Originally Posted by Mule Deer

......Also, there is no direct correlation between kinetic energy and how quickly a big game animal will die from a good heart/lung hit, the sort of hit that I know most of us strive for.

......But the reason I use "magnums" and other larger rounds(and I do, frequently) is not becaue I believe they will dump an animal on its nose that much faster. No, I use a fast magnum (like the various .300's) to flatten trajectory....

......During the years when I used the .338 a LOT, I eventually noticed the quickest kills, even on game larger than deer, came from 200-grain bullets designed to open up pretty easily, not from 225-250 grain bullets designed to excavate a freight train.



I know I'm gonna hate myself..... note to self: Don't contradict your favorite GW in 08.

Quickest kills is the same thing as saying greater killing power. Are we led to believe that a 338 with a different load, same approximate KE, has greater killing power but loads of different KE don't. There's a difference in the same round but no avantage to a 338 RUM?

The fast magnums flatten trajectory.... that's all their good for? Does that imply that the effective range of the non-magmuns is equal. An 06 with a 220 at 500 yards kills like a 300 mag with a 180 at 500?

An arrow at low KE is effective so a bullet at same low KE must be equally so. An arrow at low KE is proof that KE doesn't matter. Does anyone think that's true?

An unscientific summary of field observations is proof that differences in killing power don't exist? A water jug displays the differences in KE but an animal of 75% water soaks up all the energy difference without damage? A bullet can send out a shock wave at the muzzle but its impossible inside an animal.

Maybe I've gone out of my field of expertise trying to prove that KE was good for more that nominal wound channel but I see too many holes in a killing model that can't explain or doesn't account for the many possible uses of available KE.

Caution, these are my interpretations of whats been said, I hope I haven't put words in anyones mouth or overinterpreted anyones statements. That would be counter productive, hey, like the pack mentality jokes.