Hollow Point PRB

[Bomberman]

OK...it's still winter here in PA, hunting season is out and I'm bored. So I got to thinking: I wonder if anyone ever tried to shoot a PRB drilled to make it a hollow point...from, let's say, a .50 cal using 80 grains of BP. Would it expand to the point of expending all of its energy into a whitetail sized creature? Would it fly accurately if loaded properly? Mind you, this is just the boredom talking and I have not tried it at all but thought it might generate some discussion. Has anyone actually tried this? All theories and comments welcome.

[rhbrink]

I have the same problem better weather is coming.:roll:

[waksupi]

I heard that Fishhawk tried it, and they key holed badly!

[Hanshi]

Soft lead balls already expand nicely in deer and don't need help. A drilled hole in a ball would most likely make it unstable causing it to randomly drift off course.

[I'll Make Mine]

The biggest trick would get getting the hollow aligned centered on the bore; if it's tilted over, you'll have the same kind of problem you get with a sprue that's not loaded perfectly centered: the bullet will tend to turn so the heavy spot (opposite the hollow, or in the sprue) is on the spin equator instead of just off the axis. That, in turn, will make the bullet spin off center and lead to a scatter effect (= poor accuracy).

[longbow]

Unless you have a lathe or make a jig to keep the HP cavity dead center they probably won't work well. Also, it would be AWFULLY hard to load them with the HP dead straight up unless you made a loading "pin" to align the HP with the bore. At that, you would probably need a false muzzle like device to start the ball with the hole in line with the bore.

I have thought about it myself (brain defect) but never done it.

In fact the idea came from my round ball Brenneke like slugs for 12 ga. I wanted to cast balls with a screw hole for wad attachment, rather than drill them, so the hole idea was already there, then the brain starts wandering... where was I?

If you could line the HP cavity up at loading I expect they would shoot accurately but of course shooting would tell the tail. Round ball velocities tend to be quite high so expansion could be pretty dramatic depending on HP size. Probably better for varmint hunting than deer hunting.

Easy enough to make a few and try it. Wet phone books or the Glenn Fryxell expansion test would give you a good idea about expansion. Keep us informed.

Longbow

[gnoahhh]

I should think the big bug-a-bear would be in getting them perfectly centered in the bore, ie: the hollowpoint pointing dead nuts straight up. Tilted to either side a skinch, and the ball would be unstable in flight, no? Perhaps it could be made to work if a false muzzle was used with a tip on the end of the short starter that fits the hollow in the ball- thus centering the 'hollow' in the bore relatively well? Then again, there's nothing much wrong with a soft .50 ball that hits a deer where it's supposed to.

Wouldn't that mean that the sprue would end up on the bottom of the ball too? That wouldn't do much good for accuracy.

It would be interesting to know (if the concentricity of the hollow point in the bore issue is overcome) whether or not the hollow point itself would effect accuracy, and if it would have its expansion enhanced too. All in all not a bad question.

Lots of ideas/innovations came about from guys with the late winter 'shack nasties'!

[gnoahhh]

Ha ha, we were typing at the same time!

[longbow]

Yup, lots of responses in a very short time!

[fouronesix]

Cabin fever!

A near pure lead roundball fired with normal PRB charges and at reasonable hunting ranges of <100 yards expand plenty and will expend most of their energy in WT sized game.

[PTS]

I’ve seen attachments to the ramrod/range rod end that are of various configurations. The idea is that you load a normal prb as usual, then use one of the tips on rod, push down to the ball, and tap with mallet, etc. I remember they came in crosses, x’s, maybe even a punch for making hollow points. Don’t think they ever got popular but it is an interesting idea. I’ll see if I can find info on them.

[Fly]

You know, I thought about making a hollow point from a Lee real bullet.

Fly

[mooman76]

I believe Sam Fadala did try it. He experimented with RBs to see how defects would shoot and I believe it shot worse but don't remember how much. I know for sure he cut RBs and they shot worse and shooting RBs with the Sprue in different places while loading showed very little difference.

[quilbilly]

As the saying goes " If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" The PRB is the most devastating projectile I have ever seen on deer sized game at under 100 yards

[Swamp Man]

I don't know anything about BP guns but is this kind of what your asking about making?http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/spit-fire-t-mz-245-grain-50-caliber-boattail-base-15-rounds.aspx?a=1102833

[Bomberman]

I don't know anything about BP guns but is this kind of what your asking about making?http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/spit-fire-t-mz-245-grain-50-caliber-boattail-base-15-rounds.aspx?a=1102833

No...I was asking about a PRB (Patched Round Ball) drilled and loaded so hollow point pointed out (just like a HP boolit). Actually, the ramrod attachment idea was the best I had heard of and something to look in to. That way it wouldn't matter how the ball was loaded...the HP would always be centered. Food for thought.

[Swamp Man]

I don't know how it would work with a round ball unless it was some how hollowed out in the back side also to counter balance the front HP. Keeping the HP side heavier then the back of the ball. Good luck.

[gon2shoot]

I've got some with holes in them from the bullet puller, reckon that would be the same thing?

[mooman76]

RBs don't spin like cast bullets do. Allot slower twist and they don't need to spin that much because they don't need to. They could spin end over end like a keyholing bullet and it wouldn't matter like a bullet would. I would think that even if you got the hole cetered forward and perfect, the air would catch it and throw it off balance. Try it and see though. What do you have to loose and let us know the results.

[PTS]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/OX-YOKE-ORIGINALS-KLEEN-SHOT-MUZZLELOADER-RAMROD-JAG-SET-VINTAGE-HARD-FIND-/281054420772

I hope this link shows up. This is the ramrod attachment I was talking about. This one is sold but Ox Yoke makes/made them. I don’t think they are in production anymore. I did a search for “Ox yoke Kleen Shot” and this showed up. Also a link to a 2009 cast boolits post, but I couldn’t get it to load.

[longbow]

The trick would be starting the ball with the HP centered. Once it is patched in the bore I doubt a ramrod attachment would realign it if it wasn't started with the HP cavity dead center.

[Rattus58]

The trick would be starting the ball with the HP centered. Once it is patched in the bore I doubt a ramrod attachment would realign it if it wasn't started with the HP cavity dead center.

drill the hole, center the ball in a ball block, use a bore/hole diameter starter on a rod, use a brass bore diameter centering device slid over the ball rod, start it, remove the rod from the ball, the centering guide and then load the ball normally with your ramrod. Simple... take all of 5 minutes a shot... or drill a hole in ballett type or pennsylvania conical and call it a day... :D

Aloha... 8-)

[Southern Son]

i heard that fishhawk tried it, and they key holed badly!

that's funny!!!!!!!!

[KCSO]

A soft lead 50 caliber round ball will expand about as well as any projectile you can make inside it's effictive range. I have one right here recovered from a deer that was shot at 75 yards and the ball was under the skn on the far side quartering the deer. The ball is about the size of a quarter. Add to that the problem of getting the hollow point EXACTLY on center when loading and you are fighting a losing battle.