Energy or bullet diameter most important?

[Radman]

Let's say you are hunting for elk sized and smaller game and are targeting 750 yards or less. Would you say it would be more important for lethal, ethical kill to be the size of the bullet (just an example 30 caliber vs 25 caliber) or the ballistic energy the bullet gives out to that range (just an example 1200 vs 1800 lbs regardless of bullet size)?

I am trying to leave this somewhat open ended to avoid only comments from those who love a certain caliber, but I am considering a future rifle and am hopeful with plenty of practice I could possible do what I listed above. So many calibers out there, I just want to start with the right base and get proficient from there.

Thanks in advance.

Think I'll enjoy this one!

 

[blackburbot]

On larger critters, yes a 6.5something can drop them especially at shorter distances. But once you stretch it out, or don't have the 100% ideal shot the big 30s and 338s take over.

Similar to truck engines. A done up turbo engine on a small V6 can pull the trailer. But it's running at top condition, but an old V8 barely running pulls it just the same with less issues of peak performance.

Comes down to weight, recoil, component availability and your confidence on caliber selection

 

[Canadian Bushman]

People love the simplicity of defining one variable as most important, but it is just not the case. Its a combination of many variables that need to be applied appropriately. If you are discriminating any individual characteristic you are denying yourself the opportunity of education.

 

[FEENIX]

People love the simplicity of defining one variable as most important, but it is just not the case. Its a combination of many variables that need to be applied appropriately. If you are discriminating any individual characteristic you are denying yourself the opportunity of education.

Yep!

 

[BlazerBeam]

Have you ever pulled an expanded 7mm 160 gr Accubond out of a critter as well as an expanded .338 250 gr Accubond? I have. And the expanded 250 grain Accubond made that 160 Accubond look like a gnat. I think the frontal diameter of an expanded bullet increases exponentially the further up in caliber you go. That's got to mean something for the destruction of an animals vitals

 

[Rich Coyle]

BlazerBeam,
I agree with you about the diameter and yet I prefer my 7-.338 RUM for deer (Hammer Hunter 90 grain at 4,250 fps). But, I might, but may not, switch to the 8-7mm Weatherby (Hammer Hunter 198 at 3,054fps) for elk.

 

[yobuck]

People love the simplicity of defining one variable as most important, but it is just not the case. Its a combination of many variables that need to be applied appropriately. If you are discriminating any individual characteristic you are denying yourself the opportunity of education.

Well education comes in many forms.
But when it comes to long range rifle cartridges, i will be putting my money on the big cases with big bullets.
Anything less is a compromize.

 

[Bang4theBuck]

Let's say you are hunting for elk sized and smaller game and are targeting 750 yards or less. Would you say it would be more important for lethal, ethical kill to be the size of the bullet (just an example 30 caliber vs 25 caliber) or the ballistic energy the bullet gives out to that range (just an example 1200 vs 1800 lbs regardless of bullet size)?

I am trying to leave this somewhat open ended to avoid only comments from those who love a certain caliber, but I am considering a future rifle and am hopeful with plenty of practice I could possible do what I listed above. So many calibers out there, I just want to start with the right base and get proficient from there.

Thanks in advance.

I think the most important thing is to understand the performance range of the specific bullet that you are using and the velocity range in which it performs as designed.

I'll probably get bombed for saying this, but energy doesn't kill directly. It kills indirectly by pushing the bullet through certain types of anatomical structures allowing the bullet to do the job that it was designed to do.

Example of how energy doesn't kill directly is in what happens when you shoot FMJ bullets through flesh. They just pencil through. Opposite example is a v-max bullet at 3800 fps. If you so much as hit a thick tree leave the bullet comes apart explosively.

 

[General RE LEE]

I see very little discussion about momentum vs KE at impact. You can have a tennis ball and a baseball hit a person in the butt with the same KE. 10/10 the person is going to request to be hit with the tennis ball. The baseball has more mass and momentum.

A 6.5 Creedmoor and 308 might have similar KE at 500 yards, but the 178 grain ELD-X is going to have more momentum than the 143 grain ELD-X.

 

[Magnum44270]

I see very little discussion about momentum vs KE at impact. You can have a tennis ball and a baseball hit a person in the butt with the same KE. 10/10 the person is going to request to be hit with the tennis ball. The baseball has more mass and momentum.

A 6.5 Creedmoor and 308 might have similar KE at 500 yards, but the 178 grain ELD-X is going to have more momentum than the 143 grain ELD-X.

 

[Lou270]

Lot of complicated variables interact but at basic level energy is proportional to volume of wound. Cross sectional Area and velocity squared are proportional to diameter of wound / rate of energy transfer (i.e. drag ). So wider/faster bullets may make wider/shallower wounds than slower/narrower bullets with similar energies. What works best depends on what you are doing

Lou

 

[Radman]

Let's say you are hunting for elk sized and smaller game and are targeting 750 yards or less. Would you say it would be more important for lethal, ethical kill to be the size of the bullet (just an example 30 caliber vs 25 caliber) or the ballistic energy the bullet gives out to that range (just an example 1200 vs 1800 lbs regardless of bullet size)?

I am trying to leave this somewhat open ended to avoid only comments from those who love a certain caliber, but I am considering a future rifle and am hopeful with plenty of practice I could possible do what I listed above. So many calibers out there, I just want to start with the right base and get proficient from there.

Thanks in advance.

Like being plastered by a high-speed Ferrari or a low-speed D10 dozer. They're both going to kill you.
This was an excellent questionand with as many opinions as facts I wonder if the bottom line = distance of the shot? (How ethical IS your shot?) Lots of great feedback here. I for one enjoy/respect it.

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

...there's no substitute for .308 diameter holes in chest walls !

 

[Longrangers]

I take into consideration the bullet shot and what the minimum velocity is for expansion. Along with energy and size of game being hunted and a caliber that I am confident shooting well and know my limits.