Thread: Ok you clever buggers...

I'm a cheapskate deep and dyed..and I need some bright ideas.

I have 44 calibre 240gn HRBC coated projectiles Round Nose, flat pointed.

I use them for hunting up to that magic 120m mark..well yeah a little more sometimes but mostly less than that.

While the sheer weight of the projectile and its flat point do a good job dropping things, I'd like to enhance that a little by drilling the nose to make either a cup point or a hollow point if I go a bit deeper.

Photo shows 2 with original FP and 5 with rough as guts approximations of cup points, hand done with my trusty Ryobi drill held in right hand and a loaded cartridge held in a press and in a lightly clamped Lee Factory Crimp Die. This holds the cartridge firmly and presents the nose of the projectile just under the top of the die. I then peer down the die and attempt to locate the drill tip in the center of the flat tip. Yeah. You can see how well that works out. Then on the bench I do a bit of coarse adjustment. I'm guessing these will still be accurate minute-of-dinner plate at 100m but would like to do a bit better than that.

What would be very cool is a bright idea for a jig that would
1. Hold the bullet securely on its own without deforming it
2. Auto centre the drill bit
3. Have an adjustable drill setting

I'm prepared to buy a small bench drill press as a starting point which should give me centering and depth setting capability. And I need one of those tools anyway

But how to hold the bullet?

If I can work with bullets instead of loaded cartridges I can check/verify finished projectile weight.

Any bright ideas? Including or other than a drill press? And no, I don't want to go buy Hornady XTPs thks.

How about a smaller one of these? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy0tRFCI1lE

Originally Posted by Smallfoot

How about a smaller one of these? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy0tRFCI1lE

Yup not bad, could probably make that..know where a toggle like that could be got?

Originally Posted by mimms2

A jig.
Something "Chambered" at one end, with a bore of the right size for your drill running into it concentric from the other end and with enough length to align it.

Anyone with a lathe could knock one out pretty quick.

Yes a jig or clamp. I need to cultivate friends with lathes and skills. Or find something compelling to swap

piece of wood..drill small diameter hole right through,calibre sized hole part way through..projectile will sit in fat hole tightly,insert drill from other end and drill depth required.... I too have done same thing...but committed even greater sacrilege inserted plastic BB bead,zombie puke colour.the first wallaby I shot the other day didnt seem to mind...much....

I managed 1out of four close enough to centre and other 3 not bad...hole punch centre helps a great deal... I held them lightly in vise

Originally Posted by Jhon

Yup not bad, could probably make that..know where a toggle like that could be got?

I've got 'em in from aliexpress before https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32323119744.html

Ok.sounds very interesting. What's a "new length drill". Got a drawing?

What about modifying your case length trimmer and do them when loaded.
Put a short drill bit where the mandrel would go.
I'm thinking of my Redding one

Deadeye Dick’s Shooting Supplies is the agent for Forster products who make a tool just for putting a hollow point in a bullet.

Originally Posted by Driverman

Deadeye Dick’s Shooting Supplies is the agent for Forster products who make a tool just for putting a hollow point in a bullet.

Didn't know that, probably not cheap but good things usually aren't..I'll check it out. Ta

Originally Posted by widerange

What about modifying your case length trimmer and do them when loaded.
Put a short drill bit where the mandrel would go.
I'm thinking of my Redding one

Yes I have a Lyman universal and spent 30 minutes ruminating with it in front of me. The size of the drill bit would require either a chuck to replace the cutter head on the shaft or a stepped drill shank. Then there would need to be a sleeve outside the drill bit at the correct diameter to slip over the bullet onto the brass in order to stabilize the cartridge and hold it centered. The case chuck does not have sufficient locking strength to hold a loaded cartridge centered on its own.

Actually a clever feller would make a chuck to fit these little hand lathes and make them a very useful multi-purpose tool. Hint hint you fellers...

The Lee system has more potential because the brass chuck will lock a cartridge tight. Then a bit of tube to fit over the cartridge with the drill bit centered at the correct drilling depth. Wrap the tube with some tape to give finger purchase on the blunt end.

The cartridge would spin held in the shell holder on drill attachment with drill held in vice. As you would for case length gauging, chamfering, etc. Left hand operates drill with cartridge chucked up, right hand holds drill bit assembly and slides on to the cartridge until drill bit hits projectile nose and completes cut to required pre-set depth.

Possibilities there with precision by touch and feel. Getting the drill bit centered in the tube and set to correct depth would be my challenge.

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

You could try a sizing die with the capping pin removed. Use a drill, the same size as the capper shaft, through the lock nut and do it in the press. A drill the perfect size should give a perfectly aligned hole. A sacrifice nut could be drilled to any size of hole you require. A lock nut set up would be required on the drill shaft to get uniform depth of hole.
The down side would be the mess in your press, and the need for the projectile to be seated in a case.
I have played with this idea and 45 ACP projectiles.

Yes, similar to using Lee FCD but better, more accurate. Like it. I've got an old little cheap Lee SS "C" press I could dedicate.

Originally Posted by Jhon

Didn't know that, probably not cheap but good things usually aren't..I'll check it out. Ta

Update: yup, had a look online, https://www.forsterproducts.com/prod...-pointer-kits/

exactly what's needed, if they made it in more than 1/8 and 1/16 drill bit sizes. And I'd have to trade my Lyman Universal for a Forster, which would be nice I admit but kinda pricy. Fraid I'm headed back to the cheapseats