Muzzleloader bullet system
View Patent ↗A bullet system including a bullet body with a tail portion engaged with a polymer cup that provides enhanced engagement of the barrel upon firing. The bullet system may have a radial retracted state that corresponds to an elongated axial state of the bullet system that allows the cupped bullet to be fed down the barrel at a reduced diameter with reduced engagement with the barrel. The radial expansion of the bullet system occurs upon axial length reduction of the bullet system by axial compression. The axial compression can occur upon firing of the propellant or when loading with the ramrod. The bullet system can provide a tactile seat force indicator tip insert within the tip of the bullet body that provides a tactile sensation when the bullet is properly seated against the propellant charge. A cutting edge may be provided for scraping the barrel upon insertion of the bullet.
1. A bullet system for a muzzleloader, the bullet system comprising a bullet body and a polymer cup, the bullet body having a forward tapered end and a rearward tail portion, the tail portion having a tapered region with a radius of the tail portion increasing in the forward direction;
the polymer cup having an open end and a closed end and being slidingly engaged on the tail portion of the bullet body, the cup having a radially deformable side wall portion positioned at the tapered region such that when the cup is slid axially forward on the tail portion, the radially deformable side wall portion engages the tapered region and is deformed radially outward at said deformable side wall portion.
2. The bullet system of claim 1 wherein the tail portion of the bullet body has a cylindrical portion, and a second tapered portion, the radially deformable side wall portion positioned at the second tapered portion whereby when the cup is slid axially forward on the tail portion, the deformable side wall portion is also deformed radially outward at the second tapered portion.
3. The bullet system of claim 1 wherein the cup is slidably secured to the bullet body such that when the bullet body and cup are fired from the muzzleloader, the cup remains secured to the bullet body.
4. The bullet system of claim 1 wherein the cup has a rigid ring portion with a circular cutting edge positioned at the closed end of the cup for scraping a barrel of a firearm upon insertion of the bullet system into the barrel.
5. The bullet system of claim 1 wherein the bullet body has an outwardly facing conical surface and the cup has an inwardly facing conical surface and wherein upon moving the cup forwardly on the rearward tail portion, the respective conical surfaces cooperate to radially expand the cup.
6. The bullet system of claim 5 wherein the cup comprises a rearward end portion and a skirt portion that extends forwardly, the skirt portion having an outer lip that defines a maximum radius of the bullet system when in the axial shortened state.
7. The bullet system of claim 5 wherein the cup has an axial post that cooperates and moves axially within an axial opening extending into the rear tail portion of the bullet body.
8. The bullet system of claim 7 wherein the post has a securement position corresponding to the axial shortened state of the bullet system whereby the bullet system is locked into the axial shortened state.
9. The bullet system of claim 7 wherein the tail and axial opening provides a bias against insertion of the post facilitating axial expansion of the bullet system after the bullet exits the firearm and thereby separation of the cup from the bullet body.
10. A bullet system for muzzleloading comprising a bullet body and a cup with a closed rearward end, the cup axially movable on the exterior of the bullet body,
the bullet system having a first axial elongated state wherein the cup is positioned rearwardly on the bullet body with a corresponding initial radius that facilitates the loading of the bullet down the barrel of a muzzleloader, and a second axial shortened state wherein the cup is positioned forwardly compared to the first axially elongated state, the second axial shortened state with a corresponding radially expanded portion of the cup that is greater than the initial radius and provides a sealing of the bullet system with a barrel during firing, the corresponding radially expanded portion of the cup effected by way of the cup engaging a camming surface on the bullet body when the bullet transitions from the first axially elongated state to the second axially shortened state.
11. The bullet system of claim 10 wherein the cup and bullet body are separable from one another after the bullet system leaves the barrel.
12. The bullet system of claim 10 wherein the camming surface is on a tail portion of the bullet body and comprises a tapered surface.
13. The bullet system of claim 10 wherein the cup has a rearwardly facing cutting surface extending around the cup at a rearward end of the cup sized to scrape the barrel when loaded into the muzzle loader.
14. The bullet system of claim 10 wherein the cup portion has a second radially expanded portion in the second axial shortened state.
15. The bullet system of claim 10 wherein the cup is slidably secured to the bullet body such that when the bullet body and cup are fired from the muzz 1 eloader, the cup remains secured to the bullet body.
16. The bullet system of claim 1 wherein the bullet body comprises a metal and the cup comprises a polymer, and wherein when the cup is slid axially forward on the tail portion, the cup portion is frictionally retained on the bullet body whereby the cup does not separate from the bullet body after firing from the muzzleloader.
17. A bullet system for muzzleloading, the bullet system comprising a bullet body and a cup with a closed rearward end, the bullet body having at least one increased radius portion thereon, the cup axially movable on the bullet body, the bullet system having a first axial length wherein the cup is positioned rearwardly on the bullet body with a corresponding first maximum radius of the cup that facilitates the loading of the bullet system down a barrel of a muzzleloader, and a shorter second axial length wherein the cup is positioned forwardly on the bullet body compared to the first axial length, the bullet having a second maximum radius of the cup at the second axial length, said second maximum radius is greater than the first maximum radius of the cup, the second maximum radius effected when the cup slides over the increased radius portion.