September 17th, 2022Tech Tip from Doc Beech, Applied Ballistics Support Team
Bullet pointing is a key topic that I will be addressing. The bullet will determine how much trimming and pointing is required. Particularly how bad the bullets are. Two things will be clear when you start with higher-quality projectiles like Bergers. You won’t need as much meplat correction, but the improvement will be smaller. NOTE: We strongly recommend that you do not point hunting bullets. Pointing can cause a decrease in terminal performance.
Don’t over-point your bullets
It is important to remember that you don’t want to over-point. It is safer to be safe and under-point than to crush the tips even a little bit. Bryan Litz said it best: “Leave a small air gap in the tip to prevent metal from collapsing together, which can lead to crushing.” The bullet tip should be taken down to this point. You can’t go any further than this. You can’t go further than you need to, but it won’t show on target. Bullet pointing is not for you if you shoot at 100-200 yards. You need to shoot at long range to reap the benefits. These can be anywhere from 2-10% (or more with poorly designed bullets). Bryan states that pointing will typically result in a 3-4% increase in BC. Pointing can have a significant effect on the nose if it is pointed and long (VLD shape), with a large meplat. This can be up to 8% or 10%. The increase in BC can be as low as 1 or 2 percent if the meplat is tight. For example, if you point a Berger.308-caliber Juggernaut 185gr, expect to get a 2% increase BC.
Sometimes, you may see small imperfections after pointing. However, to say that you “need to” trim after pointing is to imply that these imperfections make a difference. Bryan Litz advises that it is not necessary to trim bullet tips if your goal is to have bullets fly uniformly at all levels. Bryan says that he has never trimmed a bullet tip before or after pointing. Pointing is easy with the right tools
Pointing is a simple process. Pointing bullets takes as much effort as it does to seat them. We are just making the air gap at the tip of the bullet smaller. Don’t rush the job. Take your time. When pointing bullets, use steady pressure and smooth pressure. You don’t want to trap air inside the die and cause damage to the bullet tip. With the correct insert and a caliber-specific sleeves, you can use almost any press. The Whidden pointing tool has a micrometer top, which makes adjustments very easy. You can order the Inserts and sleeve for your press directly from Applied Ballistics. Make sure you get the right caliber inserts and sleeves. The Whidden Bullet Pointing Die System is sold by Applied Ballistics. It includes the die, one tipping insert and one caliber-specific sleeve. Click this link to see which inserts you will need for your bullet type(s).
