Q. What is lead?
A. Lead is a natural metal found in the environment.
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Q. What are the effects of lead poisoning?
A. Lead is toxic and has no known function in the human body. Exposure to lead affects primarily the peripheral nervous system and can cause impairment of hearing, vision, and muscle coordination. Lead also damages the blood, kidneys, heart and reproductive system. Lead poisoning is a particularly insidious public health threat because there may be no unique signs or symptoms. Early symptoms of poisoning may include loss of appetite, fatigue, irritability, anemia, and abdominal pain. Because of the general nature of symptoms at this stage, lead poisoning is often not suspected.
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Q. How well do Frangible Bullets shoot?
A. Tom Shaw, a Master Class DCM shooter, was getting 2 1/8" groups at 200 yds. He was given two boxes of International Cartridge 223 to do an outdoor test. He shot Black Hills Match Grade loads into 2 ½" groups and his handloads into 2 1/8" groups. The International loads grouped at 1 ¼", all conditions the same. He couldn’t believe that until the second International group was 1 ½".
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Q. How can that happen?
A. The bullets are totally uniform. There are no internal imperfections. Since there is no jacket to be non-concentric, no lead core to be swaged non-uniformly, and lubrication built into each bullet, the round just ‘flies’ better.
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Q. What caliber's are available from International Cartridge?
A. 9mm, 40 S&W, 45 ACP, .223 & .308 are currently being loaded. 6mm are in development for the PPC shooters. Other caliber's will be available in the future.
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Q. What is the best way to try Frangible Bullets or International Cartridges?
A. Order a box of a 100 bullets and test them against your best loads.
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Q. When handloading, what bullet/powder weight do you use?
A. Bullet weight in 308 is 125gr, bullet profile matches the 165gr, so to get a powder load you split the difference as the bullets length reduces case capacity. You would use 150gr data. In 223 the standard is 55gr. Since we use a 42gr bullet that’s as long as the 62-grain bullet, the split is the 55gr load.
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Q. How does shooting the Frangible Bullet differ from conventional bullets?
A. Frangible Bullets are lighter due to their non-lead content. They are therefore longer, lighter and have a longer bearing surface. Tom Shaw was using a 1 in 8-twist barrel. Normally, that barrel won’t shoot a 42gr bullet, but it will shoot ours because it is so long. No lead, longer bullet, less weight, better trajectory, you can drive the bullet faster. Since the ballistic coefficient is good, the bullet "flies" well and doesn’t drop as much because it’s running 30% lighter.
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Q. Can you drive a 223 to 4000 fps?
A. We sent some bullets to SC for testing in a custom 22/257 Roberts 9" twist barrel. The bullets have already performed well at 3700 fps in 223 REM. They should do 4000 fps.
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Q. How does throat erosion stack up against other hot 22 loads?
A. Lower pressures means extended barrel life. The situation with rounds like the 220 Swift is the high pressures as the bullet starts down the barrel. Some Swift barrels exhibit erosion problems at 2-3000 rounds. 3700 fps in a 1 in 7-twist barrel seems to work well at normal pressures.
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Q. What is in R & D at SinterFire and International Cartridge?
A. Lots of new things will come out. Ceramic barrel loads, there is a hot topic. Nothing has worked until sintered bullets came along. 12 gauge sabot slugs at higher velocities than currently available, 00 Buck with special wads that will group tighter in existing gun barrels, a 50 cal BMG round is being looked at, but the most exciting development will be the 22Rim Fire loading.
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Q. Why are 22 Rim Fire so interesting?
A. All 22 RF ammo is lead. There just isn’t anY other kind available at anything close to normal pricing. Since a sintered 22rf bullet will be longer than a lead bullet, and since the internal lubrication makes the normal external lubrication on the bullet unnecessary, the bullet will shoot better and the guns will be much cleaner. Gone will be all that crud that builds up in your 22 after a day of plinking or target shooting. Match grade 22rf ammo at across the counter prices will be available to all those indoor and outdoor ranges that are required to use Non Toxic Ammunition (NTA).
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Q. You have loading data on your site, but what do I do to develop my own loads?
A. Look at the data you use now. We have a light bullet that has a heavy bullet profile and case capacity. Use the intermediate bullet weight data you already have available. For example, in 308 and 30-06 using your favorite 150gr load, drop in our 125gr bullet. In 223, use your 55gr bullet load and drop in our 42gr bullet. In 9mm and 40 S&W, since they are high pressure rounds, our bullet is 30% lighter and therefore takes up 30% more case capacity. Go with your lighter loads using W231, Bullseye, AA#2, #5 or another fast pistol powder. The 45ACP, 38 SPL and 357 all have larger case capacity and a little slower powder loading will work OK. Just be sure that the load will snap the 45 well enough to cycle the action.
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Q. Do any local "shooters" have positive comments on Frangible Bullets? A. John Fulton had shot several Hornadys and Sierras, but the best he could do was 2 ½" group. Dropped in the Frangible Bullet in his 223 AR and the group dropped to 1" at 100 yds. Powder and cases stayed the same.
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Q. What manufacturing tolerances are held while producing SinterFire's bullets? A. SinterFire holds tolerances to 1/2 a thousandth on all production runs. Use your micrometer and check our bullet dimensions yourself.
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Q. Why is SinterFire 357 SIG unique? A. 9 mm. bullets are usually used to lead 357 SIG. The diameter is correct, but the profile is wrong because of the short 357 SIG case neck. SinterFire bullet profile has a bearing surface and nose give the 357 needs.
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Q. What steel is used in plate shooting?
A. AR 500 steel is recommended.
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Q. In your typical JHP load in 38 SPL, what happens when you drop in a SinterFire bullet?
A. When using 4.5 gr. of Bullseye the 110 JHP velocity goes from 606 fps to 813 fps and using a 125 JHP the change is from 7i14 fps to 928 fps. This is because of the built-in bullet lubricant and the reduced case capacity increasing velocity.