Tumbling Bullets

Bucksnort1 · January 29, 2021, 02:32 PM

Before loading, has anyone tumbled bullets. I have a box of pointed soft point .257 bullets that have a little haze on them. The only reason I can think of to not tumble is perhaps damaging the soft point.

Comments!!!!

Bart B. · January 29, 2021, 03:49 PM

If they are clean, shoot them as is unless you want to enter them in a beauty contest.

ballardw · January 29, 2021, 04:13 PM

Flitz and a soft cloth while watching TV.

A vibratory tumbler might not deform the bullets much but a rotary one will likely have severe deformation if not removal of the soft tips.

Hammerhead · January 29, 2021, 05:15 PM

Tumble or vibratory?
I would think tumble might damage the tips, in a vibratory would they sink to the bottom?

RC20 · January 29, 2021, 09:46 PM

Dang I thought it was about going end over end down range!

Bucksnort1 · January 29, 2021, 10:16 PM

Sorry, vibratory.

DaleA · January 31, 2021, 01:51 AM

I wouldn't go through the bother just because I'm lazy.

That said, I believe I've read somewhere that damage to the tip of the bullet doesn't degrade accuracy much at all but damage to the base can cause significant accuracy problems. Note: go to somebody like Unclenick for the real info about tip/base damage and accuracy. They know why, I only know what I think I remember I read somewhere.

**44 AMP** · January 31, 2021, 03:11 AM

Tip vs base damage?

I don't remember which gun magazine it was in but there was an article testing this some decades ago. They shaved/cut numerous tips in different ways, and then took some of the same bullets nd drilled/cut the bases and shot them for comparison.

Bullets with mangled/deformed tips remained fairly accurate. Bullets with damaged bases did not.

Basically it has to do with area and rotational stability. Even a big chunk off the nose doesn't affect the bullet's spin the way a chunk out of the base does.

RC20 · January 31, 2021, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Sorry, vibratory.

Polish?

**44 AMP** · January 31, 2021, 03:44 PM

Dingy jacketed bullets shine up pretty with a few twists in some 0000 steel wool. No polish needed.

Shadow9mm · February 1, 2021, 01:18 AM

no, cant say that I have.

**Unclenick** · February 1, 2021, 11:01 AM

I've soaked bullets in mineral spirits to get the forming lube traces off for subsequent application of a dry lube (moly or hBN). Otherwise, knowing the target won't be admiring their shine on their way through, I don't bother.

Jim Watson · February 1, 2021, 11:09 AM

Sierra once compared polished vs unpolished bullets. As I recall, the unpolished shot just as well but were not shiny like customers expect. Bart probably has details.

**Unclenick** · February 1, 2021, 11:16 AM

It's a predictable result for the same reason rifling marks on a bullet don't change its ballistics appreciably: the air boundary layer over the bullet surface in flight is thicker than the engraving marks. It is certainly thicker than some surface oxidation.

Nose damage will affect long-range accuracy by changing the ballistic coefficient of the bullet and by introducing some wobble in flight. It opens groups by the same mechanism as tilted bullet so, which is by lateral drift due to the center of gravity being off-center in the rifling at the moment it clears the muzzle. But any bias the nose shape creates for off-axis drag is reversed on opposite sides of the rotation, so any amount by which that drag moves the bullet one way it undoes a half a rotation later. This limits its effect. The base, though, if it redirects muzzle blast by its unevenness, is deflected into a larger lateral drift that stays with the bullet all the way to the target.

January 29, 2021, 02:32 PM	#1
Bucksnort1 Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2013 Location: Littleton, Colorado Posts: 1,130	Tumbling Bullets Before loading, has anyone tumbled bullets. I have a box of pointed soft point .257 bullets that have a little haze on them. The only reason I can think of to not tumble is perhaps damaging the soft point. Comments!!!!

January 29, 2021, 03:49 PM	#2
Bart B. Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 8,927	If they are clean, shoot them as is unless you want to enter them in a beauty contest. Last edited by Bart B.; January 29, 2021 at 06:50 PM.

January 29, 2021, 04:13 PM	#3
ballardw Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 1,475	Flitz and a soft cloth while watching TV. A vibratory tumbler might not deform the bullets much but a rotary one will likely have severe deformation if not removal of the soft tips. __________________ -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ All data is flawed, some just less so.

January 29, 2021, 09:46 PM	#5
RC20 Senior Member Join Date: April 10, 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 7,334	Dang I thought it was about going end over end down range! __________________ Science and Facts are True whether you believe it or not

January 31, 2021, 03:11 AM	#8
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 30,477	Tip vs base damage? I don't remember which gun magazine it was in but there was an article testing this some decades ago. They shaved/cut numerous tips in different ways, and then took some of the same bullets nd drilled/cut the bases and shot them for comparison. Bullets with mangled/deformed tips remained fairly accurate. Bullets with damaged bases did not. Basically it has to do with area and rotational stability. Even a big chunk off the nose doesn't affect the bullet's spin the way a chunk out of the base does. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

January 29, 2021, 05:15 PM	#4
Hammerhead Senior Member Join Date: June 1, 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,432	Tumble or vibratory? I would think tumble might damage the tips, in a vibratory would they sink to the bottom?

January 29, 2021, 10:16 PM	#6
Bucksnort1 Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2013 Location: Littleton, Colorado Posts: 1,130	Sorry, vibratory.

January 31, 2021, 01:51 AM	#7
DaleA Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2002 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 5,384	I wouldn't go through the bother just because I'm lazy. That said, I believe I've read somewhere that damage to the tip of the bullet doesn't degrade accuracy much at all but damage to the base can cause significant accuracy problems. Note: go to somebody like Unclenick for the real info about tip/base damage and accuracy. They know why, I only know what I think I remember I read somewhere.

January 31, 2021, 03:44 PM	#10
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 30,477	Dingy jacketed bullets shine up pretty with a few twists in some 0000 steel wool. No polish needed. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

February 1, 2021, 01:18 AM	#11
Shadow9mm Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2012 Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 4,602	no, cant say that I have. __________________ I don't believe in "range fodder" that is why I reload.

February 1, 2021, 11:01 AM	#12
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,742	I've soaked bullets in mineral spirits to get the forming lube traces off for subsequent application of a dry lube (moly or hBN). Otherwise, knowing the target won't be admiring their shine on their way through, I don't bother. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

February 1, 2021, 11:09 AM	#13
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 19,175	Sierra once compared polished vs unpolished bullets. As I recall, the unpolished shot just as well but were not shiny like customers expect. Bart probably has details.

February 1, 2021, 11:16 AM	#14
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,742	It's a predictable result for the same reason rifling marks on a bullet don't change its ballistics appreciably: the air boundary layer over the bullet surface in flight is thicker than the engraving marks. It is certainly thicker than some surface oxidation. Nose damage will affect long-range accuracy by changing the ballistic coefficient of the bullet and by introducing some wobble in flight. It opens groups by the same mechanism as tilted bullet so, which is by lateral drift due to the center of gravity being off-center in the rifling at the moment it clears the muzzle. But any bias the nose shape creates for off-axis drag is reversed on opposite sides of the rotation, so any amount by which that drag moves the bullet one way it undoes a half a rotation later. This limits its effect. The base, though, if it redirects muzzle blast by its unevenness, is deflected into a larger lateral drift that stays with the bullet all the way to the target. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle