Hunting Washington Forum

Equipment & Gear => Guns and Ammo => Topic started by: Evil_EdwardO on February 10, 2016, 09:01:13 AM

Title: Hollow based bullets
Post by: Evil_EdwardO on February 10, 2016, 09:01:13 AM: What are the advantages/disadvantages of hollow based bullets? Are they made so you can use more powder? Probably will never use them but was curious being a new reloader.
Title: Re: Hollow based bullets
Post by: Bill W on February 10, 2016, 09:21:42 AM: The only hollow based bullets I know about for smokeless powders are for handgun target shooting. Those are usually of softer lead and do best when shot at lower velocities in the 700-800 fps range.

Now should you choose to scream them out as fast as you can you may notice a lack of rifling in your barrel. It will then take about 3 days of scrubbing to remove the lead sheeting out of the barrel. You may wonder how I know this. And the fast loads with the HB (usually) wadcutters aren't accurate loads.
Title: Re: Hollow based bullets
Post by: theleo on February 10, 2016, 09:32:51 AM: They are meant to cause expansion at the base of the bullet to generate better contact between the bullet and the riffling. For some guns it makes a difference and for others not so much.
Title: Re: Hollow based bullets
Post by: Evil_EdwardO on February 10, 2016, 09:39:05 AM: These are the ones I saw (and others). They are 124g copper plated 9mm.

http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/25372
Title: Re: Hollow based bullets
Post by: CP on February 10, 2016, 09:41:56 AM: Hollow based bullets are designed to improve obturation under lower pressures to increase muzzle velocity.

e.g. a shotgun slug benefits more from a hollow base design than a high pressure rifle would.

Thank you Claude-Étienne Minié.

Read about it here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini%C3%A9_ball
Title: Re: Hollow based bullets
Post by: theleo on February 10, 2016, 12:18:13 PM: Quote from: Evil_EdwardO on February 10, 2016, 09:39:05 AM
These are the ones I saw (and others). They are 124g copper plated 9mm.

http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/25372
Those are meant to work as I mentioned. Expand the base more, obiturate, to make better a netter more consistent contact with the rifling. I'm not sure how well the concept works with plated bullets. It's something normally seen in straight cast lead bullets. Mainly target bullets for pistols, but some big bore rifle bullets as well. If you're 9mm has a little bit of a fat bore they might be worth trying.
Title: Re: Hollow based bullets
Post by: JDHasty on February 10, 2016, 12:29:20 PM: Some Mod 52 Smiths would shoot great w/HBWCs and others preferred a DEWC. So that was a consideration. I used to shoot DEWCs, but I shot next to others who shot HBWCs and the mix was about even. I never knew a revolver that would shoot HBWCs very well at all. For some reason every once in a while a guy would show up with a Combat Masterpiece and a box of DEWC loaded ammo and that combination did not work well at all.

Also the Rock Chuck Bullet Swedge used to be offered with a choice of base punches. One would produce a cupped based bullet and they also offered a flat based punch. Sometimes, actually many times, one configuration was better than the other in a particular rifle.
Title: Re: Hollow based bullets
Post by: Evil_EdwardO on February 10, 2016, 12:38:27 PM: Quote from: CP on February 10, 2016, 09:41:56 AM
Hollow based bullets are designed to improve obturation under lower pressures to increase muzzle velocity.

e.g. a shotgun slug benefits more from a hollow base design than a high pressure rifle would.

Thank you Claude-Étienne Minié.

Read about it here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini%C3%A9_ball

Funny thing, I was just reading about the Minie Balls over the weekend. You think I would of put 2 and 2 together. :bash: