Bullet shape/feature purpose

[ReeferMac]

Some of them are known and/or obvious to me (hollow point), other's not so much? What's the point to all the _____ they're doing to bullets these days? I mean besides moving more product. Specifically to my Sunday problem, I'm shopping for more reloading bullets at Berry's bullets (berrysmfg.com). I have a few boxes of their 124 gr round-nose 9mm plated target bullet, have used it for a few years, works just fine for me (I carry w/ 124 gr gold dot, so want to practice with similar). But I noticed now they've got flat-nosed, and several with a large empty cavity at the back of the bullet (vs. the typical boat-tail style I see and am familiar with its purpose in rifle rounds). They also carry a 'target hollow point'...huh? Thick plate vs. thin plate? Whycome? 

I always bought the round-nosed practice rounds because they were supposed to feed better. Liked it better when I only had 2 choices, LOL! I was just going to order another couple boxes of the usual, but curious about the purpose or purported benefit to the added features I'm seeing in the marketplace. Product description doesn't list a reason for the feature.

Thanks.

 

- K
 

[peejman]

16 minutes ago, ReeferMac said:

What's the point to all the _____ they're doing to bullets these days?

Marketing.  They need a way to distinguish their product in a saturated market. 

[RED333]

I have not bought a projectile in a good minute. Here are a few of the boolits I cast and powder coat.

 

[PoofNoEyeBrows]

I always look at what I'm trying to accomplish and then make a selection based on that. Hunting, weight retention and expansion. Dangerous thick skinned critters, heavy, solid, large meplat etc. Never really looked at the marketing/ company description stuff since I started reloading. I focus on the simple truths. Weight, intended bullet function, coefficient. From there everything is an equation I can plug into a calculator.

[Guest BCR#1]

Check out RMR bullets. I'll bet their jacketed bullets are cheaper than berrys plated bullets. https://www.rmrbullets.com/

Bill

[Raoul]

I've had luck with Xtreme.

[chances R]

Some folks have better accuracy with HP pistol bullets, esp in 9mm.  Other than that point, it doesn't much matter to me as long as it doesn't bounce off cardboard and it feeds reliably. I use 147 xtreme or 145 plated from Bayou.  Generally buy either one around from 7cents to 7.5 cents each.

[ReeferMac]

Thanks fellas, I'll check them out.

But why the flat nose? I have heard people say cleaner hole in paper, easier to see.... really?

Why the big empty hole at the back? Surely we're not filling that cavity with powder? The boat-tail design in rifle bullets is to improve aerodynamics, seen the videos, test results, etc.

Shrug, just curious if I was ignorant about something (besides marketing-think). Thanks again. 

[PoofNoEyeBrows]

Hollow base usually to increase accuracy by putting more weight forward. They can also act as a type of gas seal. Flat nose is just as you said, clean hole. Think wad cutters.

[owejia]

21 hours ago, RED333 said:

I have not bought a projectile in a good minute. Here are a few of the boolits I cast and powder coat.

 

RED333 you need bigger storage containers!!!!

[deerslayer]

Some jacketed hollow point pistol bullets have a copper base instead of exposed lead, like many jacketed round nose and flat points.  This can reduce fouling.  

[leroy]

On 4/20/2020 at 6:43 AM, ReeferMac said:

Thanks fellas, I'll check them out.

But why the flat nose? I have heard people say cleaner hole in paper, easier to see.... really?

Why the big empty hole at the back? Surely we're not filling that cavity with powder? The boat-tail design in rifle bullets is to improve aerodynamics, seen the videos, test results, etc.

Shrug, just curious if I was ignorant about something (besides marketing-think). Thanks again. 

Reefer... 

There wuz a " truncated cone " (... Read that wide flat nose ...) craze in the eighties for both 9mm and 45acp slugs... The military and the feds looked at em a bit as i remember.  There wuz talk of better " knockdown " potential with em, but i think it wuz just the old " next new thing " thing myself... If ya want things " knocked down " ya need a shotgun, not a pistola, and most everybody that is a gunhand knows that except the craven and amoral purchasing, researching, military-industrial complex, lying, n marketing types that are lookin for the next " kickback " or " big bucks sale" on a giant military/ police ammo deal...  

Hornaday did a bunch of marketing on these " truncated cone " bullets... Ive got a bunch of both 45acp and 38 super layin around the house, both loaded and components for reloading.  They did feed well in the 1911 pistolas of the era..  I've shot bunches of em for plinking purposes... The cast n plated bullets ya see for sale today to the action pistol reloaders are the " children " of that experiment and sales pitch.

rememberin leroy...

[deerslayer]

Some manufacturers market flatpoints and truncated cone toward competitive shooters who have to knock down steel.  A flatter bullet is less likely to ricochet or deflect off a steel popper than a round nose when hit at an angle or on the edge, or so the theory goes.  I don’t necessarily buy this theory, but I know from experience that edge shots and glancing hits can fail to drop steel (especially when shooting minor), so FP and TC bullets may have a small advantage.  

Edited April 23, 2020 by deerslayer

[deafdogdief]

On 4/20/2020 at 6:43 AM, ReeferMac said:

Thanks fellas, I'll check them out.

But why the flat nose? I have heard people say cleaner hole in paper, easier to see.... really?

Why the big empty hole at the back? Surely we're not filling that cavity with powder? The boat-tail design in rifle bullets is to improve aerodynamics, seen the videos, test results, etc.

Shrug, just curious if I was ignorant about something (besides marketing-think). Thanks again. 

ReeferMac,

I read (I think on Berry’s site or another loading site) that this makes the projectile longer than its equal weight counterpart without the hole. Theory being that a longer projectile has more surface area making contact with the barrel and increasing accuracy. 

[DWARREN123]

Flat nose bullets dump more energy faster than the round nose, the round nose kind of goes right thru.