ORIGINAL: Sylvan
I totally agree with you, though my point had nothing to do with whether or not a head shot is a good idea or a high percentage shot. The point is that a .22 rimfire has less kinetic energy than many a compound bow and far far less than even what would be considered a low powered deer rifle yet placed properly it can drop a deer as quickly as any "high powered" rifle.Does that mean it has knock down power? Either it does or putting a deer down quickly is much more a matter of what specific tissue is damaged than it is how much energy was expended to damage those vital parts.
Reb got my drift exactly.
You seem to be mincing words and termsin the sake of your arguement.
If you were to able to legally shoot a deer in the shoulderwith a 22 rimfire, then shoot a same sized deer in the same location with a traditional 12 gauge slug, the visible difference in the deers physical reacton upon impact would be what is commonly referred to by hunters as 'knockdown power'. Obviously different bullets with varied loads will result in a noticeably different visible impact and physicalreaction of said game. The smaller the size difference between bullets and loads, the smaller the visisble difference in impact reaction.
For a more ethical and much simplerexample, shoot a coffee can with a 22 rimfire, then with the 12 gauge slug. The can will'react' more due to the shock, damage,and movementfrom the slug than from the 22. Call the result whatever you wish, but I'dchoose the slug over the 22 for its ability to effectively inflict damage and displace tissue on its intended target. I'd call it more "knock-down power"!
