Abstract: A projectile for small firearms has an inner sealed container containing an impact charge of a mixture of pellets and a liquid or a mixture of pellets and a gel. This impact charge may be a mixture of dense metallic powder and a liquid or a mixture of dense metallic powder and a gel. The inner sealed container is rupturable upon impact with a target. An outer load distributing cover receives the inner sealed container and is shaped to provide a target impact surface greater than the target impact surface of the inner sealed container for reducing the force per unit area upon impact with a target. The outer load distributing cover is not penetrable by the impact charge upon impact with the target.