This has probably come up about a thousand times. But, I am going to ask it again. From what I read, some if not most think that the speed of a bullet is what kills. Not the energy. I personally think it is the energy and not the speed. I like big heavy cals. like the Rum cals.. That dont mean that they are the best that there is. Just what I prefere. Get kind of tierd of reading about how someone killed a 900 pound charging Kodiak with a light for the purpose caliber. So what do you think. SPEED OR ENERGY?


Thank you for your replies.
Leroy

Neither kills on their own.The volume of the wound channel decides how well a bullet kills.(after shot placement of course)The volume of the wound channel is decided by the diameter of the bullet,the expansion characteristics of the bullet and the penetration depth.These are determined by the bullet design and construction,bullet mass and the impact velocity.

Hmmm, I think ACCURACY kills more than speed or energy with energy coming in a close second.

I like fast, heavy, well constructed bullets. Good luck.

Kinetic energy is direct product of velosity. Velocity and mass generate energy. With out velocity a bullet has no energy or momentum no matter how big or heavy the bullet is.

Speed, or velocity, is a measurement of distance and time. Kinetic energy is energy associated with motion.

So first you have to have mass able to be moved, then you have to move that mass, and they from that you get your kinetic energy.

But, there are a whole lot of other factors that kill as well. Such as the construction of the bullet, bullet placement, how the bullet transferes its energy.

So in regards to only speed and energy it's the transfer of energy that kills but with out the speed first and foremost that bullet is not able to transfer any energy at all.

So in a sence they both kill equally.

I understand speed and energy and all that but experience has shown me that my ol 45-70 knocks em down and dead. My 300 win mag does the same. My 6mm also. So it goes with all my cal. I just see them getting hit harder with that ol 45-70. Only time I knocked a deer off it feet was with my 44 rem mag handgun with 240gr cast going about 1600fps.

Seems if you shoot through an animal with a fast bullet you are wasting some of that energy on the hillside. Just my experience.

That's the "other factors invollved".

Bullet frontal area, bullet construction, bullet weight, meplate diameter, and a long list of other factors.

Just wanted to say. That I do apprecate your replies, and I understand how force = energy. But thats not exactly what I was asking. rkbo hit it on the head. FAST DOES NOT ALLWAYS MEAN MORE ENERGY. Kind of like takingmy 223 out after elk insted of my 338. Hope I dont offend anyone. But I guess I love my cannons.

Thanks again
Leroy.

That depends of if you are comparing apples to apples (.308 to .308) or if you are comparing apples to oranges (.224 to .338). More speed will always equal more energy if you are doing equal comparisons.

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