About Polymer Tipped Ammo

About Polymer Tipped Ammo

Hey all, we here at True Shot Academy are going to go over polymer tipped ammo today. Ammunition of this type is commonly found nowadays in various forms. Loadings with polymer tips are utilized for a variety of purposes ranging from hunting to defensive and precision-oriented use cases. Today we are going to go over what this type of ammo is while delving into traits, features, and more. Without further ado, let’s talk about polymer tipped ammo.

What is Polymer Tipped Ammo?

Put plainly, polymer tipped ammo is ammunition with distinct polymer tips. These types of projectiles are also referred to as plastic tipped bullets. These polymer tips adorn the top of hollow point projectiles and seal the bullet cavity and provide a Spitzer profile. Currently, polymer tipped ammunition can be found in the form of pistol, rifle, and rimfire loadings. At this point in time, there are more polymer tipped rifle loadings than there are pistol and rimfire loadings. Common calibers with polymer tips encompass 5.7x28mm, 5.56, .308 Win, 6.5 Creedmoor, .22 WMR, and .17 HMR to name a few. These calibers are supported by specialty loadings which are tailored towards a variety of potential use cases. Pistol caliber offerings of this type are typically tailored towards defensive use or range use. Rifle caliber offerings are often optimized for defensive, range, precision, and hunting use cases. Rimfire calibers with polymer tips are generally geared toward varmint hunting or precision shooting.

What Firearms Use Polymer Tipped Ammo?

A variety of firearms utilize polymer tipped ammo. As mentioned above, pistol, rifle, and rimfire calibers utilize polymer tips. When it comes to pistols, most of the loadings featuring polymer tips are semi-automatic in nature, often chambered in 5.7x28mm. Rifles in various forms utilize polymer tipped ammunition. Everything from traditional bolt action rifles to lever action rifles and semi-automatic designs regularly utilize polymer tipped ammunition. Purchase Polymer Tipped Ammo

Who Makes Polymer Tipped Bullets?

There are currently a number of companies who produce polymer tipped bullets. These companies utilize their own projectiles in addition to other companies. Hornady, Nosler, and Sierra produce a variety of polymer tipped projectiles which are suitable for a wide range of loadings. These projectiles encompass multiple calibers and are available in various grain weights. Additionally, some of these projectiles feature copper construction and are lead-free in nature. Examples of polymer tipped projectiles include Hornady V-Max and A-Max, Nosler Ballistic Tip (BT), and Sierra Tipped MatchKing (TMK) bullets.

Polymer Tipped Bullets and Velocity

Due to their Spitzer type profile, polymer tipped bullets are conducive to high velocities. This type of bullet profile is naturally aerodynamic and is conducive to accuracy at extended ranges. Polymer tipped projectiles are specialty Spitzer type projectiles which are further optimized for long range accuracy and effect on target. High velocities are conducive to flat trajectories and achieving desirable levels of penetration on target. Many polymer tipped offerings, such as many of the bullets produced by Hornady, feature heat resistant polymer tips. These types of tips resist deformation while in flight, allowing the bullet profile to retain its shape until impact. By retaining the integrity of projectiles, polymer tipped loadings are conducive to producing solid effects on target. This makes polymer tipped ammo good for hunting and defensive use and aids in facilitating proper expansion.

Polymer Tipped Bullets and Expansion

Polymer tipped projectiles are conducive to expansion. On impact, these polymer tips are pressed rearward into the cavity. This force and energy transfer helps facilitate efficient and reliable expansion. The high velocities at which these projectiles travel also aid in expansion and translate to good effect on target. Naturally, a projectile that is traveling fast and immediately stopping and expanding will pack a significant punch on target. Polymer tips also seal the cavity of these projectiles and eliminate the possibility of debris and matter entering the hollow point. Put plainly, if a hollow point cavity becomes clogged with foreign matter, proper expansion cannot occur. This phenomenon spurred development of many personal defense loadings which sought to resist or prevent clogging while facilitating proper expansion.

Polymer Tip Bullets in Lever Action Calibers

Polymer tip bullets enhance the capabilities of lever action rifles. Lever action rifles utilize tubular magazines which see projectiles resting against the base of other cartridges. Due to this, Spitzer projectiles were not used in lever action calibers as there were concerns of ignition under recoil. Concerns involved the idea of a pointed projectile piercing the primer of the cartridge ahead of it in the tube. This concern, in addition to many common cartridges also being used by revolvers, led to flat point projectiles becoming standard. Naturally, these projectiles do not carry the risk of igniting superseding rounds in tubes. Due to their softer nature, polymer tipped projectiles do not have the risk of igniting rounds within tubes under recoil. Additionally, polymer tipped projectiles provide superior ballistic properties and aerodynamics when compared to traditional flat nose projectiles. By utilizing a Spitzer type profile, these types of loadings are capable of achieving significantly higher velocities. Hornady notably produces their LEVERevolution line of products which utilize polymer tipped FTX and MonoFlex projectiles. Velocity gains afforded by polymer tipped projectiles make various lever action calibers further optimized for precision and hunting use. Purchase Polymer Tipped Ammo

Is Polymer Tipped Ammo Expensive?

Generally speaking, polymer tipped ammo offerings tend to be more expensive than other types of ammunition. This is because polymer tipped loadings utilize premium projectiles and are often specialty products. Shooters will find polymer tipped offerings tailored towards many use cases such as defensive, match, or hunting purposes. Due to their specialized nature and premium materials, these loadings are consistently pricier than their full metal jacket (FMJ) counterparts. Of course, pricing is also contingent upon the specific caliber in question. Regardless, polymer tip loadings will typically carry higher costs than their general-purpose, garden-variety counterparts.

Is Polymer Tipped Ammo Accessible?

At this point in time, there are many offerings in the way of polymer tipped ammo offerings. As mentioned above, multiple companies produce bullets of this type. These bullets are utilized by the manufacturers for their own loadings, other companies, and handloaders. Hornady, Nosler, Sierra, Federal, FNH USA, and PMC are among the many producers of polymer tipped ammo. While not as common as generic FMJ loadings, polymer tipped ammo offerings are common and easily accessible. Like other types of ammunition, shooters can buy bulk ammo quantities of polymer tipped loadings to efficiently stock up.

Conclusion

All in all, polymer tipped ammo is popular among shooters of all types. Ammo of this type remains a mainstay for precision shooters, hunters, and those looking for quality defensive ammo. With a wide range of support from bullet and ammo manufacturers, these loadings proliferate the market in many popular calibers. At True Shot Ammo we carry a wide range of polymer tipped ammo in our inventory of ammo for sale. This range of ammunition for sale encompasses popular calibers and gauges like 9mm, 5.56, 12 gauge, and .22 LR. Whether you want to buy polymer tipped ammo or buy bulk ammo, we have you covered. As always, happy shooting.