what is the purpose of cast hollow points. is there a benefit other than for hunting??
what is the purpose of cast hollow points. is there a benefit other than for hunting??
Just the expansion factor.
They are so much more tedious to cast, I don't mess with 'em just for target shooting.
In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.
OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
EVERYONE!
Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.
The mushrooming affect adds to the transfer of energy as well as creating a larger wound channel.
more useful as velocity gets on lower side where you cant get a soft flat point to expand
I casted my first hollow points a couple of weeks ago with an MP mold. The cool thing about it is that the mold comes with a pin for solid flat points, which is great for my revolver and lever action rifle and three different hollow point pins which I have loaded up for home defense.
Yes there are other benefits. They are lighter, which means more bullets per pound of lead. It usually isn't a huge difference, but it is there. Not all of them are tedious to cast, but the good casting molds sure cost money. A good 4+ cavity Cramer/inset bar style mold casts hollow point bullets as easy as a solid bullet. Hollow points also alter the balance of the bullet. There are a lot of bullets that are more accurate as a hollow point than a solid. Many jacketed target bullets, like the Hornady HAP is a hollow point because they are more accurate, and are not intended to perform on anything besides a target range. I've heard more than one bullseye shooter say that the H&G #68 is more accurate as a hollow point, and those guys would know.
Hey Winger,
I understand the older removable pin hollow point molds were difficult to cast with. I have never cast with a Cramer/MP style mold, but my NOE RG style molds cast like a dream. They drop easily, have virtually no part lines and expand quite well in the proper alloy. Which molds gave you troubles? I don't doubt your experience at all. All of our experiences are different. Just wondered how and why and what types gave troubles.
The new BRASS 4 and 5 cavity molds with changeable pins are a dream to work with. The old single removable pin molds are not worth messing with. If I can't cast 4 to 6 boolits at at time, I don't bother. I cast and shoot HP boolits in 9mm/38/45 cal. All have 3 or four different pin selections including solid. Nothing like getting 4 molds for the price of one! The boolits drop out like rain from the quality molds.
Lighter weight = less alloy. Better expansion. Cool looking especially when PC'd.
Never any problems casting with modern design multi-molds
I've had .357 and .44 HP, Iron, single cavity molds. They were RCBS or Lyman, I forget which , but probably RCBS.
I never had any trouble with them, it was just that in the time it took pulling and putting the pin back in to make one boolit-
I could drop at least four from a solid design boolit with a two cavity mold.
Even with that, its no big deal,,,,, until ya start casting a few hundred, one at a time.
(That's where the tedious part comes in)
I never intended to hunt with them, or any handgun, and for me, the hollow point thing wasn't really necessary.
I made a few hundred, had a good time with 'em, and they were quite accurate;
but then sort of drifted away since they were slower to produce without a need, or particular desire for them with my application.
In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.
OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
EVERYONE!
Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.
I would say you have the hollow point thing dialed in about as good as it gets Don.
All of the above is true.
The coolness factor alone is enough for me!
BNE
I'm a Happy Clinger.
With hollow points, it's all in the alloy.
Don
NRA Certified Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor
NRA Life Member
even with a HP Keith from NOE hps are easy, new custom molds are just the same with flat points or cup or hollow points.
Another added benefit is that most hollow point bullets tend to be more accurate. The less weight in the nose seems to shift the weight of the bullet back toward the base and this tends to make them more aerodynamic in flight. I can't prove this but of all the moulds I have modified, this seems to be proven by test results./beagle
diplomacy is being able to say, "nice doggie" until you find a big rock.....
Nice to know, beagle. Thanks for weighing in on that.
Don
NRA Certified Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor
NRA Life Member
MP Hollowpoint Molds are as fast to cast as solids and More Fun!
The Keith I use is all about penetration. A hollowpoint is less likely to penetrate walls and kinder to steel targets. That's what I tell myself, gotta use them up somewhere. Did I say they are fun to cast?
Mal
Mal Paso means Bad Pass, just so you know.
The old single cavity Lyman mould with the separate hollow point plug was the epitome of slow tedious casting ... It was such a job to cast a decent supply of HP's with that set up that after my first one ... I never bought another . Cast HP boolits for handguns just wasn't that necessary .
The NOE set up is pretty neat ... but weren't around in the 60's - 70's ... Wish they had been !
Gary
Certified Cajun
Proud Member of The Basket of Deplorables
" Let's Go Brandon !"
I cast for my revolvers with either Accurate Molds or MP Molds. Other than having to flip the MP's when dropping the bullets, they aren't much slower than the Accurate Molds. They do drop perfect HP's as soon as they are up to temperature.
As far as accuracy is concerned, I can not say the HP's are more accurate than the LFN designs from Accurate, but you could starve on any difference.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |