PROJECTILE PONDERINGS

The projectile has been a part of mankind’s culture since the first rock was hurled though the air. While so many of us quibble over cartridge conformation, wood versus synthetic stocks and the barrel length of our EDC carry gun, the only part of the equation that touches a game animal, hits a target or neutralizes a threat is the bullet.

The pure lead bullet was the most popular choice (and still remains in use to this day) until the copper-jacketed bullet came into play in the late 1880s. Adding a jacket of copper drastically reduced fouling, allowed the bullet to handle velocities a lead bullet couldn’t and slowed the expansion rate.

With few exceptions, the cup-and-core bullet design remained the standard for the next 70 years or so, and the performance of this bullet style heavily influenced our cartridge choices, in both handgun and long gun, whether in expanding soft-point or full-metal-jacket configuration.first—radical change to the standard cup-and-core bullet design.