Meplat Trimmer on Wilson Case Trimmer

S

Stugotz

Guest
I started this on the Centerfire page and didn't get any responses. Perhaps this is a more appropriate page.....


Meplat Trimmer on Wilson Case Trimmer

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyone have any experience with this product?

http://www.whiddengunworks.net/trimmer.html

Looks to me to be easier to use than the handheld units and more precise than the Sinclair product. What say you?
 
I fiddled trimming meplats for my 1000-1200 yard rifle & found it particularly difficult to batch the bulk projectiles so I could use batches with similar meplat outcomes. I was trimming 210 Berger .30s at the time using the Tubbs device & one which indexed much closer to the point. Neither gave results worth the effort. Sometimes the outcome was way worse than untreated heads.

I'm more inclined to the Whidden tip former & expect to pick one up soon when a domestic nuisance (financial, not personal) is resolved. However, taking into account the caution Eric Stecker gave on dectecting a constant ogive, this device seems to have the answers as a meplat trimmer.
 
Last edited:
I have the Whidden pointing die (haven't used it yet) but they say in the instructions for the ultimate in consistency, point the bullet, trim about .004, then point again. Of course, the first thing to do is to sort the bullets into groups with like bearing surface lengths. I haven't gotten to that part yet either.
 
I have both the meplat trimmer and pointing die of Whidden's. I point the bullets just a little then trim and point some more, a little more work but I think worth the extra time if you shoot longer ranges (600 to 1000). In test at 1000yds. the trimmed and pointed bullets print 1 minute higher than non pointed ones ( 6.5 140gr.).
 
I have both the meplat trimmer and pointing die of Whidden's. I point the bullets just a little then trim and point some more, a little more work but I think worth the extra time if you shoot longer ranges (600 to 1000). In test at 1000yds. the trimmed and pointed bullets print 1 minute higher than non pointed ones ( 6.5 140gr.).
Click to expand...
I am not so concerned about the 1 minute higher, but more concerned if the pointing when done correctly as it appears that you are doing tighten up the groups? We shoot at clay birds at 565 yds and an 8 inch plate at 1000 yds. Everything is hit or miss. I guess what I am asking is: Do you think it makes the ammo more consistant?
 
I haven't done any testing at all, but here's my understanding of the theory. If the groups are printing higher, it must mean that the BC of the bullet is higher. If the BC is higher then the bullet would be affected less by wind and the horizontal spread would be less for any given change in wind velocity.
 
SooStan said:
I am not so concerned about the 1 minute higher, but more concerned if the pointing when done correctly as it appears that you are doing tighten up the groups? We shoot at clay birds at 565 yds and an 8 inch plate at 1000 yds. Everything is hit or miss. I guess what I am asking is: Do you think it makes the ammo more consistant?
Click to expand...

Triming meplats will make the BC more consistent from bullet to bullet which will ideally make for smaller grouping at long range. Pointing reduces the BC which should help as well.
 
SooStan said:
I am not so concerned about the 1 minute higher, but more concerned if the pointing when done correctly as it appears that you are doing tighten up the groups? We shoot at clay birds at 565 yds and an 8 inch plate at 1000 yds. Everything is hit or miss. I guess what I am asking is: Do you think it makes the ammo more consistant?
Click to expand...

I have not tested consistency at any long range, as I have no ranges close to use. I have to do what testing I do at matches.
I wish I new for sure about consistency, but in my mind I believe it helps.
 
J. Pendergraft said:
Triming meplats will make the BC more consistent from bullet to bullet which will ideally make for smaller grouping at long range.
Click to expand...

IMHO that's not enturely correct.

Meplat trimmers which work by addressing the ogive/body junction with some form of soft material (like the Tubbs, one I am familiar with, & apparently others) will cut the meplat inconsistently if your control of the insertion of the projectile varies - mine did.

On the other hand, if your heads are sorted according to base to ogive length with any degree of consistency, then a device that takes its datum off the base like the Whidden device in question will give results commensurate with the consistency of your sorting process. Devices which index on the ogive/body junction using a hard material will achieve a similar result as long as the process of locating the projectiles during the cut doesn not permit them being driven into the indexing body to varying degrees.
 
Fo what it's worth

Hi All , I shoot only LR benchrest so the following is from this prospective only ..I have found that qualifying all bullets at Base to Ogive at land dia and bearing surface ( from the same) and then uniforming the meplat from that point forward (.300 on a .308 bullet) gives me the best aggs.. It is as close as i can get to the same exterior shape all the way along the projectile that i can measure ..If i do this with the 187 BIB bullets after meplating on my home made cutter that the aol of 100 from 100 bullets is within 1 and a quarter thou ..With the bibs i can then load 100 rounds and they will fall within about 1.5 thou of Total AOL.Every now a then ( say about 2 in a 1000) there will be a different length which will show up in the loaded AOL ,so even RG is not perfect,close but.This is not the case with the factory bullets i have been using because the ogive is a different size at the point where it touchs the seating cone.. If you want these other bullets to end up the same AOL which will then put the ogive in the same spot from the lands then it will require you to rebatch the bullets at that dia ,i use a step of .200 on my 30 cal bullets because that is the position of the seater cone ..Testing the best bullets at say 200yds with my limited experiance in doing so shows no change by doing all the work against just pulling them from the box but at 1000yds it really shows ..JR..Jeff Rogers ..please don't shoot the messenger
 
a.JR said:
..I have found that qualifying all bullets at Base to Ogive at land dia and bearing surface ( from the same) and then uniforming the meplat from that point forward
Click to expand...


So do you sort from base to ogive first, and then within that group sort on bearing surface? If so, this is a technique I haven't yet read about. It seems like so far everyone has been describing either sorting from base to ogive or on bearing surface but not both.
 
John Kielly said:
On the other hand, if your heads are sorted according to base to ogive length with any degree of consistency, then a device that takes its datum off the base like the Whidden device in question will give results commensurate with the consistency of your sorting process. Devices which index on the ogive/body junction using a hard material will achieve a similar result as long as the process of locating the projectiles during the cut doesn not permit them being driven into the indexing body to varying degrees.
Click to expand...

John,
I think that after re-reading this a few times it is starting to make a lot of sense. Thanks for your input!!!
 
Need feedback

Thanks to the recent purchasers of the meplat trimmer!

I would appreciate feedback on something. The holders for a particular diameter bullet have to be the right length to work with a wide range of bullets. For example, with the .30s we have customers trimming 155 gr Sierras to 240 Sierras. I thought I had the right compromise worked out in length of the holder, but one customer had to modify his for use with the 240s.

I hate to have more than one holder for each caliber if I can help it, but that might be required for the longer and shorter bullets.

Please let me know what bullets you guys are trimming and if I've hit the right length for you. Your help is much appreciated.

John Whidden
 
John,

The 6.5 is fine for 142 gr. SMK, the .30 needed to be modified for 240 gr. SMK.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top