Help understanding bullet acronyms

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460_Smith

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I tried searching for 'abbreviations' and 'acronyms' and didn't get anything, so here goes:

I've got everything I need to start reloading but I still haven't started yet because of one complication. I'm interested in reloading the .460 Smith and Wesson magnum and the .480 Ruger. The problem that I'm having is that my loading manual uses "standard" acronyms and abbreviations for bullet types while the manufacturers seem to like naming some of their products with manufacturer specific acronyms. An example of this would be the Hornady XTP bullets. Apparently, the "XTP" is an acronym for "Xtreme Terminal Performance", but I've been told that this bullet can still accurately be described as a JHP (the term my manual uses for "jacketed hollow point"). How do I know what "standard" acronym applies to a given bullet from a given manufacturer if the manufacturer is using one of these manufacturer specific acronyms? How do I know what bullets match the standard abbreviations in my manual if they aren't specifically marked with the same abbreviation?

This has been very frustrating (it'd be fair to say that I'm just plain p*ssed off that something as simple as a lack of a standard term being applied to a particular product is the one thing that's kept me from starting to reload), so any help would be very appreciated. Thanks guys...
 
Life in general has this sort of flow.
Lazy arses too cheap on the letters department.
I believe text messaging was the start to all this short
cut chit.
I try and do a Google search on the right click highlighted
term and then opt for Google Search.
Amazing what some of the short cuts bring up.
Then have to decide what is the right meaning.
Worst you can do is ask here on Nutzs.
Should be good for a grin on the numerous chitty replies.
Patience Grasshopper, you will perceive.
 
Thanks for asking that question 460.........and thanks for the link SKS. It is/was at first a major confusion to me as well.
 
It would be best to read the manufacturers description for what the bullet is intended for. JHP for example, there are some that dont expand, some that expand in a controlled manner and some that will vaporize a target (varmint grenade). The bullet doesnt actually explode like a cherry bomb, but the fragmentation of the bullet is extreme. I find myself reading trhough books, or on-line searches when thinking of trying a new bullet. The info is out there, its nothing to get pissed off about, in time you'll have a way better understanding, and you'll probably find a bullet you stick with.
 
Thanks for the responses, guys.

Kamloopy, the advice is definitely appreciated and I'm going to follow it.

Hoochie, I know each bullet has it's own characteristics but I can't experiment with my options until I know how to reload first. The problem is not knowing what bullets even fall into what category to begin with. I know it's a petty thing to get all worked up over, but it is frustrating that a manufacturer can't just put a small "JHP", or whatever, on the bottom of a box, under their "made up" in house acronyms...

Thanks again for the replies, guys.
 
I don't think there is much you can do other than learn the standard acronyms and develop an understanding of what they mean. Manufacturers are not going to stop using brand names anytime soon (and that is what names like "XTP" and "TSX" are, is brand names designed to separate them from their competition). But anybody who knows what a JHP really is should be able to look at an XTP bullet and realize it is a JHP by another name.
 
Thanks again guys.

BattleRife: I guess that's sort of what I'm trying to ask. If I look at a bullet that obviously fits the description of a jacketed hollow point bullet (for example) even though it's not marked as JHP, is it still guaranteed to work in the load listed in my manual for that bullet type and weight? This is what I would assume, but I just want to be as sure as I can that I'm doing things right instead of finding out the hard way that my assumptions weren't accurate. Is there any risk of coming across a bullet that visually appears to be JHP (again, as an example) yet doesn't fit the SAAMI specs for that bullet or the specs in my loading manual?

Again, all the help is really appreciated.
 
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