Plastic-tipped bullet

Polymer-tipped bullets are a type of hollow-point bullet tipped with a polymer nose cone to give it a pointed spitzer-like shape. Most tips are made of polyoxymethylene, although some manufacturers have used polyester urethane-methylenebis(phenylisocyanate) copolymer.[1]

Green bullets of solid copper may use a plastic tip to preserve aerodynamic shape while enlarging the hollow point to improve expansion.
Artist's conception of the inside of the Glaser Safety Slug.

Description

The bullets consist of a fairly normal hollow-point bullet with the frontal cavity filled in by hard plastic, which is molded into a streamlined shape. Upon impact, the plastic drives into the hollow point and the bullet performs like a standard hollow-point, expanding ("mushrooming") to a larger diameter. These bullets possess the aerodynamics for longer, more accurate flights, and the in-target performance to ensure high lethality.

Usage

Traditionally, these bullets are intended for use in rifles and single-shot handguns, as pistols are not normally used at the great distances where the streamlined ballistic tip is advantageous. However, a few companies produce pistol ammunition with plastic-tipped hollow points where the plastic is molded into a more rounded tip. These designs are not created to increase the streamlining of the bullet but rather to improve ammunition feeding in semi-automatic pistols that are prone to jams with standard hollow point ammunition. Examples of such pistol ammunition include Cor-Bon/Glaser’s "Glaser Pow'RBall" line and Extreme Shock's "NyTrilium Air Freedom" ammunition (the "NyTrilium Air Freedom" cartridge also mimics the performance of Glaser Safety Slug cartridges, as it uses hollow bullets full of powdered metal designed to fragment rapidly on hitting a target).

Name
Ballistic Tips: Hornady 17 gr. V-Max 17HMR, .308 Winchester

"Ballistic Tip" is a registered trademark of Nosler, but numerous other companies produce similar projectiles, including Hornady[2] and Sierra. Nosler uses a color code to indicate caliber on the polymer bullet tips, to make them easily distinguishable from each other: .224 orange,.257-blue, 6mm-purple, 6.5mm-tan, .270-yellow, 7mm-red, .30-green, .338-maroon and 8mm-dark blue.[3] Hornady almost universally uses red plastic tips. Exceptions to this include the Hornady-produced .224" projectiles with blue plastic tips for use in civilian loads of FNH's proprietary 5.7x28mm cartridge and the "Z-Max" or "Zombie Max" variation of their V-Max ammunition, using green plastic rather than red (and having no other changes from the V-Max other than packaging). Sierra uses green, Barnes uses blue for their "TTSX" bullets, and Swift uses black tips for their "Scirocco" plastic-tipped bullets.

Notable examples

See also

References
  1. Thompson, Melisa C.; Lancaster, Cady A.; Banta, Michele G.; Hart, Crystal N.; Scanlan, Michael D.; Espinoza, Edgard O. "Chemical Properties of Selected Plastic-Tipped Bullets" (PDF). Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners Journal. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  2. Zwoll, Wayne Van (2001). The hunter's guide to ballistics: practical advice on how to choose guns and loads, and use them effectively. Globe Pequot. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-58574-375-9.
  3. Ballistic Tip® Hunting Bullet Information https://www.nosler.com/ballistic-tip-bullet. Retrieved 8 April 2020. Missing or empty |title= (help)
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