Pistols: how much does bullet profile affect accuracy?

[KevinA.]

Just wondering if round nose vs flat nose vs hollow point etc have much of an affect on accuracy/range assuming that all else is the same (powder, primer, etc). Is there a benefit to reloading a certain bullet shape if just plinking?

[bruce381]

in a pistol not much @ 25 yards go to 100 then maybe some improvements can be made.

[sghart]

I agree with bruce381.

I shoot a lot of pistol caliber carbines at ranges from 10 yards to 125 yards.

There are many factors involved. Muzzle velocity, twist rate, rpm of bullet, BC of the bullet in question.

I have found that accuracy in my rifles is very consistent at multiple ranges until the bullet slows to transonic and then it seems to be wobbly. The amount of deflection varies with the profile and meplat size.

Different profiles with different meplats react differently to the transonic barrier. You can stay subsonic and avoid this or keep your ranges short enough that the bullet stays supersonic to impact.

There are many variables to your question and countless threads have been started and wrung out over this on several forums.

If you plan to stay at 25 yards or less I would get a SWC and work up a load and go to town.

Best of luck,


Steve in N CA

[MongooseV8]

Many records have been set and matches won using wadcutters...

[tonyjr]

Like others have said - distance can change pattern .
They did not mention weather - windy , foggy , really dry .
Most of time - magazine , revolver reload - they change your stance
and do move the bullet around more than the shape .
I don't know about cast bullets .

[oddjob]

The other posters have summed it up, but I'll just add one more thing. How you crimp has more to do with accuracy than bullet shape. I've had 9mm bullets tumble at 10 yards!

[tonyjr]

I crimp more for the cases to eliminate flare - every caliber I / we
shoot except the 22 lr [ which we don't reload here ]

[mofo1111]

In my 9mm carbine, I use round nose and they are accurate as can be. In 9mm pistol rounds, I found that flat points and Hornady XTP or HAP provide the best accuracy(better than round nose in general). If you reload, you will probably start to find that your gun will shoot a certain bullet weight and will be more accurate at a certain velocity. I have same bullet profile and weight, with different powders, primers, and cases, but perform very similarly at similar velocities in the same pistol.

[Whiterabbit]

in a pistol not much @ 25 yards go to 100 then maybe some improvements can be made.

Many records have been set and matches won using wadcutters...

Totally agree with these guys.

IN MY EXPERIENCE, which may be different than those here...

I find the elbow at 15 yards. After 15 yards, bullet seems to start being more sensitive.

But OP, I have found the nose profile is less important than drive band. The more drive band I have, the more accurate I stay farther downrange. The exception to this may be the wadcutter, but I don't have enough experience with wadcutters to know how to extend their range. Obviously, they represent the pinnacle of driving band to weight ratio.

But it doesn't take much research into long range bullets for black powder cartridges to understand that it's possible to shoot hundreds of yards with a pretty flat nosed cast lead bullet. The common denominator is always the amount of driving band in the bullet design.

[noylj]

No theoretical reason, but, from personal experience, out to 50 yards, most accurate pistol bullets are:
JHP and WC/SWC (where WCs aren't very good past 50 yards and .32 WCs aren't much good beyond 25 yds.
After that, flat nose bullets
and, finally, round nose bullets.
Within each, individual mold designs or bullet makers have quite an effect.
For almost all my shooting, I am quite happy with SWCs. My only real experience beyond 50 yards is with a T/C Contender in nominal rifle calibers shooting rifle bullets and at 100 yards, the plain base bullets tend to be better than boattail bullets.
Bearing length seems somewhat less important than others have found, with the H&G 68 (long nose SWC) being better in my guns than the shorter nosed SWCs, including the H&G 130 (?) button nose. Then, others seem to get great results with the button nose bullets.
However, your gun(s) may feel differently about what they like.
For bullet weight,
I find 115gn "9mm" bullets are most accurate (in 9x19, 9x21, and .38 Super), followed by 121gn, then 124-125gn, and finally 147gn. Twist rate will have some effect, but all standard 9mm barrels should, theoretically, be quite happy with 147gn bullets and the 115gn should be "over-stabilized" and not perform as well. In fact, many Bullseys shooters are using 30:1 twist barrels for their 115gn JHPs.
For .45s, I find 200gn is a great weight. 230gn is not as accurate, and 155-180gn bullets don't do well in any of .45s. But, with a 200gn bullet, things are great. Even my .45 Win Mags LOVE 200gn bullets.

[rm1911]

[Whiterabbit]

By the way, my 45 pistol makes hits past 400 yards.

The bullet?



And it is cast from lead home-mixed between range scrap, clip on wheel weights, type-metal, and eutectic solder. The uniformity of the alloy is probably not very good, from batch to batch. To say nothing about weight uniformity, casting inclusions, bullet runout, etc etc etc.

So, you never know...

[hambam105]

Adjusting the nut behind the butt always works for me.

[71MUSTY]

Many records have been set and matches won using wadcutters...

And light loads.

[mjmagee67]

Not a single bit...