Fellas,

This chart didn't copy very well but it serves my point for a question.

I'm having my daughter shoot the Knight Elite 45 this year. I've worked up a load with 90 of BH209 and a 200 grain funnel point. I used 1.56 for my BC.

I'm guessing we'll have about 2000 fps at the muzzle. When I calculated the long range FPE it looks like it only has 770 at 150 yrds. We hunt is West Kansas and this would not be an unusual shot.

I was always under the impression you wanted at least 900 FPE for an ethical kill. That would give us a max range of 120 yards.

What am I missing here?



Range Velocity Impact Drop ToF Energy Drift
0 2000 -1.5 0 0 1776 0
10 1939 -0.64 0.08 0.02 1670 0
20 1887 0.15 0.24 0.03 1581 0
30 1837 0.82 0.51 0.05 1499 0
40 1787 1.39 0.88 0.07 1418 0
50 1739 1.87 1.35 0.08 1343 0
60 1691 2.21 1.95 0.1 1270 0
70 1645 2.45 2.66 0.12 1202 0
80 1599 2.55 3.5 0.14 1136 0
90 1555 2.51 4.48 0.16 1074 0
100 1512 2.34 5.6 0.18 1015 0
110 1470 2 6.88 0.2 960 0
120 1429 1.5 8.32 0.22 907 0
130 1390 0.85 9.92 0.24 858 0
140 1353 0 11.71 0.26 813 0
150 1317 -1.04 13.69 0.28 770 0
160 1283 -2.27 15.87 0.31 731 0
170 1250 -3.72 18.26 0.33 694 0
180 1220 -5.39 20.87 0.35 661 0
190 1191 -7.29 23.72 0.38 630 0
200 1164 -9.44 26.81 0.4 602 0
210 1139 -11.84 30.16 0.43 576 0
220 1116 -14.52 33.78 0.46 553 0
230 1095 -17.48 37.68 0.48 533 0
240 1075 -20.72 41.87 0.51 513 0
250 1056 -24.27 46.36 0.54 495 0

http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/blac...ht-vision.html

Look at Grouse45 post

Maybe time to up the powder charge if you need a little more energy
Or get closer

Josmund, if 900 FPE was required for an ethical kill than I don't know how our ancestors survived using just a plain old round ball. If you run the numbers through a ballistic chart for a .50 cal ball at 1400 fps here is what you get:
Input VariablesFirearm typeRifleSight Height1.0Bullet Weight (grains)230Ballistic Coefficient.075Muzzle Velocity (fps)

Ballistics Table in Yards190 gr., .073 B.C.www.hornady.comRange Energy (ft.-lb.)Muzzle:827, 50 yds: 516

So the 900 FPE is a number that someone shot out many years ago and for some reason it stuck. Three are many things that need to be considered besides energy. Some include frontal mass of the bullet which determines how the energy is going to be delivered to the target AND penetration(how far will the bullet enter the vitals).
If I were to be charged by an angry bear and only had one shot to save my sorry butt I would much prefer the lowly .50 round ball with its 1001 FPE over .223 with is ME of 1232 FPE.

It is sometimes best to live by the old adage: Believe none of what you read and half of what you see.

I am having trouble with your figures.
YDS FPS FPE Drop from 100 yd "0"

200

1418.7

893.8



-10.83

This is what my ballistic program gives me for a 200 gr Shock Wave using a calculate BC with figures from my chrony with the bullet starting at 2,000 FPS.
I not only fell that this is sufficent I have take a 300 pound black bear at a range finder distance of 188 yards and it dropped him with a hit a couple of inches over the heart, the only difference is I load 150 feet a second faster.

I would think that 200 grain bullet would have plenty of horse power to get the job done, as long as it is placed in the right spot. Good luck you your daughter.

I forgot to add, but my favorite bullet out of my .45 is the 200 gr .40 cal XTP with a Harvester light blue EZ load sabot. It is extremely accurate out of my rifle with 80 gr of Pyrodex P and devastating on whitetails. And also, good luck to you and your daughter. I hope she gets a shot closer than 150 yds. - even better, closer than 100 yds and that she makes a good clean hit.

I will offer a couple of home grown sheets for you to make your own decisions with...

The first is a testr I conducted with T7 and BH shooting a 200 grain 40 cal bullet.



The second is a ballastic sheet computed from a 90 grain load of T7 in an Omega. It was shot through my chronograph



Hope some of this might help

Lee,

I like your numbers much better! I was using a BC I took off of handloads.com for a hollow point bullet. I'm shooting a 200 grain Harvester Scorpion which about the same as an XTP.

Thanks to all with input. I hesitate to go with a higher load as I want her to be focused on the cross hairs vs the recoil.

O'l Dad will do his best to get her a close shot but anyone who has hunted the prairie knows close isn't always an option. I'm just trying to find a max range for the load should the opportunity arise.

She's a very good shot by the way. I couldn't be more pleased that a 17 year old girl thinks going hunting with Dad is a good idea.