Forster Hollow Pointer

[Denver]

I just got around to ordering a hollow pointing tool for my case trimmer and received it a couple days ago. $12.95 @ Midway. I got the 1/8 inch drill. So far I've tried it with the 35 Rem and the RCBS 200gr FP and the Lyman boolit for my 38/40.
Judging from the results I got shooting water filled jugs, there is considerable improvement in expansion. Haven't been able to retrieve any boolits yet to see how they're holding up. I only drilled the cavities about an 1/8 in deep, but it seems to be adequate to improve performance. These are ACWW boolits I'm using.

I wouldn't want to have to use this for large quantities of ammo, but for a few rounds for hunting, it should work OK. I'll have to work on making a rig to use in the drill press.

:castmine:

[kywoodwrkr]

Denver,
I think you are supposed to be able to use it with the pedestal power trimmer(use with drill press) from Forster as well as the lathe type.
Sounds good.
DaveP kywoodwrkr

[PatMarlin]

THis would be perfect to insert pork lard in the tips of boolits used to shoot them muslim terrorist when they start trying to terrorise us over here.

Prolly work good over there too... :mrgreen:

[versifier]

I admit it, I'm cheap. I have RCBS & Lyman canse trimmers and didn't want to buy a Forster just to mount the hollow pointer on, so I made my own. Using a bit the same size as the pilot shaft (I think every company's is a different size) I chucked a piece of 3/4" aluminum stock on a friend's lathe and drilled it through. Then I cut a 45* concave cone in the end to self center the boolits, cut the whole thing off at about 3/4", and chamferred and deburred it. Took all of five minutes, and I spent more time digging through the scrap pile to find the right size aluminum stock. It works slick on everything I've tried it on so far. You do need to shorten the drill bit to work with longer cases, and the unit slides over the bit to hole the round straight as you tighten the collet (I used the RCBS trimmer and left it set up for only hollow pointing). As I only use it for hunting boolits, doing five or ten at a time, I'm very pleased with it. If I needed a LOT of hp's, I'd have Buckshot modify a mould as it's much easier to cast them. In fact, I may do that anyway when he gets caught up.
Pat, just lube 'em with bacon fat. :)

[Larry Gibson]

I've had a Forster HPer for 30+ years and use it quit often. I long ago learned using HP moulds that WW alloy bullets or harder alloys only shattered or the nose would shear off. I first got the HPer with 1/8th drill to HP some 358156 GC bullets cast out of some pretty soft range lead recovered off a .22 range. I was driving them at 1000+ fps (+P) out of my service revolver (M15 w/5" barrel). the load duplicated the W-W 150 gr SWCHP +P service load we carried. With a little expermentation with the HP depth I found expansion and terminal ballistics to be quite good. I then used it to HP som .41 and .44 bullets with equal success. I have also used it to HP numerous cast bullets loaded in rifle cartridges of .35, .375 and .45 calibers.

The malleability of the alloy is of prime concern for proper expansion. I've had pretty good succes with water quenched hard shot as the alloy (lead with 3-5% antimony) up through 2200 fps. When pushed above 1700 fps this alloy will hold excellent accuracy for about 10 shots before leading gets noticeable. I always figured these to be specialty hunting bullets anyways by 10 shots I'd better have the critter of go back home and practice some more. I adjusted the HP depth so the bullet would give 14+" of good controlled expansion in soggy wet newsprint which is very similar to what the average 30-30 170 gr jacketed bullet does at comparable velocity.

Larry Gibson

[leftiye]

Has anybody got any info on air cooled soft cast hollow point boolits - pure lead hardened with tin? This as concerns how much tin can be added before expansion stops happening? Boolits could be driven faster (anybody know how fast?), and the alloy would be tougher (not shatter/ lose the nose, as much).

[leftiye]

L.G. How hard are your water quenched lead bullets? The reason I ask is that heat treated 5% antimony/ 1/2 % tin hardens to as much as Brinell # 42! Twice as hard as Linotype (no malleability, shatters good). Shoots nice though.

[BABore]

Mix your WW's with 50% pure lead or range scrap and water drop them. They'll end up at 18-22 Bhn and will expand and mushroom. Hollow pointing will only enhance it.

[Larry Gibson]

L.G. How hard are your water quenched lead bullets? The reason I ask is that heat treated 5% antimony/ 1/2 % tin hardens to as much as Brinell # 42! Twice as hard as Linotype (no malleability, shatters good). Shoots nice though.

Never got any that hard! Like I said I use the plain 3-5% antimony lead shot (usually the "magnum chilled" shot) and they end up at 18-22 BHN when water quenched from the mould. However, I'm still in the dark ages measuring BHN against pure lead with the ball bearing method. May not be to precise but it gives me a relative index of my alloys compared to each other and lead. Keep in mind that the shot is "chilled", i.e. water quenched when molten (this is also what makes it round - falling through a water tower) and is not any where near a BHN of 42. Hit some with a hammer and it expands and flattens quite nicely. Have you ever heard of shot shattering on impact (with animals anyway), neither have I. Guess you got to try it.

Larry Gibson

[Larry Gibson]

Has anybody got any info on air cooled soft cast hollow point boolits - pure lead hardened with tin? This as concerns how much tin can be added before expansion stops happening? Boolits could be driven faster (anybody know how fast?), and the alloy would be tougher (not shatter/ lose the nose, as much).

I've been using 1-16 tin - lead alloy for my 45-70s (upwards of 1800 fps) and muzzle loader (375 gr .50 cal Maxi balls at 1500+ fps) for some time. Expansion is quite good with no sign of shattering. I've got a maxi ball that killed a deer and then imbedded into a stump - I'll try to get a photo of it posted. Didn't Kieth recommended 1-16 alloy for his magnum .44 bullets? Anyways I've read that and alloy of 1-10 is about as hard as a tin lead alloy can be usefull. Haven't been there so I can say as I prefer an antimony lead (3-5% magnum chilled shot) alloy for my hunting cast bullets in the 1800 -2200 fps range.

Larry Gibson