.. The more big game I shoot or see shot the less I believe in 'knock down' 'oomph' 'shock' or any other term used to describe
the effect of bullet impact on flesh, bone, and blood. The keys to knockdown seem to be bone and CNS disruption.
BG animals don't DIE unless there is sufficient TRAUMA to the CNS or in the case of body shots; trauma sufficient to
cause enough BLOOD LOSS that they simply cannot continue to function.... yet myths perpetuate in some peoples
minds about 'knockdown' and 'shocking' an animal to death.
People have wrongly used WDM Bells experience with .318 on elephant to claim that larger dia. gave him better results
than his .256 and .275 due to increased wound channel, but Bell himself didn't put it down to wound channel size, rather
he maintained .318 was better for more difficulty shots simply because he found the larger dia.heavier bullet maintained
a straighter course through the animal to the brain.(ie; less incidences of deflection than .256 and .275).
But even In the case of .275, he stated only about 10% of ALL brain shot elephants required a follow-up, a problem which
diminished with .318 WR especially with the oblique-angling away shots through the mass of the neck...(256 and .275 were
prone to bending when hitting the spine) Naturally this will have some effect on the original intended course of the projectile.
Had Bell had something like the luxury of say modern tungsten 7mm solids, it may well have largely solved that problem!
90% of .275 brain shots were properly accomplished with ONE shot....rational conclusion:
shot PLACEMENT trumps calibre in the overwhelming majority of hunting situations.
WDM Bell and and Harry Selby were advocates of the primary importance of shot placement.
Phill Shoemaker, Boddington and anyone on 24CF with rational sense...will tell you the same.
Most people carry cartridges that are capable performers well beyond the capability of the people using them.
More often that not the cause of grief will be lousy shooting and/or poor choice of projectile.
