The assigned reading material for this week of the course is authored by Nathan Foster, and titled "The effects of Meplat on terminal ballistics". The article appeared on ballisticstudies.com (http://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/The+Effects+Of+The+Meplat+On+Terminal+Ballistics.html)
Mr. Foster opened his article by providing a little backdrop on the word "meplat". It is French in origin, and means "flat". It doesn't refer to the ogive of a bullet (as that's the ogive), but rather the tip of a projectile. At least that's what it is used in today's terminology of ballistics. In particular it refers to the wide, flat surface of a projectile tip. Mr. Foster reinforces what we learned early on in the firearms technology degree program. The tip of a projectile effects it's ballistic coefficient, and properties. We were instructed early on in …show more content…
Foster then explained how the tip, and material of the projectile will have varying effects on a target. Different rounds have different effects on targets. If you fail to choose the proper ammunition before hunting, you put yourself at risk, if the game is dangerous or large. Another important factor in the killing force behind a projectile is shot placement. I always aim for the cardiac complex personally when I hunt game (deer, javelina, etc.). Mr. Foster then backed up his research with photos of the different effects of these projectiles on game. Clearly there were some advantages in using these rounds, as displayed in the experiment pictures. Meplats although largely not researched with regards to big bore firearms, they do have their place in the world of ammunitions. I would wish that ammunition manufacturers would research and develop rounds in this field more. There is no telling what discoveries, or applications can be found simply by just researching. This article was very informative in the science behind meplat type