A soft point bullet is a lead bullet with a copper or brass jacket that is left open at the tip, exposing some of the lead inside (compare to hollow point bullet). Soft point bullets are designed to expand upon impact, as the softer lead is deformed to spread open the harder metal jacket. The mechanism is the same as hollow point bullets, but the lack of a hollow depression reduces the area upon which the hydraulic pressure can act on the lead, and thus the soft point bullet expands more slowly than a hollow point.

.357 Magnum rounds. Left: Jacketed, Flat Point (JFP/JSP). Right: Jacketed, Hollow Point (JHP).

Soft point bullets are less common than hollow points, due to the slower expansion and greater penetration, but they fill a couple of roles that hollow points do not. In some cases the reduced expansion is desired, so that more penetration is achieved before the bullet begins the rapid deceleration caused by expansion. In other cases, the smooth, rounded profile typical of a soft point bullet is preferred over the concave tip of a hollow point, because the latter tends to jam while feeding in a magazine fed weapon. Many military firearms, especially pistols, were designed to fire only full metal jacket bullet ammunition, and will suffer failures to feed with hollow point ammunition, leaving soft point ammunition the best choice for non-military defensive purposes.

Jacketed soft point is usually abbreviated JSP in the ammunition and reloading industry. Jacketed flat point (JFP) is also used for soft point bullets with a flat, rather than a rounded front. Flat point bullets are required in centerfire rifles, such as the Winchester rifle, that use tubular magazines, where the rounds are stored front-to-back. Use of pointed bullets in these rifles can be highly dangerous, as the point of the bullet will rest against the primer of the round in front, and can cause a detonation under the force of recoil.

See also

• List of firearms
• List of rifle cartridges
• List of handgun cartridges