Do you have any hollow point ammo in your ammo cans? Break some out and take a closer look at some of the bullets.
You will see some with skived jackets; you will see some that are labelled as bonded and others as non-bonded.
And perhaps, perhaps you will see some that have a little nub or post right in the middle of the void in the bullet’s nose.
This is called a center post, and it has been a staple feature of some defensive bullets, such as Hydra-Shok, whereas some designs, such as Federal HST, lack it.
But what’s the reason? This short article will take a closer look.
Behind the Concept of the Center Post
Some hollow point ammo, such as Federal Hydra-Shok, is designed so that there’s a center post right in the middle of the bullet’s nose - where the void is.
Now, the concept of hollow point ammo is this. Since fluid is not compressible, when the bullet encounters a fluid-filled target and the hole in the nose is filled with liquid, it will force the walls of the bullet nose outward, expanding the diameter of the bullet.
This is called disruption (sometimes expansion) and results in rapid, devastating energy transfer, cavitation, and a wider wound channel.
It also is the reason that some hollow points have that center post in the nose.
The concept is that the post is intended to redirect fluid forces outward against the inner walls of the bullet nose, compounding the force and increasing the explosiveness of bullet disruption.
Now, whether or not it’s critically necessary is something for you to debate your shooter friends about until the cows come home. It does work, though.
But that raises another separate but related question. If it is fact that the center post in the nose of the hollow point does in fact improve disruption characteristics, why have some ammo manufacturers omitted it?
More importantly, why would one single company, like Federal, behind both Federal HST and Hydra-Shok ammo, include it in one line but not in another, especially since we can reasonably assume their internal testing teams are privy to the same ballistic data?
Why Federal HST Lacks It
With respect to Federal HST, it’s not just the lack of a center post that distinguishes it from Hydra-Shok, its predecessor.
It’s the lack of the center post paired with the deeply skived bullet jacket. The folks at Federal determined that the center post just wasn’t necessary, and in testing, HST actually outperforms Hydra-Shok in two key ways: it experiences greater disruption, and it is more reliable when it first has to pass through interposing layers of soft fabric.
But to talk about the lack of a center post in Federal HST, we must also address the skived bullet jackets, as these are also key to bullet performance.
The skives are notches corresponding to deep striations in the bullet jacket that serve as weak areas. When the nose of the bullet experiences those forces that cause it to experience disruption, the first point at which the jacket fails is where it is skived.
As a result, the jacket tears away at these points, exposing the core and forcing the bullet to rapidly expand.
Does It Matter for Your Applications?
You likely don’t purchase your defensive ammo solely on what you know about how the bullets are manufactured, so ultimately it probably doesn’t matter if the ammo you shoot has a center post in the nose of the bullet or not.
Rather, you should consider whether or not the ammo you shoot is reliable in your handgun, and you should specifically train with it at the range, so you can pattern it, as well as troubleshooting any issues that might arise with respect to accuracy and feeding.
But as for the center post, that’s something you can likely look past. There are advantages to skived jackets, bonded jackets, non-bonded jackets, and center posts. Then there are specific advantages to individual lines of defense ammo, like Federal HST, such as what has already been said about its reliability when passing through layers of fabric material.
The point is this: all different ammo designed for defensive applications will perform uniquely, some better than others in your specific gun. What you need to do is find and settle on one that offers reliable performance with what you carry.
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Whether you’re here for Federal HST, Hydra-Shok, or some other popular defensive ammo like Speer Gold Dot or Remington UMC, we have you covered.
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