ORIGINAL: eldeguello
ipscshooter
Keep in mind that a generally accepted rule of thumb for deer rifles is that they have a minimum of 1000 ft. lbs of energy at impact.
This "foot-pound" business is basically BS. It is NOT how many foot-pounds a bullet carries, but how that energy is applied to the animal that determines whether the varmint is gonna bite the dust. I would much rather hit an elk, for example,with a .58-caliber round ball at 1200 ft/sec or more than any 17-caliber bullet, even if the .17 is showing higher Ft/Lb numbers......
That's why it's a "rule of thumb"... more of a guideline, really... (to quote Capt. Jack Sparrow...) I'm not sure it's even possible to propel a .17 bullet fast enough to have more energy than a .58 caliber round ball at 1200 fps. (By the way... the "guideline" for elk is 1500 ft lbs...
) I understand that penetration is one of the more important aspects, and can be affected by bullet construction, bullet weight, etc., but, if you start with the "guideline" it'll put you into a generally effective realm of cartridges.