This may be silly

[tiger955]

Just curious... I usually carry a 357 or 44 revolver when fooling around in the hills/ desert but have recently renewed by affair with my P89 and am carrying it at times. I remember many decades ago when most 22 ammo was solids and we used to make our own hollowpoints.
So, has anyone tried to make a cheap plinking/ varmint hollowpoint out of plated roundnose bullets. I load a lot of X-treme plated bullets for practice and plinking and was thinking of trying to punch or drill a small hollow point for coyotes or other vermin I may stumble across. I have seen a tool advertised to do something like this to 22 bullets. Any thoughts on effectiveness of this bullet? Much chance of lead copper separation in flight or worse, in the barrel? (Gee, I must be bored today, I better go shooting or something). :roll:

 

[Pal Val]

There's a guy named Paco who makes the tool for that. I wish I could remember the link.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Why try and re-invent the wheel? Rainier makes 9mm copper plated hollow point bullets in 115gr, 124gr, and 147gr.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=1050170487

...Jimbo

 

[WAYNO]

There's a guy named Paco who makes the tool for that. I wish I could remember the link.

Paco Kelly makes the tool for rimfire ammo.

http://www.leverguns.com/store/acurizer.htm

In the old days, ball ammo was made into a soft point by grinding the tip off of ball ammo. I don't recommend it, but the old-timers did it. Also, when modifying a bullet thusly, concentricity could be destroyed easily, making a very inaccurate bullet.

I also have a hollow-point tool for making hollow-points out of loaded .38/.357 lead-bullet ammo. This was gifted to me by NVBirdman.

I also agree...If you're reloading, I'd just buy the bullets with the hollow-point built-in.



WAYNO.

 

[Donaldjr1969]

Why try and re-invent the wheel? Rainier makes 9mm copper plated hollow point bullets in 115gr, 124gr, and 147gr.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=1050170487

...Jimbo

I agree, Jimbo.

For the OP wanting to do the same with the 44, Rainier also makes a 240g plated HP bullet.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=1050281382

 

[tiger955]

Right WAYNO, that is the tool I was thinking of. Back in the day we used a hammer and a center punch, lucky not to lose a couple fingers!
In my 44 I usually carry 3 rounds of XTP 240's at full power and a couple 300gr hardcast flat points. 357 is usually a couple wadcutters and XTP's or Silvertips. I don't do much plinking with these when I am carrying.
The reason I was wondering about the 9mm was I carry Golden Sabre's for SD but load and shoot a lot of plated bullets for practice. I don't really want to spend the $$$ for premium bullets for plinking the occasional varmint. If I am going to do that I may as well carry the 357. A 148 gr. wadcutter at 1200ish fps will knock the stuffing out of anything smaller than a bear or a cougar.
In the revolvers I can load different loads in different chambers and just rotate the cylinder to change loads. With the auto, I have to change mags and jack the chambered round out, probably into the dirt.
I was just wondering if anyone has tried "hollowpointing" a plated bullet and how well it worked. Probably a silly idea as my post title says. I have a couple nice packin revolvers I should probably stick with.

 

[mattsbox99]

Plated bullets have very thin jackets. Stick with premium cast bullets or premium jacketed bullets like the XTP for woods work. No need to risk your life for a few pennies savings.

My .357s are loaded up with 185 grain Beartooth WFNGC and .44s are loaded with 290 grain Beartooth WFNGC or 240 grain Hornady XTPs.

 

[WESHOOT2]

If interested in 9mm projectiles I can recommend the Rainier HEX HPs, the 115g and 124g, as explosive on small(er) critters; NOT appropriate for larger animals.

 

[tiger955]

I believe I will stick with the advice you fellas have offered and keep the plated bullets for practice and stick with Golden Sabres for SD in the 9mm. I have a 4 5/8's SBH which is great for packin' and a couple 357's, no need for anything else in the desert hills eh?

 

[Flash]

Lee Precision makes a hand case trimming tool that uses a base which holds the case tightly. It can be held in the vise of a small drill press and hollow point rounds can be pumped out from cast, plated and jacketed bullets. The bases are caliber specific and inexpensive.

 

[bennettfam]

Thought you fellas just loaded slugs upside-down when you were too cheap to buy hollowpoints. :mrgreen:

 

[George Tucker]

I have made a few tools like Paco does, a 22lr bullet with the nose filed flat, kills way better than a round nose, been there and done that, George.