Ballistic Tip Removal

cinosbus

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Nov 5, 2008
175
0
48
St. Charles, MO
I've been trying to find a way to seat bullets closer to the rifling in my .308 Remington 700 5R, since the poly tipped hunting bullets I've tried do not shoot as well as the match bullets and the biggest difference I can find in the bullets is that the hunting bullets have longer noses due to the poly tip, and secant ogives, resulting in a longer "jump" to the rifling when seated to mag length.

The bullet I *want* to use is the 180gr Nosler Accubond. But the jump to the rifling when loaded to max OAL that will fit in the magazine is about .170" That's a lot.

The length of the poly tip is, ironically, .170". So you can guess what I was thinking.

I grabbed the tip with pliers and tried to pull it off/out. No go. It just smashes. Then I decided to try to cut it off with a box cutter. THAT WORKED! And was easy to make "even" on the tip. Some rubbing on a piece of sand paper laying flat on the table made it nice and even with the jacket.

A meplat trimmer from Sinclair *might* be in my future, depending on how this works out.

Now I can load right up to the rifling if I want.

My only question is what will the effect be on BC by increasing the surface area of the tip from .045" to a meplat of .145"? My SWAG is that it will reduce BC by about .050 from looking at similar bullet designs. So BC will likely drop from "about .500" to "about .450"

I strongly suspect the on-game performance will be the same, or more likely better.
 
Re: Ballistic Tip Removal

Have you tried an Amax? They're a match grade bullet and an excellent hunting bullet.

Also, if the balllistic tip in those annoys you, I have had them fall out when I used an impact puller to pull a few rounds, they're not held in very tightly.
 
Re: Ballistic Tip Removal

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: tgm1175</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What about a barnes TSX (non-tipped version)? </div></div>

They are about like the SMK in nose profile, but I'm trying to avoid all copper bullets. I may try these as a last resort.
 
Re: Ballistic Tip Removal

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RL15</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What are you trying to do? Find a cheaper bullet for matches,
or create the 1/4 moa huntig round?
If you can get 1 moa with mag length ammo, you will kill game.
</div></div>

Just re-invent the wheel.

I'd like a hunting round that doesn't cost what the TSX do, but is bonded and shoots well (under .75moa would make me happy) , preferrably with a decent BC = more than .450, prefer .475ish - which is "close enough" to my 175SMK.
 
Re: Ballistic Tip Removal

I've NEVER had a problem getting the 180 grain accubonds to shoot well under 1" groups at 100 yards when jumping into the lands. I shoot them in my .300 win mags and my .300 WSM. Have you worked very hard on your load? I kind of wonder if you've played that much with your load or not because I've never had problems loading 180 grain accubonds to magazine length and get them to shoot.
 
Re: Ballistic Tip Removal

Magazine length is generally much longer, and the SAAMI throat is much shorter, in both .300 magnums than it is for the .308 Win. I am jumping .170" - almost 3/16" of an inch. That's a lot.