Backward Bullets?

The Truth About Guns has posted an article about loading ammunition with the bullets loaded backward, including a link to a video on the topic. Like one of the commenters, I had heard of this before in respect to attempts to improve ammunition for taking elephants, although I can't remember the source. There is a short Wikipedia article on the issue that cites to it being used in WWI by the Germans as to their anti-tank rifles, and also to increase the lethality of their rifle bullets. (The 1915 New York Times article on the latter issue can be found here). I also found some forum posts discussing this as a technique for loading subsonic loads for some calibers. (See, e.g., here; see also this article from Silencer Research noting that this was practiced in WWII).

The Box-o-Truth author had tested this idea and found, at least out to 100 yards, that the backward loaded bullets seemed to as accurate as the bullets loaded frontward.  If you look at the photos he has, though, you will notice that the holes in the targets had been cut by the reverse bullets about as neatly as using wad-cutters.

Jack Lambert explains using this technique with a .45-70 to develop a quiet, sub-sonic load--one that is quiet without having to use a suppressor.