Hollow-point bullet

"Hollow point" redirects here. For other uses, see Hollow point (disambiguation).
Cross-section of a hollow-point bullet; proportions are those of a .22 Long Rifle cartridge
.357 Magnum rounds. Left: Jacketed soft-point (JSP) round. Right: Jacketed hollow-point (JHP) round. JSP is a semi-jacketed round as the jacket does not extend to the tip
Various hollow points: .45 Auto, .38 Special, .44 S&W Special, .44 Remington Magnum
.45 ACP Federal HST 230gr hollow point cartridge, with two rounds of CCI Standard Velocity .22 LR for comparison purposes
.40 S&W round, complete cartridge and expanded bullet
A 9mm hollow point cartridge, along with unexpanded and expanded bullets. The expanded lead bullet and copper jacket are separated

A hollow-point bullet is a type of expanding bullet which expands on impact with a soft target, transferring more or all of the projectile's energy into the target over a shorter distance.

Hollow-point bullets are used for controlled penetration, where overpenetration could cause collateral damage (such as aboard an aircraft). In target shooting, they are used for greater accuracy due to the larger meplat. They are more accurate and predictable compared to pointed bullets which, despite having a higher ballistic coefficient (BC), are more sensitive to bullet harmonic characteristics and wind deflection.

Plastic-tipped bullets are a type of (rifle) bullet meant to confer the aerodynamic advantage of the Spitzer bullet (for example, see very-low-drag bullet) and the stopping power of hollow-point bullets.