Stopping Power - Velocity versus Momentum

I lean towards a heavy slug at moderate velocity to do the job. - First reason is that I can't see all that way-out to maximum sniper range for ultra-high velocity rounds - so I'm only shooting at close to medium ranges usually. - Therefor, if I don't need a high-velocity light-weight round - why waste all that down-range speed (and powder) when I can balance a lower speed with a heavier pill to smack harder into a deer or pig?

                          12 Gauge Brenneke slug  - I've put one through 1/4inch steel-plate.


The old African big-game hunters using their 'obsolete'  big-bore black-powder rifles managed to bring-down huge numbers of elephant, rhino, and vicious horned "bush-buff" - beasts that would circle round and hunt them - if given the chance.

 They didn't need (or have) flat shooting high -velocity long-range weapons. Mind you - they did have a couple of trusty 'bearers' to follow them around carrying their heavy rifles and spare ammunition for them.

                                                     Sweet to Shoot .30:30"

I once used a borrowed "thuttythutty" (30-30" calibre)  single shot Thompson Contender for a week in outback Australia and hit my share of feral pigs, roos and feral cat - never feeling under-gunned or disadvantaged against guys with more modern rounds and optics at their cheeks. - Talked my share of 'bull' too, with a can in my hand by the camp-fire - so many bright stars up there!

The late Elmer Keith - father of the Magnum pistol - designed revolver bullets with the heaviest possible mass and largest practical meplat (front face) that are still known as "Keith Bullets". And they worked for him.

                                       Keith 160gn bullets for 38"/ .357 Magnum.

Mass by Velocity equals Momentum - and effective hunting results seem to be measured by Momentum Density ( Momentum divided by bullet Frontal Area) This points to slow big calibre heavy bullets working well - think about a shotgun slug knocking-down deer etc.

Momentum Density is (apparently!) a measure of a unit of pressure by a unit of time. - what?

IPSC 'POWER FACTOR' is calculated by multiplying bullet weight in grains by velocity in feet per second divided by 1000. and is more of a 'Momentum Factor'.

My heavy slow slug (maybe sub-sonic through a silencer - think 300 Blackout again!) will do the job quietly without 'shouting about it" or annoying / alerting folk in the vicinity. - As long as you know your bullet-drop for the range - otherwise you might hit better with a flatter shooting round!

But, " All things being equal" - I do like silenced guns anyway.

Marty K