IP Library Granted Patent US 11,512,935
Granted Patent B2
US 11,512,935 · App. 16/897,833 · Granted Nov 29, 2022

Extended range bullet

Inventors: Justin A. Carbone (Anoka, MN); Jared Kutney (Cambridge, MN); Shawn Fitzsimonds (St. Francis, MN); Lawrence P. Head (Cambridge, MN); Bryan Peterson (Isanti, MN); Richard Hurt (Clearlake, MN); Joel J. Foley (Lewiston, ID)
Assignee: Vista Outdoor Operations LLC
F42B10/44F42B10/46F42B12/34
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,512,935
App. No.
16/897,833
Granted
Nov 29, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A cartridge with an expanding bullet that has advantageous terminal effects over an extended range. The expanding bullet including a bullet body including a metal jacket extending from a tail portion to a nose portion and surrounding an interior solid core and defining a forward opening and interior cavity. A tip has an exterior surface substantially flush with an exterior surface of the metal jacket. The tip has a main portion forward of the opening and a tip retention portion that at least partially fills the interior cavity. In certain embodiments the tip retention portion includes one or more fluid entry facilitation means such as a fracture regions configured to, upon impact of the bullet with a target, fracture or deform to expose one or more fluid pathways into the interior cavity and to a forward facing interior surface for initiating expansion of the expanding bullet.

Claims (36)

1. A cartridge, comprising:

a casing comprising a rearward primer, propellant, and a bullet, the bullet comprising:

a bullet body including a boattail portion,

a bearing portion extending an axial length of 44% or less than total length of the bullet, and

an ogival portion extending an axial length of greater than 40% of the total length of the bullet;

the bearing portion comprising at least one circumferential groove comprising a forward wall portion, a bottom wall portion, and a rearward wall portion;

the rearward wall portion comprising a ramp extending between the bottom wall portion and an exterior surface of the bearing portion comprising a forward facing angle in the range of 18° to 45° measured from a line on the outer surface of the bearing portion parallel to a bullet axis, and the ramp extending a distance in the range of 30 to 70% of the axial length of the groove;

the at least one circumferential groove further comprising a depth of up to about 0.008 inches±20%.

2. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the forward facing angle is in the range of 18° to 34°.

3. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the ramp extends a distance in the range of 30 to 40% of an axial length of the at least one circumferential groove.

4. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the ogival portion comprises a forward opening comprising a polymer tip extending therefrom.

5. The cartridge of claim 1 further comprising the at least one circumferential groove at a forward half of the bearing portion and a rearward half of the bullet body.

6. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the bullet body further comprises a malleable core extending towards the forward opening.

7. The cartridge of claim 6 , wherein the at least one circumferential groove is axially positioned at a rearward end of the malleable core and a forward portion of the bearing portion.

8. The cartridge of claim 1 comprising the bearing portion extending an axial length of 37% or less than total length of the bullet.

9. The cartridge of claim 1 , the ogival portion comprising a forward opening and a polymer tip extending therefrom comprising a tubular stem.

10. The cartridge of claim 9 , the ogival portion further comprising a plurality of circumferential skives extending rearwardly from the forward opening.

11. The cartridge of claim 9 , the ogival portion and tip extending an axial length of greater than 45% of the total length of the bullet.

12. The cartridge of claim 9 , the ogival portion and tip extending an axial length of greater than 50% of the total length of the bullet.

13. The cartridge of claim 9 , the tip comprising a main portion and a tip retention portion comprising the stem, the tip further comprising a hollow core.

14. The cartridge of claim 9 wherein the polymer tip comprises:

a main portion and a tip retention portion comprising the stem, the main portion comprising a conical or an ogive shape extending from wider rearward portion to a tapered forward most tip, the tip retention portion connected to the rearward portion and extending in a rearward direction to a rearmost end of the tip; and

one or more fracture regions defined in the tip retention portion, the one or more fracture regions configured to, when the tip is mounted in an expanding projectile, fracture or deform upon impact with a target and expose one or more fluid pathways into an interior cavity of the expanding projectile.

15. The cartridge of claim 14 , wherein the tip retention portion includes one or more recesses extending axially in the forward direction from a rear end of the tip retention portion to a recess end point.

16. The cartridge of claim 15 , wherein the one or more recesses include an axially centered recess extending from the rear end of the tip retention portion to a recess end point within the interior of the tip.

17. The cartridge of claim 14 , wherein the tip retention portion includes a shoulder portion and a neck portion connected to and between the main portion of the tip and the shoulder portion.

18. The cartridge of claim 14 , wherein the fracture region is the neck portion.

19. A cartridge, comprising:

a casing comprising a rearward primer, a propellant, and a bullet, the bullet comprising: a bullet body including a boattail portion, a bearing portion, and an ogival portion;

the bearing portion comprising at least one circumferential groove comprising a forward wall portion, a bottom wall portion, and a rearward wall portion;

wherein the rearward wall portion comprises a ramp extending between the bottom wall portion and an exterior surface of the bearing portion of the bullet body comprising a forward facing lead-out angle in the range of 18° to 45° measured from a line on the exterior surface of the bearing portion parallel to a bullet axis;

wherein the forward wall portion extends between the bottom wall portion and an exterior surface of the bearing portion of the bullet body comprising a rearward facing lead-in angle, the lead-in angle being acute and greater than the forward facing angle of the ramp of the rearward wall portion as measured from a line on the exterior surface of the bearing portion parallel to a bullet axis; and

wherein the bullet body comprises a metal jacket extending from a tail portion to a nose portion and surrounding an interior core.

20. The cartridge of claim 19 , the nose portion further comprising a taper in a forward direction to an annular forward edge, the annular forward edge defining an opening in the metal jacket to an interior cavity extending from the opening in a rearward direction to a forward facing interior surface of the interior solid core,

the cartridge further comprising a polymer tip mounted in the interior cavity, and

the cartridge of further comprising the circumferential groove at a forward half of the bearing portion and a rearward half of the bullet body.

Assignments (8)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 26, 2024
From: AMMUNITION OPERATIONS LLC; FEDERAL CARTRIDGE COMPANY
To: PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 070479/0586 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 3, 2024
From: FEDERAL CARTRIDGE COMPANY
To: GLAS TRUST CORPORATION LIMITED
Reel/Frame 069476/0873 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 27, 2024
From: CAPITAL ONE, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: AMMUNITION OPERATIONS LLC; BEE STINGER, LLC; BELL SPORTS, INC.; BUSHNELL INC.; BUSHNELL HOLDINGS, INC.; C PREME LIMITED LLC; CAMELBAK PRODUCTS, LLC; EAGLE INDUSTRIES UNLIMITED, INC.; FEDERAL CARTRIDGE COMPANY; GOLD TIP, LLC; LOGAN OUTDOOR PRODUCTS, LLC; MICHAELS OF OREGON CO.; MILLETT INDUSTRIES, INC.; STONEY POINT PRODUCTS, INC.; VISTA OUTDOOR OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 069460/0001 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF TERM LOAN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 1, 2024
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: AMMUNITION OPERATIONS LLC; BELL SPORTS, INC.; BUSHNELL HOLDINGS, INC.; BUSHNELL INC.; C PREME LIMITED LLC; CAMELBAK PRODUCTS, LLC; EAGLE INDUSTRIES UNLIMITED, INC.; FEDERAL CARTRIDGE COMPANY; GOLD TIP, LLC; LOGAN OUTDOOR PRODUCTS, LLC; MICHAELS OF OREGON CO.; MILLETT INDUSTRIES, INC.; STONE GLACIER, INC.; VISTA OUTDOOR OPERATIONS LLC; WAWGD NEWCO, LLC; FOX HEAD, INC.; SIMMS FISHING PRODUCTS LLC
Reel/Frame 066959/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 16, 2023
From: VISTA OUTDOOR OPERATIONS LLC
To: FEDERAL CARTRIDGE COMPANY
Reel/Frame 062775/0924 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 5, 2022
From: AMMUNITION OPERATIONS LLC; BEE STINGER, LLC; BELL SPORTS, INC.; BUSHNELL HOLDINGS, INC.; BUSHNELL INC.; C PREME LIMITED LLC; CAMELBAK PRODUCTS, LLC; EAGLE INDUSTRIES UNLIMITED, INC.; FEDERAL CARTRIDGE COMPANY; FOX HEAD, INC.; GOLD TIP, LLC; LOGAN OUTDOOR PRODUCTS, LLC; MICHAELS OF OREGON CO.; MILLETT INDUSTRIES; NIGHT OPTICS USA, INC.; NORTHSTAR OUTDOORS, LLC; QUIETKAT, INC.; STONE GLACIER, INC.; STONEY POINT PRODUCTS, INC.; VISTA OUTDOOR OPERATIONS LLC; VISTA OUTDOOR SALES LLC; WAWGD NEWCO, LLC; VISTA OUTDOOR INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 061521/0747 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 26, 2022
From: CARBONE, JUSTIN A.; KUTNEY, JARED; FITZSIMONDS, SHAWN; HEAD, LAWRENCE P.; PETERSON, BRYAN; HURT, RICHARD; FOLEY, JOEL J.
To: VISTA OUTDOOR OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 060621/0490 →
ABL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 1, 2021
From: AMMUNITION OPERATIONS LLC; BEE STINGER, LLC; BELL SPORTS, INC.; BUSHNELL HOLDINGS, INC.; BUSHNELL INC.; C PREME LIMITED LLC; CAMELBAK PRODUCTS, LLC; EAGLE INDUSTRIES UNLIMITED, INC.; FEDERAL CARTRIDGE COMPANY; GOLD TIP, LLC; LOGAN OUTDOOR PRODUCTS, LLC; MICHAELS OF OREGON CO.; MILLETT INDUSTRIES; NIGHT OPTICS USA, INC.; NORTHSTAR OUTDOORS, LLC; STONEY POINT PRODUCTS INC.; VISTA OUTDOOR INC.; VISTA OUTDOOR OPERATIONS LLC
To: CAPITAL ONE, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 056033/0349 →