For hunting, I just need enough velocity to cause the bullet to expand at impact, and completely penetrate the animal (an exit wound helps tracking in thick stuff). I hunt what most would consider short range, and I've never killed a deer at over 110 yards, so anything in the .30-30 class is OK for me. That said, I've killed deer with 130 gr. .270 bullet at 3000 fps impact velocity, and it was messy. I've killed deer with a 270 gr. .44 bullet at 1300, and it was much cleaner. This year, the nod goes to the Hornady 117gr. RN in a .250-3000 at 2550, and I think it will do very well. The second deer I shoot will likely fall to a 220gr. .38-55 at 1650. It should also do very well. If I hunted at longer ranges, velocity would be of more importance to me, but at bayonet range, not so much.
Old70
