Paco Kelly Hollow Pointer

[nighthunter]

Has anyone ever tried Paco Kelly's hollow pointing tool on .22 caliber cast bullets. There have been several threads lately about how hollow pointing bullets moves the center of gravity towards the rear of the bullet and usually increases accuracy. I'm thinking that something like this might be a viable project. What I have read indicates that the depth of the cavity is not all that important. Any thoughts on this idea?
Nighthunter

[Old Ironsights]

No, and Yes.

It only works with heeled bullets as it would drive a non-heeled bullet back into the case.

But for heeled Rimfires, it's a Very Good tool. Does 2 things, changes the CoG and expands the bullet for a better bore fit.

Well worth it IMO.

[Dale53]

I have a couple of home made tools similar to the ones that were once offered for sale by a now "defunct" company. It is merely a short piece of .22 barrel that is chambered with a .22 chambering reamer so that the very tip end of the bullet sticks out the end. You just slip the .22 in the "chamber" and file off the nose (only removing about 2-3 grs of lead). This makes a really neat "Round Flat" nose similar to the SGB (Small Game Bullet) offered at times by CCI. It offers considerably more "stopping" power than the standard bullet. Has to be used on small game to appreciate the difference. Hollow points can be too destructive for edible small game but these really "smack" without tearing up the squirrel or bunny. Head shots are always nice but the animals do not always cooperated. Body shot squirrels, with standard round noses, often get away to die a lingering death. Hollow points tear up too much meat. The RF just does the job.

It only takes a few seconds to do each one and a box of fifty will last a long time. These are more effective than CCI's SGB as the edges are sharp whereas CCI's SGB are rounded.

Dale53

[Old Ironsights]

Paco's tool comes with 3 punches, A hollowpointer, a "hydroshocker" and a flat-point/shallow cup punch.

I personally like the shallow cup more than the HP for general accuracy/small game.

[nighthunter]

After I posted the original post I went down the basement and stuck a piece of cold roll into the lathe. This is what I came up with. This is the Lee Bator bullet after my home made hollow pointer.
Nighthunter

[Poygan]

I bought this tool a few years back. I saw it on another site with a favorable write-up. What was pictured on that site appeared to be a steel or stainless hollow point punch and the cup point tool. Mine arrived with everything turned out of brass. The hollow point tool pin that makes the hollow point tends to keep bending and I fear it will break off soon. I've used it very little as it is a very tedious process. I can't address any increased accuracy as my 10-22 with a few modifications shoots as well as I can hold with Federal bulk pack HPs. I did write back to Paco to see if I could get the HP pin in a steel version but received no reply. IMO its a solution looking for a problem.

[Char-Gar]

I have one of the first tools Paco made. I have not experienced significant improvment in accuracy that some report. But the reformed bullet are quite significantly better performers on small game/pests.

This tool allows you to turn cheap Mart-Mart ammo into high performance stuff.

[buck1]

I have seen my groups shrink and killing power has improved also my guns clean much more easly.
Small water bottles that would just start leaking, now bust open with the same ammo and ranges.
Think about it, you can reshape the nose (good)but you can now up size your loaded .22rf ammo to the correct size you need(great).
Its as close as I can get to casting my own. 5000 rds done /0 trouble from my revolvers or tool. But some autos dont seem to care for the larger slug in reference to feeding flawlessly.
If you dont plan to use it in a semi auto GET IT wile you can!

[nighthunter]

I was refering like a tool similar to Paco Kelly's. I made this to hollow point cast bullets of .22 caliber. The bullets are hollow pointed prior to sizeing or loading. The tool I came up with is a lot easier to use than casting a hollow point bullet. The real test will come after getting them sized and loaded and out to the range. These are real boolits, not rimfire.
Nighthunter

[Wayne Smith]

I have found that mine (or me!) is much more consistent using it with my arbor press than hitting it with a mallet. The press allows me to hollowpoint more consistently and involves no percussion. This is Paco's tool, in brass, and I've done over a thousand Thunderbolts and some other bullets with no damage to the tool. About half of that was done using the arbor press. It's much smoother and I think quicker that way. I've never really timed using it either way.

[Scrounger]

I was refering like a tool similar to Paco Kelly's. I made this to hollow point cast bullets of .22 caliber. The bullets are hollow pointed prior to sizeing or loading. The tool I came up with is a lot easier to use than casting a hollow point bullet. The real test will come after getting them sized and loaded and out to the range. These are real boolits, not rimfire.
Nighthunter

If you're going to put that on the market, I'll take one.

[tanstafl10]

nighthunter,

I am with Scrounger. I would be interested in one also!

[Lloyd Smale]

me too!

If you're going to put that on the market, I'll take one.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

I have one of those homemade tools used to cut the nose off my best shooting 22 LRHP ammo for gray squirrel hunting. It takes 2 grains off & leaves the barest bit of HP showing. The bullet then has a great big shiny flat point with sharp circumferance . No change in accuracy but effectiveness on shot squirrels is definitely improved. My confidence is improved too. I take longer shots. Squirrels are more scareder and run faster, and act act sneakier up in the trees. Shots are harder but the bullet is better. Man's age old search goes on.

[Bret4207]

I made up a couple tools similar to what Dale describes. I also found some small side cutters at an electronics place and ground one edge flat. No more filing, just clip them and viola! A genuine small game blaster boolit.

[longbow]

nighthunter

I made a flat pointing and hollow pointing tool that works the same as the Paco Kelly tool and also made the file trim die Dale53 describes. Both are very easy to make and you say you have a lathe so that and a little steel is all you need.

I had seen a posting on a .22 rimfire site about the Paco Kelly tool and was curious though I really don't like banging on loaded rounds. Seems to work well enough but it still bothers me.

I also saw a posting by Dale53 about the "SGB" type flat point bullets so got hold of him. He sent me information on making the file trim tool as well as good squirrel hunting info.

I made both tools and tried them out but just did expansion tests that I posted under special projects. The file trimmed bullets impressed me the most.

So far I haven't sat down and compared factory, Paco Kelly style swaged and file trimmed for accuracy but have read that both modifications give improved accuracy. There were several postings claiming the Paco Kelly tool really does improve accuracy. I'll get around to accuracy testing eventually.

I made a simple file trim die by making a reamer out of a small piece of drill rod and heat treating it, and the die from an old Mazda head bolt, annealed, turned to length, drilled, reamed then heat treated. Works slick.

The Paco Kelly type tool was made the same way but longer to guide punches to swage the nose. It was a little crude but worked well. I used a needle roller from an old universal joint for the hollow point nose punch.

You have a lathe so if you have a bit of high carbon steel or grade 8 bolts about 1/2" diameter that and an afternoon is all you need.

If you want more details on reamer and dimensions let me know and I can send info and pictures.

Longbow

[maas]

I have a Paco Kelly tool that I'll sell for half of what they now sell for.
e-mail me at cmaas@stanton.net

Curt

[maas]

Lovely!! The e-mail address that I just posted is missing a "j".
For the Paco tool it should be cjmaas@stanton.net

Curt

[Bisbee]

Fast forward a few years. I have been thinking about spending the money for a Paco Kelly "Rimcheck and Acu'rzr". Other than this thread I have not found much information on his tools. Has anyone used these tools with success? Do they actually make he bullet more accurate? I sure would like some advice on these tools and his turn around time before I spend the money.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[popper]

Read about it years ago but don't have one. His writings are so correct on everything else I do believe it works - on cheap HP 22LR. I would definitely use the arbor press instead of a hammer. There were a few posts here about a swaging die for our cast boolits, in fact an OP actually made one with reasonable results but IIRC stopped the project.