How much does bullet design really affect accuracy?

[CowboyLeroy]

I've always wondered, but never been in the position to be affected by variations in bullet shape causing inconsistency in POI. I don't shoot long range or competitively or anything like that but I do have a small range of my own where I can shoot at "extended hunting ranges" (I've got gongs on clay piles out to five hundred yards.) long story short my trajectory out to 500 is right on with all the charts but once I get to 500 the groups get wild. I'm wondering if this is a physics thing or could the fact that I'm using soft points and not super duper plastic tip wizardry. It's not a big deal I'm just wondering. Not only is anecdotal and marginally related information accepted, but is encouraged!

 

[DFS]

I would give my 2 cents but I would get blasted I’m sure. I have quit chasing BC for the distances I shoot.

 

[jimh406]

At this point, most bullet manufacturers produce a very good product. Weight is probably a bigger effect than shape except at longer range when BC will come into play as long as you are comparing lead to lead and copper to copper. that matters since copper bullets of the same weight are generally longer.

However, you can look at some charts and do comparisons.