(This article is obviously quite old and the data is dated. However if you continue to the end there is an update that is current as of Feb. 2023)

When I was a kid I shooting my .22 I did what I suppose every other kid with a .22 has done, I modified the bullets. The reasons for this are varied but mostly had to do with the fact that I could not afford hollowpoints. Wanting my bunny-killer to be more effective I split the bullet noses part way back, cut "x's" on the noses of some, flattened them to various degrees and tried drilling my own hollowpoints. The effectiveness of these modifications were questionable but I felt at the time that they helped. Besides, it was fun to experiment!

Dad was interested in all these things I was doing and he came up with an effective way to modify the roundnose .22 bullets so as to seriously enhance their performance. He made a tool that you could use to flatten the nose of the bullet by removing a small amount of it. The tool kept the overall length of the cartridges the same and kept the nose flat to the same size so that accuracy was not harmed.

In the 1980's Ed Wosika of Hanned Precision got hold of Dad's idea and started making some little tools to flatten the noses of the bullets. He called them the "SGB Tool"- "SGB" standing for "Small Game Bullet".

These first tools Ed made by hand in his garage. He sold them by word-of-mouth to shooters around the country. After a while all that work on nights and weekends became something much more than a hobby. Ed started looking around to see if he could find an outfit that would help market the tool. In the course of events he approached RCBS with the idea. They looked it over, but rejected it since it had been marketed already and they could not patent it or cover themselves so they had exclusive rights on it. Strangely enough, in less than a year CCI came out with a new .22 hunting cartridge. It had a flat nose and was called ... SURPRISE! ..... the SGB (Small Game Bullet)!!

Now it is no big deal that the idea was picked up by someone else and no one is fussing about it other than to say that the least they could have done was to acknowledge where the idea came from. A case of ammo to Dad and Ed would not have hurt .... But......whatever. Such is life.

Lately the CCI SGB has a much more rounded nose than the early production of it had. Most likely this is to enhance feeding in certain semi-automatics. However this rounding of the nose seriously destroys the effectiveness of the flat point. Even if the price of "specialty" ammo does not bother you, the only way you can get true SGB performance is to get an SGB Tool and make them yourself from solids.

In the meantime Ed hooked up with Dennis Smith who formed The Hanned Line to market the SGB Tool and other products Ed has come up with. They began to produce the Hanned Line of SGB Tools which are the finest on the market. These are made of heat-treated steel and will last a lifetime if properly taken care of. If you look at one of these little tools you will note a good amount of work goes into them. They are quality.

Shooting game with these has proven the effectiveness .. and some people report they do not tear up the meat as badly as hollowpoints. I have shot critters from squirrels up through 50 to 60 pound dogs and other varmints with them and found them to work very well. I know they will anchor a cat pretty fast.

Why would you want to modify the roundnose bullets? Because you can purchase 550 of them here in my area for $9.99 plus tax. Try buying some hollowpoints and see what you pay. A little work in the evening and you have a .22 hunting round that is more effective than a hollowpoint.

Besides, Dad invented it.

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NOTE: THE SGB TOOL HAS NOT BEEN MADE OR SOLD FOR MANY YEARS NOW. BUT MY FRIEND GARY REEDER (www.reedercustomguns.com) IS MAKING AND SELLING A "FLATTOP TOOL" THAT IS THE SAME THING. WITH HIS TOOL YOU CAN DO 3 CARTRIDGES AT A TIME. IT IS A QUALITY TOOL! AND THE CONCEPT BEHIND THE TOOL IS STILL THE SAME AND STILL VALID, EVEN AT TODAY'S PRICES FOR AMMUNITION.

I bought Paco's "nasty nose" tool years ago and still use it. It was designed to use with a hammer to hit an insert that swages the bullet to a larger size as it is reforming the configuration of the nose to either a flattop or hollow cavity. I'm sure you are familiar with that tool since it is another form of your dad's idea. I was not comfortable striking the nose of a rimfire cartridge with a blow from a hammer. I have always used an arbor press that gives me the same results and is repeatable to a standard outcome. I like it for shooting skunks especially because, so far, I have never had one spray that has been struck by one. My model 18 that has the sights set for snake protection is always loaded with CCI Mini-mags that have made a trip through that tool. I have also shot fox with those cartridges from my model seventeen. It makes an audable sound when they strike the body.

I shot a Javelina that was in our yard with a standard velocity .22 LR I had flat nosed. It dropped just after I shot it. The bullet went through the lungs and stopped under the hide on the opposite side. I cut the bullet out and still have it 30-some years later.

I have Ed`s and Paco`s Tool`s Have not used in a few years,, They sure did work well on every thing I shot with the modified bullets , I too am a littel afraid of using a hammer making them . I found that the tool`s made cheap ammo shoot smaller group`s Thank`s Jim for Posting.

...who had a large supply of .38 Special 158 grain lead RN ammo, and he wanted to try something like this with his ammo. Long story short -- I took an old Model 10 cylinder that had a "jugged" chamber and turned the face of it back on the lathe, and voila! He could file down 6 .38 Sp LRNs at once! I understand those flat-nosed .38 were very effective.

My Dad had a friend that was out of work, and who found a security job guarding a construction site at night. He had no gun so Dad gave him an old Enfield British Service revolver. Dad had reamed the chambers so they would take a .38 Special .. but the cylinder was so short that he had to cut maybe 1/8 inch off the bullets.

One night Joe (Dad's friend) was guarding this site and he heard some noise. Investigating he found 2 men stealing air conditioners off the buildings. He yelled at them and the guy on the ground turned and shot at him with a rifle, but missed. Joe fired back and didn't. He hit the guy in the leg. The wound was really awful.

The cops asked his what kind of magnum he was shooting but he showed them the old Enfield .38 and they could hardly believe it until they saw the ammo.

place after the flood and now I can't find them! ARRRRRRGH!

I found that they are REALLY useful with the CCI 22 Quiet and CB loads.

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Sincerely,

Hobie

I only have Paco tool. I used to open up HPs by twisting a drywall screw with my fingers. It worked Ok on treed 'coons and barnyard vermin. Paco's tool makes garden variety .22LR perform well, but more important to me, bumping up slug diameter to .224, or .225 often helps accuracy in the old H&R or other farm revolvers that have little cash value, but have great sentimental value as Grandparents' farm gun.

I recently added a card describing it's parentage and use, and moved it to the safe. The Boy knows much, but he can't be expected to know everything, yet!

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AKA zzr7ky

I have one of the MP HBWC 98 grain molds. I realy like it. Accurate, effective, easy on ears and powder. However...last Summer, whilst inspecting the garden for insects I spotted a Large Slug who had not yet hidden from the rising sun.... I drew the Ruger Single 7, 327 Fed Mag smoothly taking carefull aim so I didn't risk damage to the young squash vines. At a range of 6 feet, I was gratified to see the slug vaporized... less so as the slight breeze made me aware that I was wearing a fair quantity of the remains. This thing started out larger than my thumb by far.

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AKA zzr7ky

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AKA zzr7ky