Polymer Tips in tube Magazines.

[dale2242]

I know they make polymer tipped bullets for tube magazines.
What about the regular pointy ones. With flat nose bullets getting hard to get in 224, I was wondering if the polymer tips are hard enough to set off the primer in front of it in a tubular magazine.
I`m sure there will be lots of opinions.
Anyone have any experience with this?....dale

[btroj]

If the "regular" ones were a good idea would Hornady have gone to a flexible one for their lever action pointy bullets?

I wouldn't use them

[Pb2au]

Agreed. Pointy hard bullet tip against primer is a recipe for problems.
I'm sure you might arrive to a firestorm in this thread about how it is an over exaggerated issue. Most of the supporters are called Lefty, Winky,,,,,,,,,,

[DLCTEX]

Not something I want to try.

[7of7]

I have tried to detonate a CCI large rifle primer using polymer tipped bullets. The only thing I succeeded in doing was destroy several polymer tipped bullets.
So, for me, using CCI primers, and the loads I use, (which aren't maximum) it wouldn't be a problem. (Other than the OAL being to long in the 150 gr) I beat the snot out of a few bullets that I taped in place on a primed piece of brass, and the only thing was a smashed polymer tip, and some slight deformation on of the primer. Then, I did it again, new bullet, same primer.. As far as some of the other primers, I cannot say. I wouldn't do it unless I wasted a few bullets on trying to detonate a primer. (they were Hornady SST's, 150 grain)
There was another thread about this and lead tipped bullets (pointed) and round nose. I have normally used round nosed lead, as the lead used in jacketed is soft lead. I have also run hard cast round nose through it, but, that load, is just for plinking 10 gr unique under a 130 grain cast lead bullet... talk about fun..

[osteodoc08]

Call me a nervous Nellie, but I wouldn't be doing this in my guns. I value my guns and limbs more than some minimal savings. Sure you can get better ballistics, but if I needed better ballistics, I'd have a more "capable" rifle and load out of my arsenal.

Sounds like its time to start casting.

[wv109323]

I would not advise using any pointed bullet in a tubular magazine. But...
My father bought a book at a yard sale entitled "Hunter's Encyclopedia". It is an 8 X 11" inch that is about 4 " thick. A comment in it said that flat nosed bullets were necessary in tubular magazines way back when the primer materials were much softer. The book said with today's harder primers sharp pointed bullets could be used. The book was printed in 1960.
I never have seen this comment in print and I value my hands and eyes way to much to experiment.