Tipping. What's your method and gear?

Circling back to trimming and tipping, I’ve seen the best custom bullets show considerable improvement also decline on the targets of my range mates test targets at 1000 yards by varying the amount being tipped. Below that milestone I’m told it’s not worth the efforts. I also have good friends that hold world records that do not trim or tip just load straight out of the box for 600 yards and only sort by overall length for the 1k target.
So each shooter has to decide what’s best for their program.

The Tubb BMU and it's use are described on pages 302 - 305 in McPherson's Metallic Cartridge Handloading book. Meant to uniform the sometimes nasty HP tips on long range BTHP bullets back in the day ... when they would come off the line with imperfections in the tip area. While it might decrease the BC a smidge by increasing the meplat, it's goal was uniformity. I've never used one, but if David Tubb was using it back then, I'm sure there was some interest in it.

I load Bergers as they come right out of the box. No tipping or sorting

Anytime you introduce a new step in your process you’re adding another variable to manage. You have to be discerning about that or run the risk of chasing your tail.

ETA: if you choose to do something like tipping you owe it to yourself to test the effects of doing it vs not.

I tip 20% or more unless the service is really lousy.

Oh, we're talking about bullets? I went down that rabbit hole and quickly decided that it wasn't worth my effort. I used tools from Sinclair, now owned by Brownells. I was shooting a 6.5-284 at the time with Sierra 142 grain SMK's.

bullseye308 said:

Are they referring to pointing the tip? Refining it to make it “pointier” to fly better..

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sure sounds like it. I've only been reloading for about 60 years and have never heard of it.

GRIZ22 said:

Article in a gun magazine a few years ago showed no difference in accuracy with mixed brass. Also no difference in accuracy with damaged bullet tips.

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As expected - the mixed brass or damaged tips introduce random variations. Match shooters have one batch of consistent brass being used. Pointing can't fix damaged tips beyond a making them fit a profile shape.
Where pointing comes in is in gaining a small BC gain of maybe 1 or 2 points on the G7 BC scale to save a very small wind drift amount and save 1 point or gain a center. It is not a magical fix all for not knowing how to read the wind or fire good shots - it can not make cheap poorly made bullets premium grade but can improve their performance and consistency in BC - top end offerings have very little left on the table to find.
On the other hand it right at the top with evenly matched shooters fraction of a percent gain in bullet performance maybe the difference needed at the longer distances to win.

Erik Cortina video using a Giraud trimmer to uniform some bullets after having trimmed his brass with it.

Here's a good video on tipping and why ... 600+ yards. I found it interesting anyway. I'm not shooting those distances so I have no application ... just wanting to learn.

Rimfire McNutjob said:

Here's a good video on tipping and why ... 600+ yards. I found it interesting anyway. I'm not shooting those distances so I have no application ... just wanting to learn.

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You'll note in the video - he mentions that with some bullets, he "can't detect any change at 1000 yards" (2:40, specifically mentioning the 105 Berger VLD). So don't get mislead into thinking any time you're shooting 600+ that you need to be, or even would benefit from pointing bullets.

If anyone is still interested, here's what a tipping tool looks like, showing bullet in position, cutting tool removed and cutting edge. Back about 15 years, when long range shooting was becoming the thing to do, I bought TCR tools for 6mm, 6.5 and .30. I hear they can be worth the effort but in my experience. tipping a bullet takes about as much time as weighing a primer and about as useful. I now have only this 6mm tool, a relic among a drawer full of other unused tools.

Sounds like moly allover again....

GRIZ22 said:

Article in a gun magazine a few years ago showed no difference in accuracy with mixed brass. Also no difference in accuracy with damaged bullet tips.

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I recall that ... or one like it, but it was conducted at hunting distances, not extreme long range, say 1K or better. I find that using good boolits (SMKs) or any of the tipped bullets makes me not ever need to even think about doing it.

I do use a Stoney Point comparator on my bullets, based to the ogive to sort them (and my seater dies seats to that same point!), but again I find the SMKs to be extremely consistent, so now I don't even bother any more, as any variance is surely LESS then my read of the prevalent wind conditions, LOL!