Interesting that a 50 caliber slug at 350 grains or so has twice the energy at 100 yards as the round ball. Again some "experts" say 1000 FPE is needed for elk, and with a 100 grains of powder the 350 grain maxi has that energy at 100 yards or so, and the round ball has half of the recommended energy.
I agree with szihn, energy figures and recommendations by "experts" don't mean a whole lot. "Experts" are writers who need to sell books and articles, so they need to generate interest in what they write. Throwing around recommendations like that is one way to generate interest. But if you asked them what those energy figures were based on, they'd have a hard time convincing you of their value.
I have a book by Craig Boddington where he gives 2000 ft lbs. as the recommended energy for elk. A big, slow hunk of lead can't be evaluated the same as a sleek jacketed bullet at 3000 fps. Because in the energy calculation velocity is king. With a big hunk of lead like a 350-500 grain bullet, velocity doesn't mean that much. So given a light bullet that gets its 1000 ft lbs from velocity vs a heavy one that gets the ft lbs from mass, I'd take the heavy one every time.
szihn, thanks for the explanation, sorry for the confusion.
I will say that if I ever want to hunt elk traditionally with an RB, personally I'd go with a .58. Or at least a .54.
