Spitzer (bullet)

A spitzer bullet is a <a href="/facts/Ammunition/ajd1wm1I">munitions</a> term, primarily regarding <a href="/facts/Fully_powered_cartridge/r0xgL1wW">fully-powered</a> and <a href="/facts/Intermediate_cartridge/G1q9Ig7d">intermediate</a> <a href="/facts/Small-arms/GuHx4aGE">small-arms</a> ammunition, describing <a href="/facts/Bullet/VgJXCI0b">bullets</a> featuring an <a href="/facts/Aerodynamics/Cn6Lnl3H">aerodynamically</a> <a href="/facts/Nose_cone_design/GgygdjK3">pointed nose shape</a>, called a spire point, sometimes combined with a tapered base, called a boat tail (then a spitzer boat-tail bullet), in order to reduce <a href="/facts/Drag_(physics)/vdl4jF7I">drag</a> and obtain a lower <a href="/facts/Drag_coefficient/UF2vHpz5">drag coefficient</a>, resulting in an aerodynamically superior torpedo shaped projectile, which decelerates less rapidly and has improved <a href="/facts/External_ballistics/cF2PHJ4W">external ballistic behaviour</a>, at the expense of some potential weight and <a href="/facts/Kinetic_energy/aJRxUd4p">kinetic energy</a> relative to blunter <a href="/facts/Ogive/vUIbhP0m">ogive/round/flat-nose</a> flat-base projectiles.
The type which was developed for military purposes in the late 19th and early 20th century and was a major design improvement compared to earlier rounder or flatter-tipped bullets in terms of range and accuracy. Its introduction, along with long-range volley sights for service rifles, changed military doctrines. Area targets at ranges up to 1,420–2,606 m (1,550–2,850 yd) could be subject to rifle fire. With improvements in <a href="/facts/Machine_gun/JPXmy1zR">machine guns</a> at the turn of the 20th century, the addition of <a href="/facts/Clinometer/NB4nFvg5">clinometers</a> meant that fixed machine gun squads could deliver <a href="/facts/Plunging_fire/MAtBGP2a">plunging fire</a> or <a href="/facts/Indirect_fire/g86Xc8b6">indirect fire</a> at more than 3,000 m (3,280 yd). The indirect firing method exploits the maximal <a href="/facts/Effective_range/3bCKFJQS">effective range</a>, that is defined by the maximum range of a small-arms projectile while still maintaining the minimum kinetic energy required to put unprotected personnel out of action, which is generally believed to be 15 kilogram-meters (147 J / 108 ft⋅lbf).
Spitzer bullets greatly increased the lethality of the battlefields of <a href="/facts/World_War_I/vITTUanQ">World War I</a>. Before, during and after World War I, militaries adopted even more aerodynamically refined spitzer projectiles by combining a pointed nose with a slightly tapered base at the rear, a so called boat tail, which further reduced drag in flight. These projectiles were known as spitzer boat-tail bullets which increased the terminal maximum ranges of fully-powered rifle cartridges to between 4,115 and 5,500 m (4,500 and 6,010 yd).

Spitzer (bullet) open-in-new

Spitzer (bullet)