A hollow point bullet is a type of projectile that has a cavity at the tip. This cavity causes the bullet to expand upon impact, increasing its cross-section from the tip. Due to the expansion, the cross-section of the bullet can more than double, allowing the bullet to transfer more energy to the target body.
If the bullet gets lodged, it has transferred all its energy to the target animal, whereas in a pass-through, the bullet still has enough residual energy to penetrate the target body. The penetrating power of a bullet is therefore in contrast to the energy transfer in the target body.
Hollow point bullets can deform more strongly and quickly than partial jacketed bullets due to the cavity, resulting in a high stopping effect. Compared to less deforming bullets, the energy transfer in these bullets is lower.
To increase deformation, the lead core is often exposed in the cavity. The hollow point can, independently of this, be covered with a ballistic tip for better flight characteristics. The ballistic properties are also improved by shifting the center of gravity to the bottom of the bullet.
The degree of expansion also depends on the speed of the bullet upon impact. The higher this speed, the greater the forces acting on the projectile from the front, initiating the expansion. As a rule of thumb, most bullets are designed so that speeds of 300 m/s or higher are required for expansion.
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