Muzzle energy and high velocities are gimmicks used to sell guns. Come up with a new cartridge that sizzles, convince hunters they need it, and you can sell them the gun to shoot it. Energy comparisons look more impressive than velocity or momentum, because energy uses the square of the velocity.

To give some idea of the value of muzzle energy as an index of killing ability, consider an old black-powder load for the 45-70 and a modern load for the 22-250. A 405 gr bullet at 1334 fps and a 50 gr bullet at 3797 fps each give 1600 ft. lbs of energy. Which would you prefer for hunting American bison?

I tried ranking all the cartridges in my reloading manuals using the various indices of killing performance. Although the numbers varied, for the most part the ranks stayed the same. That is, if cartridge A was ahead of cartridge B using Taylor’s KO, then A was ahead of B using all the other indices as well. Does that mean A is a better killer than B? Probably not; the best use for rankings is to divide all the cartridges into three groups, varmint, medium game, and large game. Pick a cartridge from the appropriate group based on your needs and preferences. Then put the bullet where it belongs.

These are my opinions, based on my observations. Please enjoy and share your own opinions without taking offense at mine. Take care, Tom