Hollow Point Questions

blujax01 · Jan 11, 2011

Okay it's early in the AM and my coffee has my brain in high gear. I'm getting ready to load my first hollow points (.38 SP) and am looking at the bullet with new eyes.
Thinking about flight dynamics, etc., it seems to me that if I were to fill the hollow point with wax that the bullet would be more aerodynamic, no? On the face of it, a cup in the wind is more stable if the opening is facing away. If I rubbed the point in canning wax thereby filling the hollow and make it blunt, what would the effect be if any?

Oh and my Dillon seating die has inserts for round nose, semi-wad cutters and wadcutters. I use the round nose insert foe hollow points, yes?

Thanks for your patience and knowledge. ~ Alan

ronnie gore · Jan 11, 2011

wax

no need for the wax, i doubt you would notice a difference. as to the seating punch match it up to the bullet nose if the bullet is flat on the end use a flat tip one. if you use the round tip it could deform the hollow point. been loading and casting bullets for 35 years.

Smith357 · Jan 11, 2011

Since the effective range of a 38 is fairly short the advantages of slightly better aerodynamics would be unnoticeable to us average shooters. Yes wax will make the bullet more aerodynamic, but it will keep the bullet from expanding. Since expansion to transfer energy is the whole point of a HP, or is it cavity, you should not attempt to fill the holes with anything. One thing you want to look at is are the bullets you are using rated to expand at .38 velocities, some bullets are made to expand at higher velocities than others.

Just to ease your mind you are not the only one to get the gears going with wild ideas, I once thought about jamming BBs into hollow points.

Ceapea · Jan 11, 2011

I would think that you stand a good chance of ruining the accuracy. If not perfect in wax distribution, density and balance, you are gonna have a mess on your hands. Might even be dangerously inaccurate!
Go to a solid bullet design if that's what you want, leave the hollow points hollow.
As far as the seater goes, are the bullets RNHP's or SWC-HP's? Use the corresponding seater based on that.

Rule3 · Jan 11, 2011

You just re invented the Hornady Critical Defense Bullet
They put some polymer or silicone in the nose of their bullet.

Leave the bullet alone.

As Smith said some bullets like the Speer Short Barrel have a bigger hollow point to open at reduced velocity's.

I am sure there is some validation to the design but in the overall scheme of things, on a 38 Spl I really do not think it matters at a 10 foot or less distance.

max · Jan 11, 2011

Some of the most accurate rifle bullets are hp's and it doesn't seem to be a problem there.

PPC'r · Jan 11, 2011

When shooting at the 50 yard line with my PPC-9 I get much better accuracy with a hollow point than I do with a fmj. I'm no engineer, but I do know what works. Like someone else said, some of the most accurate match ammo for rifles is hollow point. The only reason some of the manufactures stuff the hollow point on a pistol bullet is for reliable feeding. With a revolver it's probably better to start with a big hole in the front of the bullet, for more reliable expansion. At least as far as self defense is concerned. I believe someone once named the .45 acp hollow point "the flying ashtray".

Rule3 · Jan 11, 2011

PPC'r said:
When shooting at the 50 yard line with my PPC-9 I get much better accuracy with a hollow point than I do with a fmj. I'm no engineer, but I do know what works. Like someone else said, some of the most accurate match ammo for rifles is hollow point. The only reason some of the manufactures stuff the hollow point on a pistol bullet is for reliable feeding. With a revolver it's probably better to start with a big hole in the front of the bullet, for more reliable expansion. At least as far as self defense is concerned. I believe someone once named the .45 acp hollow point "the flying ashtray".

Yep, the original Speer HP for 45 auto was the flying ashtray. Still have a box. Then they named them Gold Dots

ken158 · Jan 11, 2011

If wax in the bullet was a good idea, the factory would have done it... Ever think about the mess you will have on a hot day? I dare say you will experience no advantage in accuracy but will screw up any advantage of the original design of the bullet. As far as seating stem - use what best matches with the bullet.

Dragon88 · Jan 11, 2011

The hollow point does a few things, but one of them is shift the overall mass of the projectile to the rear. This increases stability in flight. Leave the bullets alone.

As for the seating stem, it depends. Some round nose seating stems will push the hollow point in, closing it slightly. Some FN or WC seating stems will squish the hollow point if the bullets are soft. Try both stems and find out which one works better for you.

Gun 4 Fun · Jan 11, 2011

Dragon88 said:
The hollow point does a few things, but one of them is shift the overall mass of the projectile to the rear. This increases stability in flight. Leave the bullets alone.

As for the seating stem, it depends. Some round nose seating stems will push the hollow point in, closing it slightly. Some FN or WC seating stems will squish the hollow point if the bullets are soft. Try both stems and find out which one works better for you.

This the correct answer, plain and simple!

A coffee cup facing into the wind would be less stable because it would be weight forward. Place enough mass behind it to make it much heavier than the open end of the cup, and it would be perfectly stable.

I second what he says about the seating stems as well.

Edited to add-
In flight the hollow point fills with air and stays filled with air, and since the bullet is spinning the air pressure remains equal on all sides of the exterior, which doesn't allow any more air to enter the cavity on one side or the other, which would make it start to wobble in flight. The air inside the hollow point is trapped and basically makes it act like a solid in flight. This isn't a scientific explanation, but I think you get the drift of it.

zeke · Jan 11, 2011

If anything, the wax might be a mess. If it stayed in place it would help insure the hollow point expands, and help the hollow point expands at a lower velocity. Silicone works very well for this, and stays in place. Putting a non-compressible fluid (or a substance that acts as a fluid under force) in the hollow point transfers the impact force evenly and directly, while keeping the hollow point from getting "plugged up".

Hollow Point Questions

blujax01

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ronnie gore

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Smith357

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Ceapea

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Rule3

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max

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PPC'r

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Rule3

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ken158

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Dragon88

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Gun 4 Fun

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zeke

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