A light .22 caliber bullet of 55 grains, while having a streamlined and pointed configuration, has a B.C. of .235-.243. A blunt and cylindrical .357 caliber wadcutter has B.C. of .055. Spire point or Spitzer type rifle bullets will always have a higher B.C. than a round nose bullet of identical caliber and weight. Retention of velocity means retention of striking energy when the bullet reaches its target. However, energy alone is not a figure to be relied upon in choosing a bullet for any given task.
Sectional density is another factor in the equation to be considered.
S.D. is also a number assigned to a bullet which is an indicator of its penetration properties. The higher the sectional density, the deeper the bullet will penetrate. Note that S.D. does not take into consideration the bullet's shape. Note, also, that no consideration is given to the bullet's construction. For the handloader assembling loads for a big game hunt where the game may present itself at the farthest distance a responsible hunter would shoot, both ballistic coefficient and sectional density of a prospective bullet should be studied.