The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post

**44 AMP** · January 31, 2021, 03:11 AM

Tip vs base damage?

I don't remember which gun magazine it was in but there was an article testing this some decades ago. They shaved/cut numerous tips in different ways, and then took some of the same bullets nd drilled/cut the bases and shot them for comparison.

Bullets with mangled/deformed tips remained fairly accurate. Bullets with damaged bases did not.

Basically it has to do with area and rotational stability. Even a big chunk off the nose doesn't affect the bullet's spin the way a chunk out of the base does.

January 31, 2021, 03:11 AM	#8
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 30,479	Tip vs base damage? I don't remember which gun magazine it was in but there was an article testing this some decades ago. They shaved/cut numerous tips in different ways, and then took some of the same bullets nd drilled/cut the bases and shot them for comparison. Bullets with mangled/deformed tips remained fairly accurate. Bullets with damaged bases did not. Basically it has to do with area and rotational stability. Even a big chunk off the nose doesn't affect the bullet's spin the way a chunk out of the base does. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.