Bob summed it up very well.
Bullet construction plays a big role. The whole speed thing only works if the bullets expand. Shoot a deer with a 30-06 loaded with a 150 grain SST going 2900 FPS and shoot another with a 150 grain M2 ball going 2900 FPS and compare the results. Obviously the SST is going to do a lot more damage and kill faster even though both rounds are going the same speed.
Animal size and construction. With deer, the size of their chest cavity is roughly that of a volley ball. The typical center fire with expanding bullets can destroy the deer's chest cavity with one shot.....kind of like what happens when you shoot a watermelon. Is there a shoulder fired rifle and ammo combo that can accomplish the same thing with a buffalo?
Then there is of course shot placement. If you destroy or disrupt the nervous system or not.
Last edited by RJY66; 08/31/15.
