▁yield ▁a ▁bright ▁red ▁color , ▁although ▁other ▁materials ▁providing ▁other ▁colors ▁have ▁also ▁sometimes ▁been ▁used . ▁T rac er ▁material ▁burn s ▁out ▁after ▁a ▁certain ▁amount ▁of ▁time . ▁Such ▁am mun ition ▁is ▁useful ▁to ▁the ▁shoot er ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁of ▁learning ▁how ▁to ▁point ▁shoot ▁moving ▁targets ▁with ▁rif les . ▁This ▁type ▁of ▁round ▁is ▁also ▁used ▁by ▁all ▁branches ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁military ▁in ▁combat ▁environments ▁as ▁a ▁signal ing ▁device ▁to ▁friendly ▁forces . ▁Norm ally ▁it ▁is ▁loaded ▁at ▁a ▁four ▁to ▁one ▁ratio ▁with ▁ball ▁am mun ition ▁and ▁is ▁intended ▁to ▁show ▁where ▁the ▁shoot er ▁are ▁firing ▁so ▁friendly ▁forces ▁can ▁eng age ▁the ▁target ▁as ▁well . ▁The ▁flight ▁characteristics ▁of ▁trac er ▁r ounds ▁differ ▁from ▁normal ▁bul lets ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁l ighter ▁weight . ▁ ▁Arm or - p ier cing : ▁Jack et ed ▁designs ▁where ▁the ▁core ▁material ▁is ▁a ▁very ▁hard , ▁high - dens ity ▁metal ▁such ▁as ▁t ung sten , ▁t ung sten ▁car b ide , ▁de ple ted ▁u ran ium , ▁or ▁steel . ▁A ▁pointed ▁tip ▁is ▁often ▁used , ▁but ▁a ▁flat ▁tip ▁on ▁the ▁pen etr ator ▁portion ▁is ▁generally ▁more ▁effective . ▁ ▁Non to xic ▁shot : ▁Ste el , ▁b ism uth , ▁t ung sten , ▁and ▁other ▁ex otic ▁bullet ▁allo ys ▁prevent ▁release ▁of ▁to xic ▁lead ▁into ▁the ▁environment . ▁Reg ulations ▁in ▁several ▁countries ▁mand