Full Metal Jacket (FMJ), JHP (Jacketed Hollow Point), and so on: there are many bullet designs, and designations. Those two are typically the most common, but there are many more, and it’s not always obvious what they are.
It’s important that the bullet — besides the round in its entirety — is appropriate for your firearm and use. Hollow-points are common for self defense. Polymer Tip (PT) is common in hunting. Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) is a common target round.
For the most part, ammunition manufacturers market the intended use of their product, but sometimes it pays to be informed. This reference article explains key bullet properties, and lists common bullet types and their typical uses. This page doesn’t explain projectiles for shotguns.
By Use
Self Defense
Usually handgun rounds. Greater expansion is demanded for sufficient stopping power, so hollow-points are common. Most brands market specific self-defense lines. Common projectiles include Jacketed Hollow Point (JHP), (Copper Plated Hollow Point) CPHP, and Polymer Tip (PT).
Hunting
Typically rifle rounds. It demands a balance of penetration and expansion, energy and aerodynamics suited to the game you’re after. You may see, for example, Polymer Tip (PT), Pointed Soft Point (PSP), and Jacketed Hollow Point (JHP).
Target
It depends on why you’re shooting: for training, it’s a good idea to shoot some of what you’ll be using to be familiar with its properties, and something cheap otherwise. For competition accuracy and consistency is important: you’ll often see JHP or FMJ. For fun, typically use whatever’s cheap, runs, and won’t foul up your gun.
Special uses — Many specialized projectiles exist. For example, Solid Copper Hollow Point (SCHP) at lead-free jurisdictions and ranges, Wadcutter (WC) for short-range paper target competition, or Total Synthetic Jacket (TSJ) for reduced splashback on steel.
Read More
| Quick Bullet Reference | Key Properties | Bullet Types |
| An overview of many projectile types. | Factors that set one designs apart. | A detailed breakdown, type by type. |
Quick Reference
| Type | Abbr. | Expansion | Typical uses |
| Jacketed Hollow Point | JHP | High, controlled | Self defense, hunting |
| Copper Plated Hollow Point | CPHP | High, less controlled | Range, self defense |
| Solid Copper Hollow Point | SCHP | High | Shooting in lead-free areas |
| Polymer Tip | PT | High, consistent | Hunting, self defense |
| Soft Point / Jacketed Soft Point | SP / JSP | Moderate | Hunting |
| Pointed Soft Point | PSP | Moderate | Hunting, longer range |
| Full Metal Jacket | FMJ | Minimal | Range and practice |
| Total Metal Jacket | TMJ | Minimal | Indoor range |
| Total Synthetic Jacket | TSJ | Minimal | Budget range use |
| Copper Plated Round Nose | CPRN | Minimal | Budget range use |
| Lead Flat Nose | LFN | Low | Paper targets |
| Flat Point Jacket | FPJ | Low, controlled | Paper targets |
| Open Tip / Hollow Point Boat Tail | OTM / HPBT | Minimal, not meant | Precision shooting |
| Wadcutter | WC | N/A | Paper targets |
| Semi-Wadcutter | SWC | Low | Paper targets |
Key Properties
Expansion versus penetration
There is a tradeoff between penetration depth and stopping power. Hollow Point (HP) bullets expand — or “mushroom” — on contact, delivering energy faster and decreasing penetration depth. Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) bullets penetrate deeper instead. Weight, velocity, and size all affect expansion and penetration as well.
Jackets and plating
Most bullets are made of lead, and many wrap that lead with a harder outer layer, usually copper. Jackets are wrapped around the core. Plated coatings are applied via electroplating, and are thinner. Both improve feeding and reduce fouling, and jackets control expansion in hollow-points.
Fouling and leading
Lead from the bullet, metal in the casing, and gunpowder can, over time, cause fouling (or leading) of the barrel. Some bullets are designed to reduce fouling — for example, copper-plated and jacketed bullets as mentioned above, or Total Synthetic Jacket (TSJ).
Aerodynamics
Pointed, aerodynamic projectiles experience less drag, so punch out farther. Flat-nosed or hollow-point bullets with exposed cavities have higher drag. However, hollow-points are also more stable, and often preferred for accuracy, due to a further rearward center of gravity.
Weight
The weight of a projectile is typically measured in grains (gr) in the US or grams internationally (g). At the same velocity, a heavier projectile carries more energy and momentum, and generally holds its velocity better downrange.
Frangibility and fragmentation
When most bullets impact, they stay mostly intact or split into a few larger pieces. Frangible ammunition is specially designed to thoroughly disintegrate on impact, preventing overpenetration and decreasing the risk of ricochets and fragmentation. Therefore, they may be used in close quarter training for safety.
Special terms – if a bullet’s tip is blunt or hollow, that tip is known as its meplat. The meplat greatly affects aerodynamics. The curved section before the tip is its ogive.
Bullet Types
Hollow Point (HP)
Hollow-point bullets contain a cavity, which causes the bullet to spread out — mushroom — on contact, increasing expansion while decreasing penetration. They are popular for self defense and hunting smaller game where deep penetration is not required.
Jacketed Hollow Point (JHP)
A hollow-point jacketed in a harder metal, commonly copper. The jacket controls the expansion — giving back some penetration — and confers the feeding and anti-fouling benefits of jackets. The most popular basic hollow-point.
Copper Plated Hollow Point (CPHP)
A hollow-point electroplated in copper. Similar to Jacketed Hollow Point (JHP), but the copper is thinner, so expansion is not typically controlled much. The feeding and anti-fouling benefits, however, remain.
Solid Copper Hollow Point (SCHP)
A hollow-point made entirely of copper. It is lead-free and preferred by lead-wary shooters or required in lead-free ranges or jurisdictions. However, it is less dense, so it will have less energy unless velocity is increased to compensate.
Polymer Tip (PT)
A hollow-point whose cavity is capped with a polymer tip. This streamlines the bullet for longer-range shooting. The tip also acts as a wedge, improving expansion consistency, and keeps debris out of the cavity. Sold under many names, especially a range of proprietary brand names.
Hollow Point Boat Tail (HPBT)
A pointed bullet with a tiny hole at the tip and an aerodynamic boat tail at the rear. The name is misleading: despite the “hollow point,” these are not typically designed to expand. They are essentially the same as Open Tip Match (OTM). They are designed to be accurate and precise.
Soft Point (SP) / Jacketed Soft Point (JSP)
A mostly-jacketed bullet with a soft lead tip exposed at the nose. The soft tip expands on contact, making this a middle ground between hollow-points and solids: a balance of penetration and expansion.
Pointed Soft Point (PSP)
A soft point with a pointed tip, reducing drag for longer-range shooting.
Full Metal Jacket (FMJ)
Full metal jacket bullets are a solid lead core jacketed in a harder metal, most commonly copper. The jacket provides anti-fouling and feeding benefits. They are common and cheap, but don’t expand like hollow-points.
Total Metal Jacket (TMJ)
Solid lead similar to FMJ, but electroplated rather than jacketed. FMJ bullets leave a small spot of exposed lead at the base; TMJ bullets do not. Provides even further anti-leading.
Total Synthetic Jacket (TSJ)
Solid lead similar to FMJ, but jacketed in polymer, reducing friction and leading further than metal jacketing, and reducing splashback on steel targets. Seen in some indoor ranges and competitions.
Lead Round Nose (LRN)
Round-nosed lead bullets: cheap, simple, and old-fashioned. They expand a little more than jacketed bullets, and far less than hollow-points.
Copper Plated Round Nose (CPRN)
A round-nosed bullet plated in copper. Commonly seen in inexpensive target ammunition.
Lead Flat Nose (LFN)
An exposed lead bullet with a flat nose. Makes cleaner marks on paper targets and delivers a little more energy than a Lead Round Nose.
Flat Point Jacket (FPJ)
A jacketed lead bullet with a flat nose. Like LFN, makes clean marks on paper targets. Its jacket, however, controls penetration and decreases leading.
Open Tip Match (OTM)
A pointed, precisely made jacketed bullet with a tiny hole at the tip, meant for accurate target shooting. Nearly identical to Hollow Point Boat Tail (HPBT), and, like it, not designed to expand.
Wadcutter (WC)
A very flat-fronted bullet that punches clean, easily scored holes in short-range paper targets. Occasionally used for self defense, especially in revolvers, as they feed poorly in semi-automatics.
Semi-Wadcutter (SWC)
Something between a wadcutter and a lead flat nose: a sharp shoulder and a flat tip. Feeds better than a standard wadcutter in semi-automatics and has better aerodynamics.
Proprietary Brand Designations
Many manufacturers use their own designations and names for proprietary bullet designs. These range from simple marketing names for well-established designs, to genuinely distinct and innovative bullets.
- Gold Dot Speer Hollow Point (GDHP) – Speer; type of plated hollow point.
- Flex Tip (FTX) – a Hornady name; a lead-core Polymer Tip (PT) bullet.
- Extreme Point (EP) – Winchester; a Polymer Tip bullet.
- Gliding Metal Expanding (GMX) – Hornady; a solid copper Polymer Tip hunting bullet.
- Super Shock Tip (SST) – Hornady; a type of Polymer Tip bullet.
- Power-Point – Winchester; a Pointed Soft Point (PSP) hunting bullet.
- InterLock – Hornady; a Pointed Soft Point hunting bullet.
- Triple-Shock X – by Barnes; a Solid Copper Hollow Point (SCHP) hunting bullet.