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Author Topic: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?  (Read 2793 times)

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Offline jasonprox700

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Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« on: February 24, 2011, 02:44:23 PM »
I can pick up a bunch of FMJ's (bullets, not loaded ammo) for my .223 for cheap.  My question is, can I drill the end to convert it over to hollow point?  I'm not really concerned about accuracy, as this will be plinking ammo for my AR's. 

-Has anybody ever done this? 
-How's the accuracy? 
-How's the expansion?

I figured the easiest way would be to load up the ammo and replace the cutter head in my RCBS case trimmer with either a drill bit or some sort of chamfer tool.  I'll be hooking up a drill to the trimmer, so it should go fairly quickly.
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Offline chutesnreloads

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #1 on: February 24, 2011, 03:02:48 PM »
I've never done it but have heard it not a good idea.You just can't do the job with enough precision to have decent accuracy.Expansion will probably be erratic as these bullets weren't meant to expand to begin with.If it just plinking ammo,why bother messing with the bullets at all?
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Offline jasonprox700

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #2 on: February 24, 2011, 03:24:22 PM »
I just wondered.  I figured if I tried it out and had fairly decent accuracy, I might have found cheap prairie dog ammo.
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Offline Grumulkin

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #3 on: February 24, 2011, 03:45:22 PM »
I doubt your FMJ bullets are that accurate to begin with and doubt making hollow points out of them will improve anything.  Furthermore, FMJ bullets will, believe it or not, kill prairie dogs.  If you're really curious about the hollow point thing though, why not try it?
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Offline necchi

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #4 on: February 24, 2011, 03:49:11 PM »
Well the bulk cheap FMJ stuff isn't known for being super accurate to begin with.
Plenty of guy's are out there doggin with Sierra and Hornady soft points, them are purty cheap.

I'd be thinkin more of just filing the end like meplate trimming instead of drillin holes.
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Offline 45-70.gov

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #5 on: February 24, 2011, 04:03:42 PM »
might just load them backwards

is the jacket  open in the back

also....what are the chances of blowing the core out of the jacket
with  it open on both ends???????
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Offline necchi

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2011, 04:07:56 PM »
Quote
also....what are the chances of blowing the core out of the jacket
with  it open on both ends???????

Oh ya, seem's I read somewheres that was a problem. Some of them foriegn made bullets ain't so trust worthy.
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Offline jasonprox700

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2011, 01:41:51 AM »
Quote from: necchi on February 24, 2011, 03:49:11 PM
I'd be thinkin more of just filing the end like meplate trimming instead of drillin holes.

Never really thought about that.  That would be less time and hassle.  I might give that a try.
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Offline shot1

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2011, 04:44:58 AM »
The danger of blowing the core through the jacket of a hollow pointed or filed nose on a open bottom fmj is a REAL TRUE LIFE DANGER. Don't do it. The jacket will stay in the bore and the lead will exit and then the next round fired will blow up your barrel. It all depends on the type and make of the fmj bullet to weather they are accurate or not. I got a BUNCH of 55 gr IMI fmj bullets once that were as accurate as match king sierras out of my AR. They had a very thin jacket and would explode like a HP on impact also. I have killed a number of ground hogs with them.
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Offline SHOOTALL

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #9 on: February 25, 2011, 05:42:02 AM »
Some states had laws that said you could not alter a bullet.
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Offline 45-70.gov

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #10 on: February 25, 2011, 05:58:27 AM »
Quote from: SHOOTALL on February 25, 2011, 05:42:02 AM
Some states had laws that said you could not alter a bullet.

and  if you alter a wheel weight  into a bullet????????


has  any one just loaded these bullets backwards??????
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Offline SHOOTALL

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #11 on: February 25, 2011, 06:11:45 AM »
Its was about duty ammo I think. At one time police officers were issued solid round nose bullets . Some would file them flat others would beat them flat or with flat spots . Some states it was said passed laws to stop this and making hollow point bullets . Who knows . In Va. unless it changed a hunting bullet has to be made with a lead core . There are some odd laws out there so I suggest one check .
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Offline huntducks

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #12 on: February 25, 2011, 06:49:29 AM »
I bought 5,000 55gr win FMJ years ago one of the mail order place had them on sale if I remember they were like $7.00 for 500, I loaded a bunch with plinking in mind for a mini 14 and AR I was surprised I got some 2"-3" groups at a 100 with them and they will kill P-dogs and sage rats no big explosion or flips but a small flop is OK with me for the price ;D

Load them upside down jamed into the lans what kind of pressure are we talking about I don't think so neither does drill or cut sound like a plan but a PIA.
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Offline Savage

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #13 on: February 25, 2011, 07:53:53 AM »
No way would I load a jacketed rifle bullet backwards! I'm betting you'd get a hell of a pressure spike when it hit the rifling. Might even leave the jacket in the bore. Even if the bullet made it out the bore without event, it'd lose velocity quickly due to drag. Forget accuracy beyond a few yards. The FMJs work great for plinking and PDs.
Savage
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Offline cwlongshot

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #14 on: February 25, 2011, 08:36:00 AM »
Quote from: shot1 on February 25, 2011, 04:44:58 AM
The danger of blowing the core through the jacket of a hollow pointed or filed nose on a open bottom fmj is a REAL TRUE LIFE DANGER. Don't do it. The jacket will stay in the bore and the lead will exit and then the next round fired will blow up your barrel.

YES YES YES!!! DO NOT FILE OFF THE TIPS!!!

This will very likey happen!!!!!!

If you want hollow points, go BUY Hollow points!!!!!

CW
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Offline 45-70.gov

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #15 on: February 25, 2011, 11:22:00 AM »
Quote from: Savage on February 25, 2011, 07:53:53 AM
No way would I load a jacketed rifle bullet backwards! I'm betting you'd get a hell of a pressure spike when it hit the rifling. Might even leave the jacket in the bore. Even if the bullet made it out the bore without event, it'd lose velocity quickly due to drag. Forget accuracy beyond a few yards. The FMJs work great for plinking and PDs.
Savage


i have shot my CAST backwards to make  full-wadcutters
they  did fine

that core could leave the jacket but most seem to  wrap around the base
also  the loss of case capasity would need to be taken into account
as  i did with  my cast a few years back

best thing  is to shoot them  the way they were intended
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Offline Lloyd Smale

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #16 on: February 26, 2011, 12:58:07 PM »
back when i was young i started hunting deer with a 30 carbine. We could get ball ammo for 50cents a box back then off a sargent on the afb that probably aquired it in a less then honest way. We drilled hp cavitys in alot of them and they did open up and i did kll deer with them. I think it would be tough though to get a jig precise enough to drill tiny hps in a 223 ball bullet.
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Offline Doug B.

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #17 on: February 28, 2011, 01:55:29 AM »
Quote from: cwlongshot on February 25, 2011, 08:36:00 AM
Quote from: shot1 on February 25, 2011, 04:44:58 AM
The danger of blowing the core through the jacket of a hollow pointed or filed nose on a open bottom fmj is a REAL TRUE LIFE DANGER. Don't do it. The jacket will stay in the bore and the lead will exit and then the next round fired will blow up your barrel.

YES YES YES!!! DO NOT FILE OFF THE TIPS!!!

This will very likely happen!!!!!!

If you want hollow points, go BUY Hollow points!!!!!

CW

CW......I agree!

Doug B.
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Offline calvon

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #18 on: February 28, 2011, 08:37:30 AM »
Now understand I don't advocate doing this, I'm just reporting what happened:

I knew a guy who used a .30-06 to hunt rabbits. For bullets he used military full jacketed bullets loaded backwards. It just didn't kill jackrabbits, it blew them up.
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Offline SHOOTALL

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #19 on: February 28, 2011, 09:03:06 AM »
wild a boat tail flat point  ;D
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Offline 45-70.gov

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #20 on: March 01, 2011, 05:16:04 AM »
Quote from: SHOOTALL on February 28, 2011, 09:03:06 AM
wild a boat tail flat point  ;D

or a boat-tail wad-cutter
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Offline SHOOTALL

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #21 on: March 01, 2011, 08:42:29 AM »
Or spire tail wad cutter  ;)
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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #22 on: March 01, 2011, 08:48:30 AM »
jason.....
it settled....now get with it

load some backwards  and report back..........ASAP
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Offline SHOOTALL

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #23 on: March 01, 2011, 08:57:33 AM »
If ya load HP's backwards will they whisle as they go down range ?
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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #24 on: March 01, 2011, 09:05:51 AM »
NOW SHOOTALL  HAS AN ASIGNMENT
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Offline SHOOTALL

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #25 on: March 01, 2011, 09:16:04 AM »
Naw not me . I saw enough stupid stuff shooting IMHSA . Have ya'll tried super glueing primers to flat point bullets to give extra punch on rams ?
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Offline 45-70.gov

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Re: Making a FMJ into a Hollow Point?
« Reply #26 on: March 01, 2011, 10:49:16 AM »
NO


but we used to cut out the powder on a cap gun cap
then pack the pellets hollow base and shoot backwards

kinda  cool at night on the neighbors brick house   down the road
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