Sisk bullets(Their old), Anyone ever heard of them??

[mikenbarb]

I got a bunch of Sisk bullets from the 40's and wondering if anyone has ever heard of them? These are a weird bullet type and its a regular jacketed bullet BUT the points have a lead ball on the end of it. Its a ball that looks like its coming out of the tip on a lead shaft kinda looking like this if its laying down on its side.
Bullet-> IIIID=O Thats kinda what its shape is like on its side.LOL.

[oneokie]

Sisk Bullets, R.B. Sisk. Was in Iowa Park, Texas in the 1960's. Visited his shop once.

[mikenbarb]

Any idea with the ball type tip on them? I have an original reciept for them dated 7-21-1943. Their OLD I guess.LOL.

[Pavogrande]

They were quality bullets of their time -- have two boxes of .224 marked hornet and R2lovell -

[Bret4207]

Sisk was THE accurate bullet in the day. Might be worth more as collectors than shooters.

[dale2242]

I used 17 and 22cal Sisk bullets in the 60s. They were the best in their day as bret says. Could be quite collectable. ---dale

[mikenbarb]

Does anyone know what the deal is with the round ball type extended tip on them? Im thinking their a varmint bullet but never saw this type before and its odd. I think I got a few hundred of that type and a few hundred of their hollow points in reloads. Guess I will see what their worth and if anyone knows where theirs any for sale to compare please let me know. Thanks.

[Scrounger]

A picture would help but it sounds to me like it's just excess lead that is extruded through the hollow point during the manufacturing process. Used to buy "seconds" from Sierra by the pound and many of them had the little tips of lead hanging on the tip of the bullet. They broke off easily during normal handling. That little lead tip is what caused their machines to reject the bullet as being out of spec and causing them to sell them by the pound at maybe a quarter of their packaged cost. They shot as good as the "firsts".

[mikenbarb]

I dont have a clue how to do pics. The ball on the end is not excess and its an intentional ball about the size of a #2 shot on a post that comes out of the tip approx 1/16 of an inch. I dont get the reason to it but they look cool as heck.

[Ray Sisk]

I'm looking for anyone who can tell me about RB Sisk, seeing as I come from a long line of shooters and my last name is Sisk.

[Catch]

Just the name "Sisk" brings back alot of good memories. My Dad gave me a Remington .222 when I got out of the Army in 1957. I slew a great number of crows with that little gun, using 21 grains of 4198 behind a Sisk bench rest 50 grain bullet. It was deadly accurate. I'm 75 yrs old now and I still remember how well those bullets shot............I don't know who he was, but he made a great bullet..........

[stubshaft]

He made some beautiful bullets. I still have a couple of thousand 20gr and 24gr .17 cal. I think that I may still have some 50gr 224's stashed away. They were death and destruction out of my 220 weatherby rocket (4260fps)

[bhn22]

Mike, what caliber? If they're varmint bullets, I seem to recall a single steel shot being used in hollowpoint varmint bullets to help them expand at extended range. Bullet design was in it's infancy, and it was the most effective way to get expansion at lower velocities. Sometimes it was used to cap a hollow cavity that was filled with fluid (usually mineral oil) for super expanding bullets. The swaging guys will have more information on that angle.

As an aside, some casters used to use a steel pellet in hollowpoint moulds in place of the spud to bring the weight of the bullet up without sacrificing expansion. This should never be used with tubular magazines for obvious reasons. Remington used to sell a 25 ACP bullet called the "pellet point" that was made this way.

[STAR4ever]

If my memory serves, the round ball was a technique or feature that Sisk used to expand the bullet upon impact in a 5 star mushroom. There possibly was an article on the Sisk bullets with that feature that I once read in American Rifleman.

I also recall that Sisk crafted some pretty accurate benchrest rifle bullet heads back in the day for a select few early benchresters. None of us Eastern benchresters could get our hands on those bullets. Seely Masker passed a few hundred on to me once. They were long boat tailed .22s with a tiny hollow point and fine thin copper cladding. Very fine bullet as I recall. But made of "Unobtainium".

[CODYCOYOTE]

My dad and uncle worked for old man Sisk as kids and when the old man died my uncle bought all the bullets and equipment. He still owns all of it. There is a room in the shop with THOUSANDS of these in all cal from .17rem/hornets/.25 and others I have never even seen in person
I have listened as they told stories about working there as kids and still remember the building before they dozed it down. We still live in Iowa Park and people I know that shoot long range have tried to get him to get rid of everything but he's old school. If it was me I wouldnt shoot them but keep them. Dont get me wrong if you had oh say a room full of them and could weigh them all and match them then would still be just as good as any. I found a box of pictures at my uncles that has the old man and others shooting and working that I might could upload. I just tried to call my cousin but he knew about as much as me. I see them from time to time being sold and for what they go for and the ammount he has might be able to retire. I'm guessing when he dies then my cousin will own all of it and prob do the same. Most everything there is are hp and just about everything sais benchrest. They had a fire at the shop a few years back and lost alot of stuff. I hope to help him rebuilt his reloading room and get him interested again before he dies. I could talk to him and maybe you could call him and let him tell you the stories and history rathen then getting it second hand from me

[pls1911]

Sisk made origenal varmint bullets for many years.
I have components of a .22 Lovell R2, a high pressure, sharp shouldred, rimmed, wildcat from between the wars based on the old 25-20 Stevens single shot cartridge ... the Sisk 50 grain bulllet was THE big medicine for busting crows.
The old gent gave me all his component , but I couldn't talk him out of the Winchester 22 short falling block heavy barrel Target rifle which was rechambered for the Lovell R-2 and mounted by a beautiful OLD Lyman target scope about 3 feet long...
He's still alive and still won't let it go.... and his daughter is DxMNED sure not gonna let me at it!!!

[1hole]

"Sisk bullets(Their old), Anyone ever heard of them?? "

Hasn't everyone? ;)

[Char-Gar]

Ralph Sisk produced only 22 caliber jacketed bullets and did so in many weights and shapes. All of his bullets were hand swaged on presses like the RCBS A2. IIRC he used Bahler and Astles dies.

[dieguy59]

Having recognized the name, Sisk, from flipping through old Lyman Ideal manuals, I was pretty happy to find an old .22 Lovell R2 box with a few rattling around in the bottom. Looks great in my vintage display.

[uscra112]

You can sometimes buy Sisk's products on Gunbroker for prices that are not that different from new modern products. I once got 8 unopened boxes of 50 grain Lovell j-words in one swell foop. Think I paid about $12.00 a box. (Too many GB sellers put their stuff on at ridiculous prices, but you will note that they never actually sell anything. I've watched some stay listed for over a year.)

I'm well stocked now, got about 1500 or so of various types, so the field is open. Set up a search and wait for them to appear.

What still amazes me is that there are so many Sisk j-words to be found today, considering that he never automated his processes. Every single one really was swaged by hand. Shooters are hoarders, I guess. Or maybe the other way 'round?

Ralph certainly was the dean of varmint j-word makers in the heyday of the Hornet and the Lovell, but he wasn't the first. Going all the way back to 1914 or so, Niedner was making a base-band Mann-style j-word using .22 short cases that he bought in quantity from Remington for jackets. None other than Ned Roberts wrote about this in 1943 in the Rifleman. None of us today would be ashamed of the groups they were getting, either. If only I could find some of those to buy!

[FISH4BUGS]

showed this link with a brief history of Sisk Bullets

http://wildcatintel.com/blog/?p=48

[jjames]

Mike,
I actually grew up in Iowa Park Texas on the Sisk bullet property. The place was literally covered with lead plates from old news paper printers. These bullets were supposedly made for safari hunts that Old Man Sisk went on in Africa.

I believe that the knob on the end of these bullets was designed to make the bullet mushroom even larger than just a standard bullet.

They were actually manufactured as late as 1972 I believe when Mr Sisk passed away. My Dad took over the business in 1976 and primarily did gun repair as a gun smith. Man you bring back some good old days a memories.

I can be contacted at jjames@flextechnow.com if you want to know more.

John

[Iowa Fox]

I used the 22cal 50 gr in my 222. They shot well, sure brings back memories.

[roysha]

Ralph Sisk produced only 22 caliber jacketed bullets and did so in many weights and shapes. All of his bullets were hand swaged on presses like the RCBS A2. IIRC he used Bahler and Astles dies.

I believe he also made .17 caliber bullets since I still have a box of them.

[stubshaft]

+1 on the 17's - I have a couple of them myself. IIRC - solid copper wire with a divot in the tip.

[shooterg]

Seem to remember that Remington used his bullets for accuracy tests back in the day. I have several full boxes and a few partials, wondered about the "mushroom" tips on some.

[michiganvet]

I bought .172 bullets from Ralph B back in the 60's for my 17-223 made by Ackley. The barrel is inscribed " Custom made for Dave Wolfe by P.O. Ackley" and is listed on Ackley's Volume 2 handbook on pages 112 & 113 as one of a kind.

[41 Magnum]

My Dad & Grandfather & I used the Sisk Bullets all thru the 1950's, with very good success in my & Dad's .222's, & in my Pap's .220 Swift. Here are some pic's.

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u98/41magnum/sisk.jpg

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u98/41magnum/IMG_1974.jpg

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u98/41magnum/IMG_1976.jpg

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u98/41magnum/IMG_1973.jpg

[gnoahhh]

Any of you guys have any Sisk .228" bullets they want to part with? I have a Savage 1899H in .22 HiPower that simply loves them!

[justashooter]

Does anyone know what the deal is with the round ball type extended tip on them? Im thinking their a varmint bullet but never saw this type before and its odd. I think I got a few hundred of that type and a few hundred of their hollow points in reloads. Guess I will see what their worth and if anyone knows where theirs any for sale to compare please let me know. Thanks.

until the 1980's (the advent if the internet) most smaller bullet makers didn't have access to ballistic profile calculators, so they would just follow old designs, or make up cool looking new designs of their own and claim the moon for performance. frank herter was famous for this, but then, he was a hell of a story teller... do a search for herter sonic bullet and you'll see what i mean.

[holeysocks]

I live in Iowa Park, Tex

[bear67]

I bought Sisk bullets for a .22 hornet I loaded and shot varmints with from Roy Vinson's gun shop and range west of Tyler Texas back in the late fifties and sixties. Mr Roy had a nieced, as I remember, in Iowa Park and used to stop and pick up bullets to sell and use in his .220 Swift he shot. I think I still have an original box somewhere with a few HP Hornet bullets remaining. Had not thought of them in years and I dropped the Hornet and started experimenting with light .25 cal loads in a .257 Roberts. Now I am back to shooting Hornets along with the .257 Roberts from back then.