any real world experience with Hoover's meplat trimmer and their bullet tipping die and insert out there? looks to be good items for really consistent or better BC for that shot into 4 figures. Perhaps a little spendy?
meplat trim & bullet tipping
- Thread starter hotiron
- Start date
Re: meplat trim & bullet tipping
its been posted here some time back .....the meplat trim will lose you about 1moa at 1000yd on something like a .260 140 series boolit
the tip forming die i got no expierence with....but there ought to be a gain of less comeups/higher BC......but i ain't played the game yet.
its been posted here some time back .....the meplat trim will lose you about 1moa at 1000yd on something like a .260 140 series boolit
the tip forming die i got no expierence with....but there ought to be a gain of less comeups/higher BC......but i ain't played the game yet.
Re: meplat trim & bullet tipping
A LOT of the F-Class shooters I know are pointing their bullets. I have not started doing it all the time yet, but will soon. All the bullets I shot at the World's last year were pointed.
As far as trimming, some do, some don't. I have never trimmed meplats but it would make things more consistent.
A LOT of the F-Class shooters I know are pointing their bullets. I have not started doing it all the time yet, but will soon. All the bullets I shot at the World's last year were pointed.
As far as trimming, some do, some don't. I have never trimmed meplats but it would make things more consistent.
Re: meplat trim & bullet tipping
I heard If you don't point the bullets exactly right. You will hurt the BCs more than help.
I heard If you don't point the bullets exactly right. You will hurt the BCs more than help.
Re: meplat trim & bullet tipping
I point my 7mm 180 bergers with a pointer that I made myself. I don't trim the metplate before or after pointing. I don't sort by length either.
In my 7/300 wsm the pointed bullets are about .5 moa flatter at 500 yds. This let's me use a bc of .690 and matches exbal out to 1200 yds. The biggest difference I noticed was how much it tightened up my groups. I went from 3-4" five shot groups to 2-3" 10 shot groups at 500 yds. Pointing makes the bullets more consistant if nothing else and takes a minimal amount of time.
I point my 7mm 180 bergers with a pointer that I made myself. I don't trim the metplate before or after pointing. I don't sort by length either.
In my 7/300 wsm the pointed bullets are about .5 moa flatter at 500 yds. This let's me use a bc of .690 and matches exbal out to 1200 yds. The biggest difference I noticed was how much it tightened up my groups. I went from 3-4" five shot groups to 2-3" 10 shot groups at 500 yds. Pointing makes the bullets more consistant if nothing else and takes a minimal amount of time.
Re: meplat trim & bullet tipping
FWIW I started the meplat trimming trend years ago. Nonuniform meplats leave the bullet with an uneven air flow over the tip which cause a slight amount of yaw that will not go away or vice versus depending on who your talking to. By trimming you give up about 2% of the BC. I did a test for Sierra measuring BC's I installed their plastic tip from 22 cal. to 338 cal. in Match Kings. Average increase in BC was between 3 and 5%. But just too much work to install the tips. Considering the pure accuracy potential the trimmed bullets shot just as well as the plastic tipped bullets. Now we have several people making secondary point up dies as well as bullet manufacturers doing that as well. I think the 80/20 rules applies here. Take care of 80% of the problem because the other 20% will be expensive and difficult to achieve. I'd recommend trim first then point.
FWIW I started the meplat trimming trend years ago. Nonuniform meplats leave the bullet with an uneven air flow over the tip which cause a slight amount of yaw that will not go away or vice versus depending on who your talking to. By trimming you give up about 2% of the BC. I did a test for Sierra measuring BC's I installed their plastic tip from 22 cal. to 338 cal. in Match Kings. Average increase in BC was between 3 and 5%. But just too much work to install the tips. Considering the pure accuracy potential the trimmed bullets shot just as well as the plastic tipped bullets. Now we have several people making secondary point up dies as well as bullet manufacturers doing that as well. I think the 80/20 rules applies here. Take care of 80% of the problem because the other 20% will be expensive and difficult to achieve. I'd recommend trim first then point.
Re: meplat trim & bullet tipping
If I was going to start doing something like this for my 338 I would rather just pay a little more money and start shooting solids like lehigh. I spend too much time dicken around with my reloads to start doing this as well. I don't shoot br I shoot steel. Regular lapua scenars are morethan enough for me.
If I was going to start doing something like this for my 338 I would rather just pay a little more money and start shooting solids like lehigh. I spend too much time dicken around with my reloads to start doing this as well. I don't shoot br I shoot steel. Regular lapua scenars are morethan enough for me.
Re: meplat trim & bullet tipping
I have also been toying around with this idea but right now cant justify the expense of a bullet pointing die. SP260, how did you make yours? Was it very difficult?
I have also been toying around with this idea but right now cant justify the expense of a bullet pointing die. SP260, how did you make yours? Was it very difficult?
Re: meplat trim & bullet tipping
I metplat trim then re-drill the hollow point opening leaving a thin edge around the HP.
Then sort by weight and OG to base.
For me this has helped reduce group sizes at all ranges 100 to 1000 yds
700P-.308--175 Gn. SMK--2633 FPS
I metplat trim then re-drill the hollow point opening leaving a thin edge around the HP.
Then sort by weight and OG to base.
For me this has helped reduce group sizes at all ranges 100 to 1000 yds
700P-.308--175 Gn. SMK--2633 FPS
Re: meplat trim & bullet tipping
I've seen Whidden's system gain 12 inches at 1000 yards, about a MOA in a F Class purpose built rifle.
I'm not sure how well a cost benefit analysis would work out. They are expensive, and I already spend too much time in the reloading room. Lord knows I don't want to add another step in the process.
But they make a difference. I've seen it, and like Boltripper said, it seems to be about 1MOA at 1K.
I've seen Whidden's system gain 12 inches at 1000 yards, about a MOA in a F Class purpose built rifle.
I'm not sure how well a cost benefit analysis would work out. They are expensive, and I already spend too much time in the reloading room. Lord knows I don't want to add another step in the process.
But they make a difference. I've seen it, and like Boltripper said, it seems to be about 1MOA at 1K.
Re: meplat trim & bullet tipping
Be very careful when using these after market bullet pointing dies. The die supports the bearing area and a very small portion of the ojive which leaves a large portion of the ojive unsupported and can become distorted. We had a customer doing this and it was hard to find at first. Bullets measured good form mid ojive to base and bearing area measured well. How we did find the problem was checking seating depth in a rifle and finding very large seating depth difference between bullets, as much as .070 in this box of bullets. Further research showed the bullets would pucker just in front of the bearing area because too much pointing pressure was being used and the bullet ojive was not supported in the die. True bullet making tip dies support the entire ojive so this can’t happen.
Be very careful when using these after market bullet pointing dies. The die supports the bearing area and a very small portion of the ojive which leaves a large portion of the ojive unsupported and can become distorted. We had a customer doing this and it was hard to find at first. Bullets measured good form mid ojive to base and bearing area measured well. How we did find the problem was checking seating depth in a rifle and finding very large seating depth difference between bullets, as much as .070 in this box of bullets. Further research showed the bullets would pucker just in front of the bearing area because too much pointing pressure was being used and the bullet ojive was not supported in the die. True bullet making tip dies support the entire ojive so this can’t happen.
Re: meplat trim & bullet tipping
WTW I'll bring mine to Big Piney's next shoot so you can see. Basicly took a piece of 7/8-14 all thread and made a sleeve the bullet diameter to support the bullet. Then made a bushing in the shape I wanted the meplate to be. I use a bolt to adjust how much of a point I want to give the bullet. Simple but works very well. I shoot them in my 7 BAT and was shooting them in the money shoot Aug 1 at Big Piney. I can point 100 bullets in about 20 minutes.
My result would be about the same as stated above. 1/2 moa at 500 would be at least 1 moa at 1k.
WTW I'll bring mine to Big Piney's next shoot so you can see. Basicly took a piece of 7/8-14 all thread and made a sleeve the bullet diameter to support the bullet. Then made a bushing in the shape I wanted the meplate to be. I use a bolt to adjust how much of a point I want to give the bullet. Simple but works very well. I shoot them in my 7 BAT and was shooting them in the money shoot Aug 1 at Big Piney. I can point 100 bullets in about 20 minutes.
My result would be about the same as stated above. 1/2 moa at 500 would be at least 1 moa at 1k.
Re: meplat trim & bullet tipping
This is why I use the .30 AMAX 208gr in my 300wm, and AMAXs in 308 and .223 as well. I love SMK in my 308s and 223s but the AMAX is cheaper and flys just as well.
Why wouldnt you go with AMAX? Do they not make bullets in your calibers? I havent looked.
Regards,
MR
This is why I use the .30 AMAX 208gr in my 300wm, and AMAXs in 308 and .223 as well. I love SMK in my 308s and 223s but the AMAX is cheaper and flys just as well.
Why wouldnt you go with AMAX? Do they not make bullets in your calibers? I havent looked.
Regards,
MR
Re: meplat trim & bullet tipping
I am not fit to stand in your shaddow Dave but I agree , it is no good trying to re-point an uneven meplat .
I am not fit to stand in your shaddow Dave but I agree , it is no good trying to re-point an uneven meplat .
