Why are hollow point bullets(dum dums) so lethal?

Question

If i were to cut the lead on the tip of a bullet into the shape of a cross would this be more lethal than a normal .38 cartridge?

Answer 1

Common misconceptions have been offered as factual answers here...
First, the "dum-dum" is lay term a non-existant thing. In the late 19th century it was a term referring to a roundnose lead bullet loaded for the British at the Dumdum Arsenal in India. As for the ol' cutting or scoring a cross in the nose of a lead bullet, hasn't been done in reality (with success, anyway) by anyone knowledgable in firearms. It adversely affects stability in flight, reducing accuracy. Also, they feed unreliably in auto-loading arms.
Second... A hollowpoint will, on impact, deform to a mushroom shape. They are engineered to maintain all their mass and NOT break apart as some ill-informed responders have stated. The way a hollowpoint works is to transfer all (ALL) of it's kinetic energy... a product of velocity and mass... into the body. It's kinda like being hit very hard with an object instead of being completely pierced by one. That energy dump plus the hydrostatic shock resulting from the bullet expansion will more reliably cause the target (aka Bad Guy) to stop. The idea is, by the way, to STOP.... to cause the BG to cease hostile action. Just being shot doesn't guarantee instant stops. ( Except on TV. ) Many times even a heart shot can still mean 30-60 more seconds of purposeful hostile action is possible before the BG finally collapses.
Third... Using a non-expanding round, like a full-metal jacket (FMJ) will often result in a through-and-through wound in which the bullet enters AND exits the body. Street shootings with this kind of ammunition require the BG to be shot many more times (thereby creating many more wounds) in order to be stopped. More holes in AND out, harder for surgeons to treat, and interestingly enough such multiple wound tracks are not as survivable as a single hit with a good hollowpoint with it's single entry track.
The last, very good reason, for using hollowpoint ammunition is that it tends to stay in the body, and it is less prone to richocette if the shooter misses. That means when you call for the ambulance for the BG at 1st and Main, you won't need to call for others for innocent bystanders at 2nd and Main. 3rd and Main.....

SO: > hollow-point bullets are not "dum-dums".
>Hollow-point bullets are designed to stay intact on expansion, NOT fragment
>Hollow-point bullets stop more reliably, with fewer shots
>Hollow-point bullets are safer in that they are less likely to richocette or to cause secondary injury to bystanders after hitting the BG

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

First off, Hollow points and DumDums are NOT the same thing. Others have alluded to the expansion that occurrs when using a hollow point. This expansion causes a larger wound path. The bullet also tends to stay in the body. This means that all of the enrgy that bullet carried is used while it expands in the body causing a larger wound cavity and lots of tissue damage.

A dumdum is usually a full metal jacket bullet that someone has cut or scored so that it will break apart. FMJ bullets often pass right though a body, making a small wound cavity. Depending on shot placement, this is usually less lethal than a large wound cavity and the bullet remaining in the body.

There are some specialty rounds out there that are designed to split into 3 parts once they impact. There are also ones made of compressed shot that breaks into small BBs once it enters a body - not much penetration but alot of damgae.

Now there is a newer round out there called an APLP - armor piercing, low penetration. These are devastating. They are chemically formulated so that when they hit cold armor, they will go through it, when they hit soft warm flesh, they explode.

Answer 3

The x cut on a soft lead bullet causes it to spread out or fragment upon impact. Instead of a single track the bullet can split off into several wound channels.

The don't go as deep but expend their energy quicker and do more tramatic damage.

As for more lethal... Lethal is lethal.

Answer 4

Hollow points are "more lethal" because of the way that they expand upon impact. When a round with a solid tip makes contact with something solid it will deform a little and continue in a relative straight path. When a round with a hollow point contacts something solid it tends to "mushroom" or expand with sharp spreading edges. When this goes through the body it creates a larger area of trauma and rips open more organs and blood vessels, hence the "more lethal".

Answer 5

Hollow points are more lethal because they break apart on impact. A regular bullet would just enter someone and lodge in there, but a hollow point breaks into little shards and cuts through organs/tissue - causing much more damage.

Answer 6

The bullet will divide up into many little pieces causing more damage than a whole bullet. A hollow point or one that has a cross will do this.

Answer 7

I fly under the radar around here, so I'm happy to say that I feel under-appreciated. I guess the economy has hit Yahoo points, too, huh?

Answer 8

Are you planning a 'hit'?

Answer 9

Don't let's dwell on the morbid, dear. Aspire to higher things. Gentle, life-enhancing matters. Good boy.

Answer 10

you can also add certain ingrediants in a hollow point such as mercury and seal it off with wax. shoot to kill right?