Anyone Try These 6-Petal Expanding Pellets?

[mrbulk]

They do work well ... Personally have taken 2 spring / young Jack Rabbits last week with the .177 and 12.5 NSA's having been #0 size Xed.
heart lung shots with one rabbit about 40 yards, other @ 70 yards.  Both knocked off there feet as if hit by a lightning bolt ... DRT !!!
Velocity at muzzle @ 1040

That expansion looks to be about double the original diameter! Was there much penetration?

[mrbulk]

That's doable. Thanks to you. 

[luge007]

Mike,
Amazing work there!  I am having a little difficulty visualizing your description " I made a tool for the lathe. I used a piece of 3/8" brass round stock, cut a slit the size and length needed and inserted a typical box cutter blade in it and closed and jb welded it." 


Can you post  a picture or multiple pictures of this 'devise'?  It is unclear if you inserted 1 blade and make two cuts on the slug or if you have 2 blades inserted and make one cut in the slug.

In behalf of everyone, Thanks in advance,
M

[Motorhead]

They do work well ... Personally have taken 2 spring / young Jack Rabbits last week with the .177 and 12.5 NSA's having been #0 size Xed.
heart lung shots with one rabbit about 40 yards, other @ 70 yards.  Both knocked off there feet as if hit by a lightning bolt ... DRT !!!
Velocity at muzzle @ 1040

That expansion looks to be about double the original diameter! Was there much penetration?

The 40 yard rabbit was a shoot threw ... upon dressing out the exit hole / flesh was disrupted an easy 1/4" +  So the slug had opened up before exiting.
On the longer shot slug was still in the rabbit looking very similar to above but beat up a bit from catching a rib on the way in.  took no pics 

[mrbulk]

They do work well ... Personally have taken 2 spring / young Jack Rabbits last week with the .177 and 12.5 NSA's having been #0 size Xed.
heart lung shots with one rabbit about 40 yards, other @ 70 yards.  Both knocked off there feet as if hit by a lightning bolt ... DRT !!!
Velocity at muzzle @ 1040

That expansion looks to be about double the original diameter! Was there much penetration?

The 40 yard rabbit was a shoot threw ... upon dressing out the exit hole / flesh was disrupted an easy 1/4" +  So the slug had opened up before exiting.
On the longer shot slug was still in the rabbit looking very similar to above but beat up a bit from catching a rib on the way in.  took no pics 

Awesome, Sir.

[luge007]

Muhahahaha (evil laugh)


I'm going to fire up the mill and cut some mold blanks, then spool up the lathe and cut a 'cherry' to make cavities in said mold.  Then when 'knifemaker' gets back to us with specifics about how to make the tool, I can 'segment' the HP's)  I REALLY want to have a good expanding (read exploding) projectile for "pests" and there does not appear to be any commercial alternative, so why not try to make my own (since I have hundreds of pounds of lead).


I'll post pics IF it goes well, but I also have a lot of other people's projects on my bench, sooooo, I may have to peck away at this project a little at at time.  I also have a half complete slug swaging setup that I need to finish up, and........ the list goes on and on.  Simply not enough hours in the day.


M

[Cableaddict]

I REALLY want to have a good expanding (read exploding) projectile for "pests" and there does not appear to be any commercial alternative, so why not try to make my own (since I have hundreds of pounds of lead).

Same here,  but I don't have a drillpress.   

Maybe one of you guys can turn this into a small money-making venture?


Another slight advantage of using a slug like this for pesting is that, if you miss,  (not that I EVER miss at short range, of course!)   the slug will theoretically not travel through as much material before coming to rest.  Still a bad thing, but potentially much less so.

[kimoleto]

Its a lot easier to swage them than to mold them, you get a lot more consistency on your slugs.  Any way you make them its great to see them  inside huge cavities.

[kimoleto]

I tried the 6 petal cutter (bronze) and the 4 petal cutter, one made out of 1 piece and another using steel from a hacksaw blade, the other was milled out from steel, the  first one  worked perfectly but it broke, the one piece is still working.... I swage the slug, cut the petals and swage it lightly again in order to close the petals.  The process is time consuming but the slugs work

.

[kahblammmo]

Maybe one of you guys can turn this into a small money-making venture?

I'd gladly support such a venture.

[Motorhead]

Can't see anyone making any money doing these "Slice or Score" mods on previous manufactured slugs
Even fast as using the "0" size phillips and a couple taps is ..... to do a box of lets say 375 - 400 count NSA .22's is going to take you 45min to an hour.
Whats an hour of ones time worth doing said process as a money making venture ?     Would think in this day and age $20 ++ an hour minimum
Add postage on a reshipping to a customer you quickly get a box of 375-400 costing $40 to $50

Simple math .....

[kimoleto]

Totally agree with you. I noticed you cast the slugs, I swage them.  There are plans for a swaging press in another forum (Cast Boolits), If I could make the press with very little tooling and knowledge it will be a joke for you.  A reloading press is an option too, I have a Lee Classic cast press and its easy to modify it for swaging airgun slugs

[mrbulk]

Can't see anyone making any money doing these "Slice or Score" mods on previous manufactured slugs
Even fast as using the "0" size phillips and a couple taps is ..... to do a box of lets say 375 - 400 count NSA .22's is going to take you 45min to an hour.
Whats an hour of ones time worth doing said process as a money making venture ?     Would think in this day and age $20 ++ an hour minimum
Add postage on a reshipping to a customer you quickly get a box of 375-400 costing $40 to $50

Simple math .....

If I had a guaranteed place to  do some small game pesting I would actually try a box at 10 cents a pop...($40 = box of 400).

[Cableaddict]

Can't see anyone making any money doing these "Slice or Score" mods on previous manufactured slugs
Even fast as using the "0" size phillips and a couple taps is ..... to do a box of lets say 375 - 400 count NSA .22's is going to take you 45min to an hour.
Whats an hour of ones time worth doing said process as a money making venture ?     Would think in this day and age $20 ++ an hour minimum
Add postage on a reshipping to a customer you quickly get a box of 375-400 costing $40 to $50

Simple math .....

I'd gladly pay more than that,  since I can't make them myself.  The Leadfist ball-bearing slugs cost 40 cents each before shipping.   The Griffin .25 LDC's (which I love) cost 25 cents each before shipping. They mushroom great, and would be much better for medium-range hunting,  but MrBulk's cut slugs would likely be MUCH better for short-range pesting.   (Although a short-range accuracy test would be good to see.)

AFAIK, no major manufacturer is making pesting-specific ammo,  which is kind of surprising.

Granted, it would not exactly be a FUN way to make money, unless one could rig up some kind of fast-assembly system.

An alternative might be for someone to make & sell the dingus used to cut them.  At least then folks with a drill press could then make their own pesting slugs.
Heck, I might even by a benchtop drillpress just to do it.  (It would be very useful for other stuff.)

[kimoleto]

Unfortunately I do not live in the US, it would be great to enjoy the hobbie, learn more, meet a lot of great people and make some money...
the cutter is not that difficult to make, all you need a is a X cutter,  the phillips screw driver works but needs a lot of "sharpening" with a dremel tool, file  or a small grinder. I cant afford US made slugs in Mexico, they are mega expensive, about 2 US dollar a piece and thats if you can find them(plus shipping), thats why I started experimenting with a lot of support from airgun and swaging forums

[kimoleto]

Knifemaker can you share pics of your X cutter?  What kind of steel are you using for it?  I tried hacksaw blades (I grind them to shape) but they brake really easy (they work really well until they brake), do you brazed your cutter?  It would be great to read more of your experiences.

[kimoleto]

I tried to edit my last post but it was to late. Iis not only to knifemaker but also to Motorhead and all those experimenting with pre frag slugs. My english is not very good and the quarantine is rusting it even more

[Motorhead]

I tried to edit my last post but it was to late. Iis not only to knifemaker but also to Motorhead and all those experimenting with pre frag slugs. My english is not very good and the quarantine is rusting it even more

my original post: https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=182523.msg156079433#msg156079433

[kimoleto]

Thanks for sharing, do you have more photos? I see you make small bore projectiles, have you tried with big bores? Any ideas on swaging the slugs instead of casting them?

[kimoleto]

You can use a Tap handle (t type) to hold the blade and slit the bullets, just grind a piece of a hacksaw blade or some other kind of steel (razor blades)  to form the cutters, no need for a milling machine.