Boat tail ammo

[khw9mm]

What are the advantages and disadvantages of boat tail ammo as far as precision shooting is concerned? Specifically on a .308 cartridge.

[aermotor]

I believe people who shoot bench at 100 yards use non boat tail but anything past that long range shooters all use boat tail as they fly flatter longer. There's a post somewhere around here by AR15Barrels where he talks about this.

[CEDaytonaRydr]

For one thing, it's easier to reload. Some Spitzer style bullets get a little off-kilter and jam up when you try to press them in, which damages the jacket and can effect accuracy.

Making a bullet a boat tail is also a way to make the bullet a little longer and distributes the mass of the projectile over a longer distance. That can help to stabilize the bullet during flight and can help with expansion upon impact.

[Sailormilan2]

Pros:
BTs tend to go father, being more streamlined. But effects tend to show up at the longer ranges, usually past 300 - 400 yds.
Easier to load. Boattail acts as a reverse funnel when inserted into a case.


Cons:
When hunting, BTs jackets and cores tend to seperate more often than flat base bullets.