Wadcutter

A wadcutter is a special-purpose flat-fronted bullet specifically designed for shooting paper targets, usually at close range and at subsonic velocities typically under approximately 270 metres per second (890 ft/s).

Wadcutters have also found favor for use in self-defense guns, such as .38 caliber snubnosed revolvers, due to shorter barrel lengths, lower bullet velocities, and improved lethality.

[1] Because the flat nosed bullet is not well suited for feeding out of a magazine, wadcutters are normally used in revolvers or in specially designed semi-automatic pistols, such as the Smith & Wesson Model 52.

[citation needed] Wadcutter bullets for center-fire firearms often have a modified profile with a reduced-diameter central point or rounded section.

This was developed to allow the use of wadcutter bullets without causing excessive damage to the rubber anti-splashback curtain on indoor ranges.

Although primarily intended for target practice, wadcutters can be used for close-in self-defense and hunting because their sharp edges and close-range accuracy are claimed to increase lethality.

Deposition of lead into the rifling grooves of barrels and into the forcing cones of revolvers limits the maximum usable velocity of wadcutters to less than about 900 ft/s.

Mechanical and/or chemical means may be employed to remove the lead buildup caused by shooting wadcutters at excessive velocity.