Bullet Pointing 101 — How to Point Match Bullet Tips
Tech Tip by Doc Beech, Applied Ballistics Support Team
I am going to hit on some key points when it comes to bullet pointing. How much pointing and trimming needed is going to depend on the bullet itself. Specifically how bad the bullets are to begin with. Starting out with better-quality projectiles such as Bergers is going to mean two things. First that you don’t need to do as much correction to the meplat, but also that the improvement is going to be less. NOTE: We recommend you DO NOT POINT hunting bullets. Pointing can affect terminal performance in a bad way.
NOTE the change in the bullet tip shape and hollowpoint size after pointing:
Don’t Over-Point Your Bullets
What is important here is that you never want to over-point. It is far better to be safe, and under-point, rather than over-point and crush the tips even the slightest bit. To quote Bryan Litz exactly: “Best practice is to leave a tiny air gap in the tip so you’re sure not to compress the metal together which will result in crushing. Most of the gain in pointing is taking the bullet tip down to this point. Going a little further doesn’t show on target”. So in essence you are only bringing the tip down a small amount… and you want to make sure you leave an air gap at the tip.
Also keep in mind, bullet pointing is one of those procedures with variable returns. If you only shoot at 100-200 yards, bullet pointing will likely not benefit you. To see the benefits, which can run from 2 to 10% (possibly more with poorly designed bullets), you need be shooting at long range. Bryan says: “Typically, with pointing, you’ll see 3-4% increase in BC on average. If the nose is long and pointy (VLD shape) with a large meplat, that’s where pointing has the biggest effect; up to 8% or 10%. If the meplat is tight on a short tangent nose, the increase can be as small as 1 or 2%.” For example, If you point a Berger .308-caliber 185gr Juggernaut expect to only get a 2% increase in BC.
Should You Trim after Pointing?
Sometimes you can see tiny imperfections after pointing, but to say you “need” to trim after pointing is to say that the small imperfections make a difference. Bryan Litz advises: “If your goal is to make bullets that fly uniformly at the highest levels, it may not be necessary to trim them.” In fact Bryan states: “I’ve never trimmed a bullet tip, before or after pointing”. So in the end it is up to you to decide.
Pointing is Easy with the Right Tools
The process of pointing in itself is very simple. It takes about as much effort to point bullets as it does to seat bullets. We are simply making the air gap on the tip of the bullet ever-so smaller. Don’t rush the job — go slow. Use smooth and steady pressure on the press when pointing bullets. You don’t want to trap air in the die and damage the bullet tip. You can use most any press, with a caliber-specific sleeve and correct die insert. The Whidden pointing die has a micrometer top so making adjustments is very easy.
Bryan Litz actually helped design the Whidden Bullet Pointing Die System, so you can order the Pointing Die and Inserts directly from Applied Ballistics. Just make sure that you pick up the correct caliber sleeve(s) and appropriate insert(s). As sold by Applied Ballistics, the Whidden Bullet Pointing Die System comes with the die, one tipping insert, and one caliber-specific sleeve. To see which insert(s) you need for your bullet type(s), click this link:
LINK: Whidden Gunworks Pointing Die Insert Selection Chart
Similar Posts:
- Pointing Basics — How to Use a Bullet Pointing Die System
- ABCs of Bullet Pointing — Increase Bullet BC Uniformity
- How to Point Bullets — Whidden Bullet Pointing Tool Review
- Whidden Gunworks Bullet Pointing Die System
- Uniforming Meplats — How to Point Bullets with Whidden System
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Tags: Bryan Litz, Bullet Pointing, Bullet Tipping, Doc Beech, John Whidden, Meplat, Tip Uniform, Whidden Gunworks
I wouldn’t point to gain a couple percent of BC.. I would point for the same reasons I sort my bullets.. The fact that someone has never trimmed before doesn’t mean squat.. Vertical is why I would spend the effort to bullet trim and pointing.. I know sorting bullets by overall length shows @ 1k, the paper doesn’t lie.. Why wouldn’t trueing your bullets to a more consistent length and point?
Some procedures just give you confidence by the effort of doing them. The improvement is often just in the mind.
Sportsmen often have habits they must perform before competing, they don’t mean didley squat but give a feeling of luck when done.
If you feel you shoot better by pointing then not doing it lessens confidence,
Hi,
Just one thing to add, when pointing bullets.
1. Measure a handful of the bullets you intend pointing and set your die up to point the longest one u find.
2. Measure and record the length before and after pointing, the bullet should get a few thousands longer after pointing.
3. If a bullet gets shorter after pointing, you have crushed the bullet, (over pointed)
4. Over-pointed bullets can be spotted by a flatter then normal Base, you will see the small curve between the Base and boat tail dissappear.
Sierra is closing the tips on many of there MK bullets now.
I have been pointing bullets for many years and it does improve vertical at 1k.there are many different nose’s on bullets which requires a different punch. you don’t want to change the angle of the nose, you want to close it but also lengthen it at the same time. I only use the Hoover pointer for this reason. He will match your bullets nose to the correct pointing insert.
It helped when you said that it is better to be safe and never over-point. My best friend told me yesterday that he was planning to buy ammunition for our shooting range practicing, but he’s not yet sure where to buy it. Thanks to this informative article, I’ll be sure to tell him that it will be much better if he consults a gun shop as they can provide more information about the ammunition they offer.