"Yet today, more than 80 years later, the subject of meplat shape and surface area is largely untapped" , False statement. Veral Smith in "Jacketed Performance With Cast Bullets" fully explores the subject for handgun bullets. Regarding rifle bullets Michael458, Terminal Bullet Performance, Big Bores thread,
www.accuratereloading.com thoroughly covers the subject for solids. By actual experimentation he determined that the optimum meplat size in relation to bullet diameter is 60%. Paco Kelly even figured this out for .22 rimfires and designed a tool to file off the bullet tips consistently on any 22 round. CCI makes the Small Game Bullet in 22 rimfire. Elmer Keith and the semi wadcutter bullet was the beginning, not the end of the body of knowledge regarding wound ballistics and meplat.
