Plastic Tips on Bullets

[cjm1066]

These are used on both lead and non-lead bullets. it's easy to see the theoretical advantages.

Has any one had any negetative comments from a game dealer? While its only a tiny bit of plastic and probably lost in the grallock has anyone ever found one in the carcase, or are they destroyed on impact?

 

[Marcher]

I gather that the Military are not allowed to use plastic tipped bullets, as the tips don't show up on X-Rays, in wounds.

 

[palmer_mike]

I gather that the Military are not allowed to use plastic tipped bullets, as the tips don't show up on X-Rays, in wounds.

Where did you hear that? (Not suggesting it’s inaccurate but never heard it myself)

Might it be that plastic tipped bullets are classed as hollow point not FMJ?

 

[Len the dog]

I gather that the Military are not allowed to use plastic tipped bullets, as the tips don't show up on X-Rays, in wounds.

They don't use them because expanding ammunition is banned in warfare, unless of course you're one of the many countries that ignore that particular agreement.

 

[Farmer Geddon]

Had a fox do a runner, couldn't find it even with the thermal, so I took my dog the next morning to the spot where I hit it, dog sniffed around & stopped at one point, I looked at what she was sniffing & it was the red tip out of a Nosler, completely unmarked but more rounded tip. She then ran to the hedge 20 yds straight to the dead fox, couldn't see the entry point but certainly saw the exit!

 

[caberslash]

Yup,

From a Barnes TTSX



But I'd be more worried about these sharp, ridged copper petals turning up in your gullet...





At least lead is soft!

 

[enfieldspares]

The estate I shot on in Scotland in the 1990s wouldn't allow them. This was the days of red, yellow, white plastic tips according to calibre. They would take the rifle (as in the paying punter) out on to their range and if plastic tip bullets appeared from the rifle's pocket or pouch they'd be asked to make use of the estate rifle. The belief was that they could cause too much carcass damage.

 

[caberslash]

The estate I shot on in Scotland in the 1990s wouldn't allow them. This was the days of red, yellow, white plastic tips according to calibre. They would take the rifle (as in the paying punter) out on to their range and if plastic tip bullets appeared from the rifle's pocket or pouch they'd be asked to make use of the estate rifle. The belief was that they could cause too much carcass damage.

A very inward looking mentality.

'Ballistic tips' have been around for a long time!

Remington Bronze Point

Hi Pat thanks, very interesting. I see that all your specimen have a CN jacket, same as mine. I also have several with GM jacket but none of these have any marks. René

forum.cartridgecollectors.org

Remington 1961 catalog:



Funny how newer bullets like the Peregrine and Hornady A Tip havr gone back to using a metal/alloy tip!

 

[Len the dog]

The estate I shot on in Scotland in the 1990s wouldn't allow them. This was the days of red, yellow, white plastic tips according to calibre. They would take the rifle (as in the paying punter) out on to their range and if plastic tip bullets appeared from the rifle's pocket or pouch they'd be asked to make use of the estate rifle. The belief was that they could cause too much carcass damage.

As backed up by the state of the shoulder on that deer carcass.

 

[srvet]

Considering the position of the exit wound on the blurry shoulder of the deer I would have expected more damage from a lead cored bullet. The plastic tip is inconsequential. That looks like a normal exit from a quartering shot to me that hit the humerus

 

[Miki]

I always saw the plastic tip as being there simply to sucker in the shooter that these bulletrs were more slippery through the air than if the hollow point was exposed. In essense the bullets are an aggressive hollow point which will expand rapidly at high/medium speeds so are more suited to long range where the 'ballistic' tip provides a more aerodynamic shape and slightly higher BC. The slower speed at impact requires the hollow point to expand rapidly otherwise you just drill a hole through your target.

But are we shooting deer over several hundred meters ?
Rapid expansion/fragmentation is not what we want in most cases, so for short/medium distances (say up to 150M) softpoint bullets are more suitable and would cause less carcass damage.

Brass and Copper, being a harder material, need that extra energy to expand and so the aggressive hollow point is almost a necessity. There is possibly an advantage therefore in non-lead bullets by fitting a plastic pointy tip but given that instability is proprtional to length you will probably get better results by removing it altogether.

 

[caberslash]

As backed up by the state of the shoulder on that deer carcass.

Dead with damage is better than still alive and wounded!

 

[caberslash]

But are we shooting deer over several hundred meters?

They have an annoying habit of standing in hard to reach places, which makes getting closer whilst they remain there in an undisturbed state quite difficult.

Maybe you can get them to come closer by shaking a feed bucket or towing a trailer with carrots in it?

 

[srvet]

Dead with damage is better than still alive and wounded!

Totally 100% agree with you. If the deer need to be shot you can’t always wait for perfect broadside for many reasons. Yes you lose a shoulder but in reality it isn’t a lot of meat to lose on a Roe.

 

[caberslash]

Totally 100% agree with you. If the deer need to be shot you can’t always wait for perfect broadside for many reasons. Yes you lose a shoulder but in reality it isn’t a lot of meat to lose on a Roe.

I have a hard time dealing with folk who complain about meat damage!

If you don't want to ruin the shoulder, shoot the head/neck?!

On the flip-side, the amount of edible offal/meat/usable bi-products thrown away by most larders is terrifying... head, legs, pluck etc all binned!

 

[srvet]

Yep, I always ask myself how much meat I lose If a deer does a runner and can’t be located. So far I have always come to the conclusion that the answer is 100% so I feel quite content losing a handful of sausage meat that amounts to perhaps 5% of the carcass and I get to keep (or sell) the rest. It may be different if you shoot half a handful of deer a year as a pleasurable afternoon activity, but where you are out in all weathers and have cull targets to be met it is a bit different.

 

[finnbear270]

Knocking the rivet out of the shoulder gives my legs a break, not bothered over the dog food being a bit bloodied.

 

[25 Sharps]

I always saw the plastic tip as being there simply to sucker in the shooter that these bulletrs were more slippery through the air than if the hollow point was exposed. In essense the bullets are an aggressive hollow point which will expand rapidly at high/medium speeds so are more suited to long range where the 'ballistic' tip provides a more aerodynamic shape and slightly higher BC. The slower speed at impact requires the hollow point to expand rapidly otherwise you just drill a hole through your target.

But are we shooting deer over several hundred meters ?
Rapid expansion/fragmentation is not what we want in most cases, so for short/medium distances (say up to 150M) softpoint bullets are more suitable and would cause less carcass damage.

Brass and Copper, being a harder material, need that extra energy to expand and so the aggressive hollow point is almost a necessity. There is possibly an advantage therefore in non-lead bullets by fitting a plastic pointy tip but given that instability is proprtional to length you will probably get better results by removing it altogether.

You’re completely ignoring the influence of jacket thickness on expansion. If a bullet has a thick jacket and a ballistic tip (think accubond) it is going to do less damage than a thinner jacketed bullet like a Speer soft point.

Soft and hard plastic tipped (or ballistic tipped if taking solely Nosler) are available as are soft points and hollow points. Just select the correct bullet for your application.

 

[Edinburgh Rifles]

Plastic tips do nothing for the expansion characteristics of the bullet. Zero
In fact remove the tips and they are much more frangible and expansive
Try them.

The standard plastic ballistic tip is purely to aid external ballistics and BC

The frangibility of the bullet is a function of the material, the jacket thickness and design of the meplat.
People assuming a Ballistic tip will cause more carcase damage come to that conclusion from seeing messy carcases from thin jacketed frangible bullets
Swift Scirocco have a ballistic tip - I guarantee they won't cause carcase damage on UK species as they are hard as **** designed for much thicker skinned game

 

[Muir]

If you think the pretty plastic tip improves accuracy, look at this photo from Nosler's outlet store. 55 gain Varmageddon "Blem" bullets, Grade C. They look like hell but Nosler states Grade A level accuracy.
Go figure. ~Muir

(@ $155 / 1000 it might be worth the risk!)