Wile E Coyote
Well-Known Member
Here's something that passed through my mind recently (and didn't hurt me) and I've not seen this discussed or mentioned much here in LRH. And with that, I would like to hear what folks here might have to say about bullet energy. In most of the threads, we talk about accuracy, muzzle velocity or bullet weight but not energy. One would require considerably more energy to bring down game than is needed to punch holes in paper.
What would one consider the minimum energy a bullet should carry to a game animal to be effective in bringing that animal down? Of course shot placement is key. A well placed shot will do the job efficiently even from some of the smaller calibers but a poorly placed shot from some of these big calibers some folks use would result in a wounded animal and a long track.
What about different energy levels for different game? I would imagine a big bear (grizzley or brown) would require much more than say a whitetail deer.
And would different bullet designs warrant different energy levels to be equally effective? I realize this question about bullet design has the potential to expand this dialog from something simple out to somewhere between WOW and holy stuff!
If i'm beating a dead horse here; sorry. If there is another thread about this, let me know because I haven't seen it and would like to read it; please point the way. Otherwise, what are your thoughts on this subject?
What would one consider the minimum energy a bullet should carry to a game animal to be effective in bringing that animal down? Of course shot placement is key. A well placed shot will do the job efficiently even from some of the smaller calibers but a poorly placed shot from some of these big calibers some folks use would result in a wounded animal and a long track.
What about different energy levels for different game? I would imagine a big bear (grizzley or brown) would require much more than say a whitetail deer.
And would different bullet designs warrant different energy levels to be equally effective? I realize this question about bullet design has the potential to expand this dialog from something simple out to somewhere between WOW and holy stuff!
If i'm beating a dead horse here; sorry. If there is another thread about this, let me know because I haven't seen it and would like to read it; please point the way. Otherwise, what are your thoughts on this subject?