Bullet types Although there are hundreds of different bullets available, there are just a few basic designs used by most shooters. Target bullets: These are generally the most expensive bullets as extreme accuracy requires very close attention to bullet weight consistency and dimensional tolerances. Target rounds are generally pointed like the traditonal full metal jacket round but there are other variations. Some have a hollow tip, like the Lapua Scenar (shown), whilst others have a hollow tip with a conical plastic tip embedded, such as the Hornady A-max. It is hard to generalise but target orientated bullets are generally fired at velocites of 2,500 to 3,500 feet per second (Mach 2.3-3.2). Varmint bullets: Varmint bullets are designed for the shooting of smaller games species such as rabbits and groundhogs, and pest species such as magpies, crows and foxes. These bullets are designed to fragment on impact. This serves the dual purpose of killing the animal quickly and humanely whilst preventing dangerous ricochets should a bullet miss the animal and strike hard ground. Popular calibres in the UK for varmint rounds are .17 HMR, .204 Ruger and .223 Rem. Varmint bullets are classed as 'expanding' and as such, can only be purchased if your FAC specifically states hunting or varmint shooting. Neither can they be ordered or sent by mail order - they must be written onto your FAC in the same way ammunition is. The bullet shown is a Hornady V-max (V for varmint), a popular bullet choice for varmint hunters. As an aside, Hornady sell the same bullet labelled as the A-max (A for accuracy) as a target round. As target rounds, A-max bullets can be ordered and sent via mail order. Again, it is hard to generalise, but the smaller caliber varmint bullets are generally fired at 3,000-4,000+ feet per second (Mach 2.8-3.7+). Hunting bullets: Hunting bullets are designed for the shooting of small to medium game species such as deer and goats. These bullets aren't designed to fragment on impact, rather they are designed to expand, or 'mushroom' on impact to around twice the original diameter. This causes the maximum damage to the heart and lungs of the animal so that it dies very quickly and humanely. The first bullet illustrated shows a 'round, soft nose' bullet. Notice how the copper jacket gets thinner towards the tip of the bullet, this helps the bullet to expand in a controlled manner as it passes through the animal. The second is a pointed soft nose, designed for use at slightly greater range than the round nose. As with varmint bullets, expanding ammunition is controlled ie it cannot be purchased or sent by mail order. Hunting bullet velocity varies enormously but 2,000-3,000 feet per second is a fair figure (Mach 1.8-2.8). Premium bullets: So called premium bullets are designed for the shooting of larger games species such as elk, boar,wild pigs and buffalo. Like hunting bullets, these bullets aren't designed to fragment on impact, rather they are designed to expand. The difference fron hunting bullets is that premium bullets are designed to stay in one piece on impact with tough hide and strong bones. The copper jacket is much thicker and some bullets even have a central solid section to prevent the bullet breaking up even under the toughest of impacts. As with hunting bullets, expanding ammunition is controlled ie it cannot be purchased or sent by mail order. The bullet shown is the Nosler Partition. Premium bullet velocity varies enormously but 2,000-3,000 feet per second is a fair figure (Mach 1.8-2.8). The GROM bullet: Made by Serbian ammunition company Prvi Partizan, the GROM (which is Serbian for thunder) fills the middle ground between conventional hunting bullets and premium bullets. It is a soft nosed bullet with a slim lead core. On impact, the lead deforms easily allowing the thick copper jacket to split evenly into petals. This allows excellent expansion with near perfect weight retention. Because of the softer lead core, the bullets expand as well on light skinned animals such as deer as they do on thicker skinned animals such as boar. As with premium bullets, expanding ammunition is controlled ie it cannot be purchased or sent by mail order. GROM bullet velocity varies enormously but 2,000-3,000 feet per second is a fair figure (Mach 1.8-2.8). The Naturalis bullet: Made by Finnish firearm company Lapua, the Naturalis was developed to meet the need for a lead free hunting bullet. Traditional lead hunting bullets fragment on impact and leave particles and fragments of lead in the carcass. Also, there is increasing international concern about lead from bullets collecting in the environment both from missed shots and discarded entrails from hunts. This can adversely affect predators and can get into ground water. The Naturalis is pure copper and retains virtually 100% of it's mass when it strikes the animal. Expansion on every species from small deer upwards is assured by the specially designed green polymer button in the tip that acts like a piston and starts the bullet expanding in the first 2-3cm of the wound path eventually expanding to at least twice the diameter of the bullet. As with GROM bullets, expanding ammunition is controlled ie it cannot be purchased or sent by mail order. Naturalis bullet velocity varies enormously but 2,000-3,000 feet per second is a fair figure (Mach 1.8-2.8). Full metal jacket (FMJ) bullets: Full metal jacket bullets* are prohibited for the shooting of game as the lack of expansion means the stopping power of the bullet is limited; it is much more likely to go straight through the animal rather than expanding and killing it. Curiously, the Hague Convention of 1899 (not the Geneva Convention as is often thought) prevents the use of any type of dum-dum or expanding ammunition in warfare. The following is a quote from Wikipedia: "Because the bullet does not expand as hunting bullets are designed to, FMJ are much less likely to stop an enemy combatant. Hunters are not allowed to use FMJ rounds, due to their limited stopping power and propensity to travel great distances through brush, buildings, and other cover." * The bullet shown is an FMJBT, the BT standing for boat tail. This boat tail design serves to make the bullet more aerodynamic (it actually increases it's 'ballistic co-efficient' or 'BC'). This enables the bullet to travel flatter and faster than a flat-tailed bullet.