Forster Hollow Pointer

[bcraig]

Anyone got a lot of experience with the Forster Hollow Pointer?

Pros ,Cons

[BK7saum]

Not a lot of experience at all. I just got mine set up. After a little trial and error, I have been getting consistent, repeatable results with centered hollow points. It does take a bit of a knack to get the bullet, guide and drill aligned.

I insert the cartridge base into the collet andplace the guide over the bullet. Then I loosen the tension on the collet as I align the the bit with the guide and bullet.

It is best to have the trimmer base solidly mounted. When set up with cartridge in collet, one hand loosens/tightens the collet and the other controls guid position and slides drill/cutter shaft into the guide positioned on the bullet nose. (The guide is held between thumb/fingers and the pinky side of palm slides the cutter shaft toward the guide.

I read many complaints on here about needing 3 hands to use the thing. I didn't find it that bad. If you can use a micrometer to measure a boolit, then you have an idea about how to try and manipulate the hollowpointer to work, at least for me.

Not much help, but at least a bump for your post.

[BK7saum]

I do wish they offered a 3rd size between the ⅛ amd 1/16th sizes.

I have been trying to hollowpoint a 6mm bullet with a 1/8th meplat for subsonic use. Still working on expansion and results. A work in progress...

[Larry Gibson]

I've been using both sizes for 40-50 years so you might say I've a bit of "experience" with them. BK7saum's advice is spot on. I'm right handed so the collet is tightened/loosened with the left hand and the trimmer/drill is operated with the right hand. As mentioned, the trimmer base must be solidly mounted. Here's my technique which pretty much follows BK7saum's;

The centering drill pilot is left on the drill.

Clean any bullet cuttings from previous bullet off the drill.

With the collet loose, the left hand inserts and holds the next cartridge into the collet.

The right hand pushes on the handle pushing the drill against the bullet nose lightly to just hold it in place.

The right hand thumb and forefinger push the drill pilot back against the bullet centering it on the bullet nose while the left hand tightens the collet.

The left thumb and forefinger then hold the pilot while the right hand tuns the crank drilling the HP.

The drill is pulled out of the HP hole while turning the handle with the lleft hand keeping the pilot on the drill. Or the pilot may be removed to remove the bullet drillings off the drill. The pilot is put back on the drill.

With the left hand the collet is loosened while the right hand removes the HP'd cartridge and the next cartridge is picked up ready to start the process over.

321309321310321308321307

Takes a lot longer to read this than to do it once you get the hang of it. The nice thing about the Forster HP tool is it can be used to HP bullets for hunting using any form of cast bullets. If HP'd with the 1/*" drill then a 1/8" counter sink and be used to open the HP up more for better/quicker expansion, especially with handgun cartridges.

321306

[high standard 40]

I have found that if I put a little Lubricant on the point of the drill bit it will cut easier. I've been using Lee case sizing lube, just enough to keep the bit from binding while drilling.

[20:1]

How well do bullets HP'd with the Forster perform on game? Any experience/samples?

[Larry Gibson]

The RCBS 35-200, 50/50 alloy + 2% tin, MV at 2150 fps.

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Entrance

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Exit
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Inside entrance

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Inside exit

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[bcraig]

Not a lot of experience at all. I just got mine set up. After a little trial and error, I have been getting consistent, repeatable results with centered hollow points. It does take a bit of a knack to get the bullet, guide and drill aligned.

I insert the cartridge base into the collet andplace the guide over the bullet. Then I loosen the tension on the collet as I align the the bit with the guide and bullet.

It is best to have the trimmer base solidly mounted. When set up with cartridge in collet, one hand loosens/tightens the collet and the other controls guid position and slides drill/cutter shaft into the guide positioned on the bullet nose. (The guide is held between thumb/fingers and the pinky side of palm slides the cutter shaft toward the guide.

I read many complaints on here about needing 3 hands to use the thing. I didn't find it that bad. If you can use a micrometer to measure a boolit, then you have an idea about how to try and manipulate the hollowpointer to work, at least for me.

Not much help, but at least a bump for your post.

Thank's

[bcraig]

I have found that if I put a little Lubricant on the point of the drill bit it will cut easier. I've been using Lee case sizing lube, just enough to keep the bit from binding while drilling.

Thank's

[bcraig]

I've been using both sizes for 40-50 years so you might say I've a bit of "experience" with them. BK7saum's advice is spot on. I'm right handed so the collet is tightened/loosened with the left hand and the trimmer/drill is operated with the right hand. As mentioned, the trimmer base must be solidly mounted. Here's my technique which pretty much follows BK7saum's;

The centering drill pilot is left on the drill.

Clean any bullet cuttings from previous bullet off the drill.

With the collet loose, the left hand inserts and holds the next cartridge into the collet.

The right hand pushes on the handle pushing the drill against the bullet nose lightly to just hold it in place.

The right hand thumb and forefinger push the drill pilot back against the bullet centering it on the bullet nose while the left hand tightens the collet.

The left thumb and forefinger then hold the pilot while the right hand tuns the crank drilling the HP.

The drill is pulled out of the HP hole while turning the handle with the lleft hand keeping the pilot on the drill. Or the pilot may be removed to remove the bullet drillings off the drill. The pilot is put back on the drill.

With the left hand the collet is loosened while the right hand removes the HP'd cartridge and the next cartridge is picked up ready to start the process over.

321309321310321308321307

Takes a lot longer to read this than to do it once you get the hang of it. The nice thing about the Forster HP tool is it can be used to HP bullets for hunting using any form of cast bullets. If HP'd with the 1/*" drill then a 1/8" counter sink and be used to open the HP up more for better/quicker expansion, especially with handgun cartridges.

321306

Yes,I would say that you have a Bit of experience with it !
Lots of interesting information that you have provided here.

I would be using it for a Rossi 92 44special/44Magnum Carbine with a 16 inch barrel.

I am using 44 Specials ,with the goal of about 1,000 FPS with a Bullet weight of about 250 Grains and a Big Hollowpoint Like the Devastator to get massive expansion or even some fragmentation at that velocity.

Sounds like it would be relatively easy to do as long as I could get the Hollowpoint bigger than the factory one's offered with it.

And versatile as well,just buy some relatively inexpensive 250 grainish bullets either RNFP or Semi - wadcutters or some wide flat nose and just Hollowpoint however many I want.

Thank's

[armoredman]

I have the HP set, used it a few times, wasn't overly impressed and it is now shoved into a drawer somewhere...I think.

[bcraig]

I have the HP set, used it a few times, wasn't overly impressed and it is now shoved into a drawer somewhere...I think.

What is it that you wanted from it ,that you did not feel like it gave ?

[armoredman]

Expansion with pistol boolits. I shot water jugs and got nothing, even with soft lead. It was an idea, didn't work for me, probably works for everyone else.

[high standard 40]

Expansion with pistol boolits. I shot water jugs and got nothing, even with soft lead. It was an idea, didn't work for me, probably works for everyone else.

I tried hollow pointing 45 ACP with powder coated pure soft lead. The hollow point was enlarged with a bevel cutter to the full diameter of the meplat. Water jug tests yielded zero expansion. But I have also hollow pointed 30-06 and 358 Win bullets and the results on whitetail deer were quite impressive.

[bcraig]

Expansion with pistol boolits. I shot water jugs and got nothing, even with soft lead. It was an idea, didn't work for me, probably works for everyone else.

Wonder if the Hollowpoints were not big enough to promote expansion at the Velocity they were shot at,or not big enough for the Brinell hardness of the lead ? Or a combination of both ?

[armoredman]

Dunno. All I know is they failed expansion in water jugs. I still have the thing somewhere in my reloading cubby.

[high standard 40]

In my post above, I mentioned that I enlarged my hollowpoints with a bevel cutter till they were the size of the meplat. Zero expansion. I think the missing component is velocity.

[sukivel]

In my post above, I mentioned that I enlarged my hollowpoints with a bevel cutter till they were the size of the meplat. Zero expansion. I think the missing component is velocity.

That’s interesting. Now I need to run some tests into water with my 9mm as cast HP loads. I know my 44 mag HP bullet opens up on deer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Larry Gibson]

In my post above, I mentioned that I enlarged my hollowpoints with a bevel cutter till they were the size of the meplat. Zero expansion. I think the missing component is velocity.

Probably. I load my 45 HP'd bullets over 7.5 gr Unique for 1000 fps +/-.

[high standard 40]

The RCBS 35-200, 50/50 alloy + 2% tin, MV at 2150 fps.

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Entrance

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Exit
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Inside entrance

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Inside exit

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Larry, I load the RCBS 35-200 in both a 358 Win and a 35 Rem, each hollowpointed with the Forster tool and the alloy is 50/50 COWW/Pure with added tin. My velocities are estimated to be similar to what you stated or less. I have noted larger hematoma on the entrance side than the
photo you posted. They really make a mess.

[Larry Gibson]

Larry, I load the RCBS 35-200 in both a 358 Win and a 35 Rem, each hollowpointed with the Forster tool and the alloy is 50/50 COWW/Pure with added tin. My velocities are estimated to be similar to what you stated or less. I have noted larger hematoma on the entrance side than the
photo you posted. They really make a mess.

Having dressed out a lot of deer and elk that "mess" always look much worse than it is. The blood on the outside cleaned off and only a little was lost around the bullet hole(s). I've seen the same "mess" many times with non HP'd FPs. I've also seen the same with cast and jacketed bullets having lower impact velocities. You're not going to kill any animal w/o creating some "mess". I don't give a second thought to it as I prefer to kill animals quickly and I'd rather have a bit more hamburger than to lose an animal which I have and don't want to ever again.

[high standard 40]

Having dressed out a lot of deer and elk that "mess" always look much worse than it is. The blood on the outside cleaned off and only a little was lost around the bullet hole(s). I've seen the same "mess" many times with non HP'd FPs. I've also seen the same with cast and jacketed bullets having lower impact velocities. You're not going to kill any animal w/o creating some "mess".

Very true. What I find interesting with cast hollow point vs jacketed bullets, I'm seeing larger entry holes and tissue damage than what is seen at the exit. I've harvested a few with flat point cast and the wound chanel is more what could be expected. I took two whitetails last year with the RCBS 200 with hollow points where the entry was in the shoulder. Both shoulders were so damaged they were unusable.

[curdog007]

I have always had best results with HPs using a binary lead/tin alloy. Adding antimony to the mix causes a loss of ductility.
45/325 with impact velocity around 1500 fps will almost double in diameter with a deep HP