Well the charts are all fine and good, but I never saw a chart kill an animal yet. I am not going to down play the importance of bullet performance information. I think they have a lot of valid value. It helps us know whether or not the bullet we select is UP for the job we want it to do. BUT that does not mean that something less would not do the same thing. I think the most important thing is and always will be SHOT PLACEMENT.

Consider the roundball. Probably the most under rated projectile out there actually. There are some in this sport that according to charts feel a roundball has no killing power after some very close distances. If you look at the charts and the ballistics a roundball shows, they have a valid argument. Or do they?

A .50 caliber roundball is .490 in diameter. After it his and expands even a little, we are talking a 1/2 inch projectile plowing its way through vital organs, This projectile is cutting, tearing and releasing any energy left into the vital organs. If you cut a 1/2 hole through vital organs like the heart or the lungs, the animal shot, is in major danger or organ meltdown. That causes death.

I read a forum post of a .530 roundball fired from 90 grains of Pyrodex RS, killing a moose. The ball penetrated the thick hide and hit the heart. The amazing thins is the moose was 160 yards away. That was shot placement, with a projectile with still enough energy to penetrate, probably expand a little, and injure major organs. No Chart needed.

So something placed correctly, with proper expansion, and with still enough energy and velocity to penetrate to vital organs, only makes sense that it would cause the death of the animal. Then we have the idea of a better performing projectiles. The Nosler 300 grain .458 that Sabotloader used to shoot his elk is a perfect example. 200 yard distance, good velocity, excellent expansion, excellent penetration, = dead elk.

So while charts are all fine and good, I think they do not take into consideration the placement of bullets. Also they need to address the characterstics of muzzleloader projectiles. As I said, I am not a ballistics guru, I only concentrate on accuracy, and shot placement, and all of this has never let me down. No matter what distance I was faced with.