John,
thank you for posting this article--i really enjoyed reading it.
in looking at big bore handguns, it is a real chore to get folks to look past muzzle energy figures, and focus on something else. in the realm of handguns, i find the "Taylor KO Formula" a better indicator, though in the end it is only a numerical index to compare one figure to another--like test scores in college. it does not take into account bullet shape, such as meplat, etc.
so many folks seem to despise the Formula, but if one looks at only the arrival of a number to compare by contrast--it has some merit.
digressing some from the thrust of the article, i even go one step further, committing the ultimate "heresy", by applying the Formula to modern bonded "expanding bullets" that remain in essentially one piece, to simply arrive at a comparative number.
however, i treat them as just their normal diameter when doing the calculations. ie., a .45 ACP is calculated using the number .451, regardless of how it might expand--if it even does so, as there is never a certain guarantee if it will expand, or how much diameter will increase if it does. beyond it's beginning diameter, it is an unknown variable. in shooting various pills--if they expand, they do so with quite varying diameters. example; the Speer .45 230 gr Gold Dot expands to about .67, whereas the Federal .45 230 gr HST often expands to about .84, a huge difference.
i was surprised awhile back when someone asked Rob Leatham what pill he uses for concealed carry. a standard 230 gr FMJ in his .45 ACP was his reply...while not the ideal nose shape, his reply goes somewhat back to traditional thinking--"Old School" as he calls it.
a short piece on Taylor KO, which most are familiar with i'm sure:
https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=173
