Handguns & Spitzer Bullets

Spitzer bullets - why don't handguns use them instead of round/flat nosed bullets?

Is it that the velocity of handgun bullets is too low to gain any benefit from the spitzer shape?

Inquiring minds want to know...

Well... handguns are low velocity, compared to rifles. Low velocity bullets designed to penetrate aren't too effective in killing people. Bullets that cause a larger wound profile are, hence why JHP and RN are more popular.

Also, wouldn't that increase the OAL of a cartridge? Increase OAL too much in a autoloader and you either have to move the magazine outside of the grip or have huge hands.

Hmmm... A bullet can be Spitzer shaped without being long though to be honest I had considered that.

My solution would be to just seat it to a greater depth. That might increase pressure of course depending on the powder and charge and would be a concern.

I'm guessing thought that the advantage of a spitzer lies with it's aerodynamic characteristics at high velocities. Few handguns push a bullet out the end of the barrel at a velocity that could benefit.

Any ballistics experts out there care to comment...

I still say that shape is designed to push things out of the way and penetrate, not destroy living tissue at handgun velocities....

Smith & Wesson's new .460 is loaded with a spitzer bullet. The velocity is listed at 2300 FPS. :what:

I think a better question would be why there are not more boat-tail handgun bullets. This design would work better at normal handgun velocities.

Hornady does make a nice boat-tail 9mm bullet.

Many cast bullets are bevel based. This is to aid loading, but I wonder if it is more aerodynamic than a flat based bullet?

Generally speaking, most pistols are not fired at a range long enough to justify a more aerodynamic style bullet. The full wad-cutter style is the closest thing to a parachute that you can shoot out of a handgun, and it serves most users quite well.

Spitzer bullets tend to need a faster rifling spin rate to stabilize properly, and that would increase the recoil "torque" in the opposite direction of the rifling's spin. I'm pretty sure this "torque" would be a lot more uncomfortable in a pistol than a rifle, since pistols tend to be smaller, lighter, and fire heavier bullets to boot.

Then there's reliable expansion; handgun hollowpoints need the hollow cavity to extend into the lead core to work properly, unlike rifle hollowpoints. Making a relatively pointy tip while making a proper pistol hollowpoint could prove to be a challenge.


think a better question would be why there are not more boat-tail handgun bullets. This design would work better at normal handgun velocities.

I dunno why you say that. My understanding of external ballistics is that the difference in BC between boattail and flat base bullets only shows up at extremely long ranges, and that standard boattails are a bit less accurate than flat based bullets at any range; gas from the muzzle blast can easily flow around the back of a boattailed bullet because of its shape, forcing the bullet to fly through an extremely turbulent cloud of hot gas which rushes ahead of it, but with a flat base the muzzle blast is diverted to the sides and the bullet is able to stay ahead of it.

The (generally) lower pressure of a handgun load might not disturb a boattailed bullet as much as a rifle loading, though.

>>>>>>>>>>>I dunno why you say that. My understanding of external ballistics is that the difference in BC between boattail and flat base bullets only shows up at extremely long ranges, >>>>>>>>>

The difference in BC between boattail and flat base bullets only shows up at extremely long ranges because it only shows up after the bullets have slowed to sub-sonic velocities. Handgun bullets can start out at sub-sonic velocities. Given the mission of the handgun, it probably doesn't make that much of a difference. Still, there might be enough of a difference there to measure.

If I had time I would like to load the Hornady 9mm 147 grain XTP and another 147 grain flat base bullet to identical muzzle velocities. Then chronograp both at 50 and 100 yards. This would tell us how much more efficient the boat-tail handgun bullet would be.

What is a spitzer bullet, exactally? Would anyone care to enlighten me? PMs would be cool too so we don't take away from the debate/convo.

What is a spitzer bullet, exactally? This should answer your questions...

Long but thorough...

Note title of article is the author's not mine. No insult intended.

Ballistics for Dummies (http://www.rifleshootermag.com/shooting_tips/ballistics_0303/)

An easy method to determine ballistic efficiency is to use the JBM ballistics website. Plug in the velocity and the ballistic coefficient and see what the differences are at any yardages desired. Typical handgun bullets are very inefficient ballistically. I suspect few centerfire handguns (revolvers/semi-autos) are accurate enough to measure the difference in ballistic coefficients. I think most will find the differences minimal at best.

Interesting and easy to use....

http://www.eskimo.com/~jbm/ballistics/traj/traj.html

Also, an interesting observation by one I consider a real expert on the subject, Gale McMillan.

"If you consider the way a boat tail bullet is made you will understand
that it is an impossibility for the tail of the bullet to be inline with
the body. If the tail is formed in the upper punch it will always be
off by half the amount of the clearance between punch and die. If it is
made in the lower punch it will be a wider tolerance since there is more
clearance in the lower punch. With the tail of the bullet being off
center by at least 1/2 a ten thousands keeps the bullet from flying
true. That is the reason you don't see them used in competition (BR
that is) We will hear a loud cry from long range shooters and all I can
say is the ability to lay on ones belly and shoot 1/10 moa is an
impossibility so they can get away with using them since the error
factor is still smaller than the shooters ability. There was a remark
made above about a flat base shooting better in a factory barrel and I
will change that and say any barrel! My favorite saying is the records
speak for its self. Show me a national benchrest record shot with a
boat tail bullet. One thing that clouds the issue is that no high power
match bullets are made with a flat base so they can only be compared
with custom match bullets made with flat bases of which there are few.
I will say that the small amount of loss of accuracy is off set by the
ability to overcome conditions due to decreased flight time at ranges of
600 and beyond."


Best,
JB