Hollow Point vs OTM bullets

Hello all. I seek an answer to a question that has bothered me long enough. Do Open Tip Match(OTM) rounds perform the same as hollow point rounds (on impact)? Visually they look the same to me, but I've found conflicting answers online and I don't currently have a way to test myself. I have some of each, but would like to know if I can treat them as equals or keep separated for different roles.

As always, I prefer first hand knowledge as I've already found plenty of conflicting arguments online.

Thanks

I've never hunted with them, but if you put an OTM and Hunter model bullet side by side, I probably could not tell the difference.

Hauge convention inadvertently had a little to do with it even though the US was never a party to it- it caused confusion over "hollow point bullets" so the term "open tip match" was coined.

An otm bullet "isn't designed to open easily on soft tissue at distance" yet a "hollow point" is commonly thought to do so.

It's all semantics--- it doesn't mean that an otm bullet won't expand, it just means it wasn't designed or tested to do so.

Most times an otm bullet has a smaller opening than a hollow point bullet ( but not always)

Otm bullets are designed as match bullets, hunting hollow point bullets are designed and tested for expansion on soft tissue---- many people have found otm bullets to be very good hunting bullets, it's just that the manufacturer never "designed or tested them for expansion"

archanfire said:

Hello all. I seek an answer to a question that has bothered me long enough. Do Open Tip Match(OTM) rounds perform the same as hollow point rounds (on impact)? Visually they look the same to me, but I've found conflicting answers online and I don't currently have a way to test myself. I have some of each, but would like to know if I can treat them as equals or keep separated for different roles.

As always, I prefer first hand knowledge as I've already found plenty of conflicting arguments online.

Thanks

Click to expand...

Yes!

OTMs kill with authority. The Berger 6.5mm 130 OTM is probably our most used hunting bullet on deer and pronghorn. From 145 to 771 yards.
I have used the .224 77 OTM, and .308 230 OTM as well. They absolutely crush as well.

They are a little shorter than the Hyb or Elite counterparts of the same weight.

Here are a few examples of the 6.5mm 130 OTM performance.
Entrance @ 145 yds

Exit, buck went 0 yards


Entrance @ 381 yards

Exit, buck went 20 yards


260 yard entrance

Exit, buck was at a full run, and rolled about 20 yards after impact


391 yard shot, buck went 0 yards, exit was similar to above photos.


771 yards, buck ran for a bit, maybe 60 yards, but I didn't photo the exit on purpose. It was UGLY. Buck was quartering slightly away, shot was a bit back in the winds, but most definitely very fatal.


637 yard shot. On the button on the shoulder. Buck went 0 yards.


454 yard shot, buck went 0 yards. Quartering away, shot was at last rib, stopped under hide on offside neck.

lancetkenyon said:

OTMs kill with authority. The Berger 6.5mm 130 OTM is probably our most used hunting bullet on deer and pronghorn. From 260 to 771 yards.
I have used the .224 77 OTM, and .308 230 OTM as well. They absolutely crush as well.

Click to expand...

This!

The thing about "The Hague" convention is true. Expanding bullets in warfare is considered bad juju. Hollow point was connected to expanding bullets.

so

Avoidance of the use of the term "hollow point" is true to some extent.

To add to that. I remember having a discussion here or on one of the other LR forums about the construction. Someone sectioned (cut in half) one of each HP vs OTM. The OTM had a much thinner copper jacket. Somewhere in the discussion contact was made with Berger, if memory serves they confirmed it, higher SD.

Berger advertises the OTM for military use.

https://bergerbullets.com/information/lines-and-designs/otm-tactical-bullets/

archanfire said:

...Do Open Tip Match(OTM) rounds perform the same as hollow point rounds (on impact)? ...

Click to expand...

Do they perform the "same". Define "same".

As shown, they perform very well in hunting.

The 6.5mm 130 OTM, used to be called the "130 AR Hybrid". It was designed to be a shorter OAL to run better in an AR length platform to fit is the AR mags.

I'll go with "Sometimes" they perform the same or very similar, sometimes the OTM doesn't perform like the "hunting" hollow point!

That said, even hunting hollow points may not perform as advertised. Anything manmade can fail to meet expectations!

My opinion on the "dice roll"…….do ya feel lucky…..well do ya? memtb

Thanks for responses and pictures everyone. I read about the HP use in warfare thing somewhere before, and that they just changed the name to OTM to skirt around it. Then someone stated that the OTM bullet was manufactured differently to where it wouldnt perform like an HP would. I called Sierra Bullets before asking here and they guy there strongly advised AGAINST using OTM for hunting, but wouldn't(couldn't?) explain why

archanfire said:

but wouldn't(couldn't?) explain why

Click to expand...

Now you are getting the idea. Manufacturers who's products are used by military would distance themselves from the "hollow point expanding" for liability over "war crimes".

So, exactly as you say. Won't or can't.

On a basis from the manufacturers POV. The tip can be very small on OTM type so a manufacturer would lead you to expect lack of expansion from that. The thinner jacket (that thread and emails is over 5 years ago so hard to find) could lead to over expansion if it does.

Real world shows us that any hollow point can fail to expand or "over expand" only limited by the possible number of shots on target.

BTW: I use OTM for target only, my choice, nothing to do with someone else's ideas. If you have your ideas about lead or not. Keep them to yourself. I only bring it up because I can not say about OTM expansion first hand.