big difference in all bolt guns, new nose profile also feeds and functions better as well. Performance, no doubt about it, the terminals are there, performance has increased significantly in both depth of penetration and straight line penetration as well. Many times at the end of penetration with the old nose profile it would start to loose stability, not much, the last couple of inches and only sometimes, not all the time. In the case of the 50 B&M and the 50 B&M Super Short, everything was 100% dead straight. In the case of the 500 MDM maybe it started to get loose in the very last 1 inch of penetration, which is common in most all solid bullets, and even the BBW#13. But of absolutely no consequence.

North Fork, You have been extremely successful in this endeavor, I lift my hat to you!

Michael

Watching for the new North Forks at home.
300-yard trajectory will not be necessary, but might be interesting.

Hello Ron,
Here is what I see.

1. This applies to NF as the testing was done with NF. The testing does not apply to GSC, that requires testing with GSC.
2. Improving the stability factor by 0.1 or so, on a bullet that already has a stability factor that is off the charts, cannot be demonstrated with the test method employed. It has no application in flight and, terminally, the difference is statistically insignificant.
3. Feeding of the NF was improved without changing to a nose profile like the BBW#13
4. NF went from a 71% meplat to a 68% meplat and, terminally, nothing changed. That is expected.
5. In both cases the new nose profile impacted at higher speed and gave deeper penetration. In paper, that is expected.

So, GSC FN bullets will remain as they are and have been for the last decade. When one fails, we will establish why and act on it.