Agreed. (Momentum = Mass x Velocity.)
We used to discuss momentum
ad nauseam at bowling pin shoots as we tried to identify the best cartridge and the best load for shooting pins. Ultimately, it wasn't the math that determined the answer, but rather
how fast a man could get
accurate hits. Generally revolvers couldn't compete with automatics, because of the limited cartridge capacity and the generally slower reload speed. As for automatic chamberings, the 10mm is pretty much king. It produces excellent momentum numbers and is still within the realm of what a man could handle for recoil.
However, almost all of our guys shoot the .45 ACP for a few reasons: (1) Brass is cheaper if/when you lose it. (2) The .45 ACP produces sufficient momentum to knock a pin 3 feet back and off a table. (The 10mm does it better, but the .45 is still "enough.") Finally, (3) the recoil of the 10mm is still a bit much for most casual shooters, including myself. It affects their overall speed, as they lose time getting back on target after each shot, and it affects their accuracy--many shooters flinch when they shoot it. <--Those are all very general observations and conclusions.
Getting back to momentum, you have to find the sweet spot for the job at hand. A baseball weighs 5.25 ounces, or 2297 grains. When pitched at 85 mph or 125 feet per second, it produces incredible momentum: 2297 x 125 = 287,125. Compare that number to a 230 grain .45 bullet fired at 850 feet per second: 230 x 850 = 195,000. The baseball produces nearly 50% more momentum than the bullet. But, given the choice, which would you rather get hit with? We'd all take the baseball.
Doofus's load is very impressive: 550 x 1400 = 770,000 (nearly 4 times the .45 ACP!) But, at what point do you have so much momentum that adding more doesn't help you? That's well beyond my high school math and physics skills. I just know that such a round would have to be fired into something huge in order to transfer the momentum to the target. If the bullet just punches through the target, you don't transfer all the momentum. You need your bullet to stop in the target. Another argument for .45 ACP in bowling pin shoots is that most bowling pins will stop most .45 loads, resulting in the pin being punched backwards as desired.
I realize that this diatribe is too long and dull to most, but I thought it might interesting to some.
Carry on!