Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Speed vs Energy?

There has been study and proof of high impact velocity induced hydostatic shock. While bullet weights may vary, creating hydrostatic shock from small to medium bores takes impact velocities of approx. 2,600 fps on up. When considering DRT and impact velocity with shots landing in frontal area, hydrostatic shock will take effect on the CNS and brain functions even from a wound a distance away from those vital extremities. The imparted hydrostatic shock wave sent from the wound can disrupt all animal electrical motor functions rendering an animal pole-axed without actually hitting the spinal area or brain. It is possible that the animal is still very much alive, but in a comatose state from that blow. The other aspect of the kill is the hydraulic shock. You can have both, but you will always have hydraulic shock. The wound channel itself propelling bodily liquids throughout in a pulsing wave. This creates blood loss, blood pressure spikes contributes to a quick death combined with the effects of bullet destruction of organs, lungs, liver, heart, etc. So hydrostatic shock typically shows a quick animal collapse (excluding brain and spinal shots, which are a given), however it is hydraulic shock that renders death. As far as energy, I'm quite sure you could rationalize that higher energy levels, which are pretty much proportional to higher velocity levels can equate to creating greater disruption (ft-lbs of energy radiating in waves of hydrostatic and hydraulic shock). One things for certain, you need high impact velocity to induce hydrostatic shock, that's a fact. Animals always die from hydraulic shock, sometimes right there on the spot and others escape and succumb in their last hiding place.

That certainly constitutes a hydraulic event if you hit them and they are bleeding out (hence hydraulic since bodily liquids are flowing out) and blood pressure has spiked and dropping to critical losses,

Do you think this is based in the difference between compressible and non-compressible medium?

I've killed a number of elk and deer with muzzleloader bullets leaving the muzzle at around 1,500 fps.

If animals always die from "hydraulic shock," and impact velocities of 2,600 fps on up (as you say) are needed to cause it, how do you explain the death of these animals?

Was it divine intervention?

If I shoot a deer sized critter with a 300 grain bullet that produces 6000 lbs of energy and it enters the rib cage at 3000 fps and exits at 2500 fps I have only used around 500 lbs of energy in the animal. This is when energy becomes largely irrelevant because while it is there it isn't used inside the animal. Large caliber, heavy bullets tend to do just that IME.

Hydrostatic shock is not a loss of anything per say other than a disruption in neuro functions. Hydraulic shock induces blood loss, blood pressure spikes, trauma of tissue, and organs. You can call it hydraulic loss instead of hydraulic shock but it is still onset from the shock of immediate blood loss, blood pressure spikes and malfunctions of tissue and organs directly caused by the shock of a projectile entering and creating a wound channel at any velocity.

You misquoted Him! You may want to re-read what he wrote.

Animals don't die due to hydraulic shock, they die by hydraulic leaks (blood loss), causing a loss of brain function.
Brain function loss is also induced by physical deformation to the brain/CNS. The 'hydrostatic shock' argument is
largely physically baseless,

Hydrostatic Shock: Typically induced at 2,600 fps effecting neuro-electric bodily functions from impact velocity at that velocity rate.

The imparted hydrostatic shock wave sent from the wound can disrupt all animal electrical motor functions rendering
an animal pole-axed without actually hitting the spinal area or brain..

Hydrostatic Shock theory proponents should first explain what is fundamentally 'hydrostatic' about the process.,
considering that in the branch of physics known as - fluid mechanics -

HYDROSTATICS deals with the characteristics of fluids at rest.
whereas-
HYDRODYNAMICS deals with fluids in motion and the forces acting on solid bodies immersed in fluids.

is this more explanatory of what you are suggesting/getting at?

quote]...

"The reason why game animals drop instantly with chest shots that do not directly strike the CNS, is due to hydrostatic shock transfer
to the spine which passes through to the brain. A high velocity cartridge well matched to game body weights imparts over half its energy
within the first 2cm of penetration, creating a shock wave. This electrical shock wave travels outwards via the rib cage until it reaches
the spine and then continues through to the brain (CNS). The result is an immediate loss of consciousness as the body shuts down
for diagnostics".


goes on to say:

"High velocity is not however a sole factor to be worshipped and held above other factors. For example, if velocity is increased too far without
increasing bullet weight, the surface tension of water within the animal can cause so much resistance as to overcome the energy of the bullet.
Ultra-high velocities can then also lead to shallow penetration. Generally speaking, the high velocity cut off point for small bore bullets used on
medium game is around 3150fps. If for example we are using a 140 grain 7mm bullet at an impact velocity of 3250fps, chances are that even
if the bullet penetrates vitals, the animal may still run some distance".

Yep, I see what you mean. I'm thinking "hydrostatic shock" and "hydraulic shock" are basically the same thing and Rossimp is using "hydraulic shock" differently. If I'm reading him right, he's using "hydraulic shock" in the same way an MD uses plain old "shock" to mean what happens when you have a lot of blood loss. I think he's using the term hydraulic shock incorrectly. If you look it up, it means this:

"Hydraulic shock is the sudden elevation in line pressure caused by a shock wave created by the sudden change in velocity of a non-compressible liquid (especially water)."

I believe the correct term for what Rossimp means is "hemorrhagic shock."

Where did you find this non-sense?

Makes sense now. This isn't the first time I've come across misinformation on his site.

Where did you find this non-sense?