A tangent ogive is a nose shape whose defining arc meets the bearing surface tangentially, so the curve flows into the cylindrical shank without a visible break. This smooth blend produces the classic rounded spitzer profile seen on most traditional rifle bullets. The geometry is easy to make consistently and tends to engage the rifling squarely.

The practical virtue of a tangent ogive is forgiveness. Bullets with this profile generally shoot well across a broad span of seating depths and jump to the lands, which makes load development simpler and more stable. The tradeoff is a slightly lower ballistic coefficient than a sharper secant shape of the same weight, a price many shooters accept for the easier tuning.

← Back to glossary

Welcome to Damnosus. This site is intended to be used by those 18 years of age and older.

We use cookies to give you the best possible user experience & to analyze traffic. By continuing to use our site, you accept our Privacy Policy.

Are you 18+ years old?