.22LR Hollow-Pointing Dies

[danielinfrang]

Just learned about these.
Seems like a great piece of kit.

Anyone have experience? Good or bad?

Turns your cheap stuff into slightly better stuff: Adjust hollow point size to get the frangibility or expansion characteristics you want, and/or swage your bullets slightly oversized for potentially better accuracy.

Works with normal handloading presses, too.

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[Greenbug]

I have the Neil Waltz die.
The hollow pointer is very impressive with standard velocity lead rounds (1080 fps).
The grouse I shoot with them don't flop around or fly off, they are immediately dead right there.
Tested the ammo before and after hollow pointing on raw potato's and the results were dramatic. With the SV lead bullet the potato would come apart in 3-4 chunks, after hollow pointing, the potato was pretty much mist. Much better energy transfer in my opinion. I will continue to use the hollow pointed standard velocity stuff for small game as it keeps the velocity low enough not to destroy meat, but provides an instant clean kill.

Tested the flat pointer/swage part of it and didn't really notice much improvement for accuracy or energy transfer.

Kinda fun to mess with and test things sometimes...

 

[Twodogs]

Looked at them a lot, Bore Buddy has a nice set but I ended up buying a brick of CCI suppressor max 45 gr segmented ammo for a lot less and for shooting back yard vermin a brick will last a long time.

 

[VinnieBoomBah]

There are a bunch of threads on Rimfirecentral about these, and from what I recall opinions are mixed but appear to be related to the expectations you had going in. If you are looking for something to improve hollow point on game and maybe get a little better / more consistent accuracy I think you will be very happy with getting one, however if you are planning on turning Fed Bulk ammo into Laupa or SK match ammo, I think you will be greatly disappointed

 

[The Heretic]

Tested the flat pointer/swage part of it and didn't really notice much improvement for accuracy or energy transfer.

I think there is a review somewhere on the internet that I read where the tests showed nil results with regards to accuracy?

 

[The Heretic]

There are a bunch of threads on Rimfirecentral about these, and from what I recall opinions are mixed but appear to be related to the expectations you had going in. If you are looking for something to improve hollow point on game and maybe get a little better / more consistent accuracy I think you will be very happy with getting one, however if you are planning on turning Fed Bulk ammo into Laupa or SK match ammo, I think you will be greatly disappointed

The Eley match HP and Federal "Hunter match" ammo I tested both had group sizes about half the size of other .22 LR ammo I use.

 

[Tlock]

I have the Neil Waltz die.
The hollow pointer is very impressive with standard velocity lead rounds (1080 fps).
The grouse I shoot with them don't flop around or fly off, they are immediately dead right there.
Tested the ammo before and after hollow pointing on raw potato's and the results were dramatic. With the SV lead bullet the potato would come apart in 3-4 chunks, after hollow pointing, the potato was pretty much mist. Much better energy transfer in my opinion. I will continue to use the hollow pointed standard velocity stuff for small game as it keeps the velocity low enough not to destroy meat, but provides an instant clean kill.

Tested the flat pointer/swage part of it and didn't really notice much improvement for accuracy or energy transfer.

Kinda fun to mess with and test things sometimes...

I just buy cci sub sonic hollow points.....I dont want my grouse to turn to mist.....

Doesn't matter what you shoot a grouse with, if you head shoot em they will still flop around.

 

[Greenbug]

I just buy cci sub sonic hollow points.....I dont want my grouse to turn to mist.....

Doesn't matter what you shoot a grouse with, if you head shoot em they will still flop around.

The potato's turned to mist, the grouse die instantly without flopping or meat damage. I have used subsonic hp's and they don't have enough umpf to get the job done quickly in my experience.

Not saying everyone should go buy a hollow pointing die for this purpose, but it certainly improves the performance of cheap lead solid point ammo on small game.

 

[Tlock]

The potato's turned to mist, the grouse die instantly without flopping or meat damage. I have used subsonic hp's and they don't have enough umpf to get the job done quickly in my experience.

Not saying everyone should go buy a hollow pointing die for this purpose, but it certainly improves the performance of cheap lead solid point ammo on small game.

I honestly dont think 30fps makes that difference. Ive shot 10s of thousands of animals with the subs, including bears and cougers.

 

[Greenbug]

I honestly dont think 30fps makes that difference. Ive shot 10s of thousands of animals with the subs, including bears and cougers.

View attachment 2268328

I agree, I don't think the velocity makes the difference, the larger hollow point cavity that the hollow pointing die makes is the difference. The hollow pointing die makes the hollow cavity 2-3 times larger than the stock hollow point cavity on most rimfire ammunition.

 

[JustShoot]

I agree, I don't think the velocity makes the difference, the larger hollow point cavity that the hollow pointing die makes is the difference. The hollow pointing die makes the hollow cavity 2-3 times larger than the stock hollow point cavity on most rimfire ammunition.

That.. and how soft the Lead is . I find CCI lead blend is pretty hard in comparison to Aguilla Lead . The Aguilla lead is softer, and Subs are much easier to re-shape/open-up the HP holes to Bigger.
I really prefer to shoot Subs for Big-Hole HP's, but I never used the marketed bullet tip dies . I made a small jig and just use a 60 Deg. center in a small lathe to open-up the HP holes to the desired size I want. and basically Bigger the Hole, it's Bigger the POP .
.

 

[danielinfrang]

I think there is a review somewhere on the internet that I read where the tests showed nil results with regards to accuracy?

good to know

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Fill with priming compound or other to make little explosive bastards.

 

[weimar_police]

I have the Neil Waltz die.
The hollow pointer is very impressive with standard velocity lead rounds (1080 fps).
The grouse I shoot with them don't flop around or fly off, they are immediately dead right there.
Tested the ammo before and after hollow pointing on raw potato's and the results were dramatic. With the SV lead bullet the potato would come apart in 3-4 chunks, after hollow pointing, the potato was pretty much mist. Much better energy transfer in my opinion. I will continue to use the hollow pointed standard velocity stuff for small game as it keeps the velocity low enough not to destroy meat, but provides an instant clean kill.

Tested the flat pointer/swage part of it and didn't really notice much improvement for accuracy or energy transfer.

Kinda fun to mess with and test things sometimes...

interesting, I have lots of lead round cartridges and this might be cool.

 

[dangerranger60]

I have tried both Neil Waltz and Poco Kellys tools. none of the reshaped rounds would feed in a semi auto. neither turned sub par ammo into target rounds. but both made HP ammo that actually expanded. and out of a revolver they stop snakes not just put holes in them. DR

 

[thisguyran]

Anyone looking to get rid of their dies?