Explain to me how bullets have become "projectiles"

Longwalker

Longwalker

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I'm curious about a fairly recent change in Canadian shooter jargon. I have been shooting, hunting, & reloading for about 45 years. I know that makes me a fudd to some on here. But i'm really curious how bullets have come be be called projectiles on this site and a few others. So far I have never met anyone in person who calls bullets projectiles. I have often heard of cartridges called "bullets', ( and cause some confusion) or "shells" or of course just ammo. Is bullets=projectiles standard military jargon? I have no military experience. My understanding is that anything that is flying through the air with some "intent" is a projectile, but a bullet seems to me to be a more precise term for the projectile part of a rifle/handgun cartridge. I teach both the Canadian Firearms Safety Course and the Sask Hunter Education Course, but I have no insight from that source. Your thoughts and theories would be welcome.
 
i use projectiles because it prevents confusion. yes the projectile is a bullet, but if you walk into a store and ask for bullets, you are likely to receive loaded ones with a hunk of brass hanging off the end because that is what every fudd out there is looking for. i will ask for ammo or cartridges, or ask for projectiles, but i avoid the term bullets just to save the hassle.
 
All bullets are projectiles, though not all projectiles are bullets...
My take: I use 'projectiles' when in some mixed company because if you're talking 'bullets' to non firearm-folks you have a 50/50 chance of them understanding 'cartridge' when you say 'bullet'. When talking to tuned-in folks it's easier to talk more specific projectiles, like bullets, birdshot, buckshot, Minie balls, Maxi-balls, sabot-slugs, etc.
 
I have often heard of cartridges called "bullets'
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Only by the totally clueless.

but if you walk into a store and ask for bullets, you are likely to receive loaded ones with a hunk of brass hanging off the end because that is what every fudd out there is looking for.
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Again because the totally clueless refer to loaded ammunition as " bullets"
 
A salesman would have to be totally clueless to hand you loaded ammunition if you asked for bullets. How would that work?

C. "I want some 30 calibre Hornady 180 Spire points if you got 'em"

S. "Do you want .308 Win, 30-06, .300 WSM, .300 Win, .300 Weatherby or what?"

C. "Did I ask for .308, 30-06, .300WSM, .300 Win, .300 Weatherby or what?"

S. "Oh, component bullets, we're expecting those in 2026"


Aussies seem to like calling them "projos". I hope it doesn't catch on.
 
scott585 said:
i use projectiles because it prevents confusion. yes the projectile is a bullet, but if you walk into a store and ask for bullets, you are likely to receive loaded ones with a hunk of brass hanging off the end because that is what every fudd out there is looking for. i will ask for ammo or cartridges, or ask for projectiles, but i avoid the term bullets just to save the hassle.
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^^^Pretty much. Remember a thread a while back, someone bought 1000 "bullets" and was upset when their order was not factory ammo....but unloaded "tips". This in a sponsors forum(the vendor), got absolutely blasted. I use projectiles, sometimes "pills" if i am trying to speak Lookinese. Whatever it takes to get the point across.
 
If you're looking in a hunting synopsis, it mentions a single projectile ban (not bullet ban as they mean both bullets and slugs) .. so maybe from there it has spread?
 
Dogleg said:
...

Aussies seem to like calling them "projos". I hope it doesn't catch on.
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Those Antepodians like putting 'o' on shortened words a lot. The same way, hockey players shorten or put a 'y' on names to make nicknames. Most results aren't very clever.
 
Dogleg said:
A salesman would have to be totally clueless to hand you loaded ammunition if you asked for bullets. How would that work?

C. "I want some 30 calibre Hornady 180 Spire points if you got 'em"

S. "Do you want .308 Win, 30-06, .300 WSM, .300 Win, .300 Weatherby or what?"

C. "Did I ask for .308, 30-06, .300WSM, .300 Win, .300 Weatherby or what?"

S. "Oh, component bullets, we're expecting those in 2026"


Aussies seem to like calling them "projos". I hope it doesn't catch on.
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Projies I hear more often, never hear a projo though... careful, weight of a nation on the shoulders though these eyes :D


WL
 
Technically, a projectile is something that is projected through the air, or through space. A bullet is only a projectile when it is in motion. Vomit is a projectile during projectile vomiting, but otherwise not.
 
I've switched from "bullet" to "projectile" when talking to people who I don't know if they reload or not. I'd say 7/10 people I talk to both at the gun range and in gun stores assume I mean cartridge/round/whatever when I say the word "bullet". It seems everywhere I go, the vast majority of people call loaded cartridges, "bullets". Just to clear up confusion I now say "projectile" because it removes a very common 2-3 sentence question/answer period from my conversations. It's so common for me to have to change what I say that I now type "projectile" a lot when here on CGN.

Maybe it's the influence of video games which commonly referred to ammunition as "bullets"? I only say this because it's pretty much always people 30 or under in age who call loaded ammo "bullets".

Then there are those who insist that cast bullets be referred to as "boolits" and jacketed or plated bullets are only to be called "bullets".

There are also countless people who endlessly argue the cartridge/round/loaded cartridge/ammo nomenclature. I generally use "round" as it's a single syllable and easier/faster to say but I've had people try to tell me I'm dead wrong and no one has ever officially referred to a loaded cartridge as a "round". It gets the idea across and so long as the other person is reasonable and sane it's never been a problem.

Here on CGN I've heard people referring to "tips" and "slugs" quite commonly as well when actually referring to bullets.
 
nowarningshot said:
^^^Pretty much. Remember a thread a while back, someone bought 1000 "bullets" and was upset when their order was not factory ammo....but unloaded "tips". This in a sponsors forum(the vendor), got absolutely blasted. I use projectiles, sometimes "pills" if i am trying to speak Lookinese. Whatever it takes to get the point across.
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I read that thread also. I was somewhat surprised at the confusion on the part of the complainant.
 
cartridges are for rifles, shells are for shotguns. projectiles can be a rock or a stick, I wouldn't use that term. -shot and slugs are for shotguns, bullets are for rifles. I also see people using the term "devise" when they are too mentally lazy to be specific. I chalk it up to being mentally lazy. just like proper enunciation is going out the door.
 
The English language (and most other languages) change and evolve over time; sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Words change usage or meaning and new words appear and older words fall out of usage.
In the 1970's the word to describe putting things in order of their priority was "priorize" and now that word isn't even used anymore; it's been replaced by "prioritize".
When was the last time you heard someone make reference to a "horseless carriage"?
"Literally", based on the dictionary, means both it's traditional meaning of exactly but can also mean figuratively.

Do a Google image search for "bullet". Only 5-6 of the first 30 images are of an actual bullet. The rest are of cartridges or motorcycles. Even excluding the motorcycles we're still talking 5-6 out of 25 of the images being correct based on traditional nomenclature.

Projectile in place of bullet, at least as far as I've noticed, hasn't become common because people want to call a bullet a projectile or because they're lazy but simply because "bullet" is now very commonly used to refer to a loaded cartridge so projectile was adopted to get rid of common confusion. It's a result of a change; not a change for no reason on its own.

Is it technically incorrect? Yes
Will it become correct through common usage? Yes, if the trend continues

It's exactly the same reason a "rifle" or "firearm" is becoming more commonly called a "weapon" even by their owners who support gun ownership. The younger people entering the shooting sports started out with video games and movies instead of hunting. Times are just changing.
 
nowarningshot said:
^^^Pretty much. Remember a thread a while back, someone bought 1000 "bullets" and was upset when their order was not factory ammo....but unloaded "tips". This in a sponsors forum(the vendor), got absolutely blasted. I use projectiles, sometimes "pills" if i am trying to speak Lookinese. Whatever it takes to get the point across.
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So someone starts a thread blaming the business, because the person had no clue what he was talking about? Sounds about right.
 
WhelanLad said:
Projies I hear more often, never hear a projo though... careful, weight of a nation on the shoulders though these eyes :D


WL
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The pressure must be very high.;) Between shooting-deafened ears and accents I could have transplanted a vowel. I'm slowly getting the hang of it, and its sort of fun. Mossies took a while, eskie I probably wouldn't have figured out on my own if it weren't for context, and I remember having to Google arvo. I don't think I could get used to asking for sleeves of projies or tubes of two-two-oh-8, but after the initial confusion was able to give it a go.

I'd rather hear projectile than "Heads" or "Tips" or "shotties". Those last three I've never seen outside of CGN.

Projies sound like something to eat with butter and onions.:)
 
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