Why are the heads of bullets round and not pointy?

Question

I've sort of wondered why guns don't usually fire sharper bullets.

Answer 1

It depends on the range.Bullets are made several different ways.Some sharp pointed,some hallow point,some are rounded and flattened.The pointed ones have a longer range while the flat ones have a shorter range.The flat tip or hallow points make impact with an object and explode.The ponted tip will knock something down at a long range but does not do as much damage.Most hunting riffles use a point in between so that you still have a little range and power but you do not want to destroy the meat.Most military guns are pointed for the range and but is enough to knock down the enemy.

Answer 2

Handgun bullets are almost exlusively roundnose (hollowpoints still follow the shape) because of teh geometry of the feed ramp on most guns. The bullet has to leave the magazine, make contact with a sloped ramp, move up the ramp, and enter the chamber. It's easier to do this if the bullet is smooth and round.

Rifle bullets, though, are a mixed bag. Pointed bullets have better ballistics than rounded ones but tend to do less damage when they hit their target. For hunting, then, the general rule of thumb is the heaveir the game, the more rounded the nose. There are exceptions based on newer technologies, but it's a decent rule of thumb.

I shoot long-range rifle, and do so with the pointiest bullet I can get - which keeps the bullet's speed up downrange. Not important at hunting distances; extremely important at 1000 yards :-)

Answer 3

What do you want the bullet to do? Knock your opponent down immediately or punch through something? Remember, f=ma. Now put all the force in a broad area imparting all its energy to the target, or focus the energy into a smaller point in order to pierce through the target such as armor plating and the like. Bullets do come in various shapes for various purposes. Rifle rounds are sleek and streamlined for greater accuracy over greater range. A hollow point 9mm round is designed to splay or mushroom upon impact and knock the target down while doing lots of internal damage.

Answer 4

Bullets are usually hollow point or blunt because after they go in they flatten out and cause a lot more damage that way. Sharp bullets go straight through and you're more likely to hit something on the other side of your target.

Answer 5

I think you saw only low-range guns. They are built to shoot the bullet with the lowest charge and since they are mostly used to make as much as damage they can, their shape are semi-spheric and their spin are low (sometimes, not at all!)
But, army long-range guns all have sharp and pointy bullets and make bullets to spin fast so that its final range gets broader. However, their shells are greater (usually multiples of bullet size) rather than low-range guns (where the bullet size is usually a major part of shell)

Answer 6

The object of a bullet is not to travel THROUGH the intended target, but to make impact, and destroy vital organs, once inside. If bullets were made sharper, they would travel through their intended target, and possibly hit an un-intended target.

Answer 7

regular bullets have dulled tips for max firepower.
armor piercing bullets have the sharp tips.

Answer 8

Yep, rounded fronts deposit more of their energy into the first target they hit, which is most likely what you want any way. More damage to the target. i.e., better kill.

Answer 9

Not all are, many are pointed and some are even hollow point.