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I don't mind the TKO formula out of the few that are around. It gels with my own phylosophy of slow and heavy beats fast and light. If there is no other info to go on, it is better than nothing.

I do however keep in the back of my mind that it is only a formula, based on calculations. I believe there is no better teacher than experience and to get that, you have to get out there and shoot stuff.

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It is a formula, but not just based on calculations, it was developed by Taylor to explain his field experience on the stopping ability of the different cartridges and bullets when used against dangerous game, namely killing Elephant which of course was Taylor's purpose in life. He made it clear that most any cartridge could easily drop an elephant or any animal for that matter if the bullet was placed into the brain but where the large calibre dangerous game cartridges (40cal above) came into their own was if the shot was just off the brain, his KO value gave an indication of the effectiveness of the cartridge in turning a charge or stunning the animal giving enough time for a follow up killing shot.

I agree his formula is not perfect for use today but considering that in Taylor's time the velocities in the big calibres were all within a hundred or so fps of each other and the bullet profiles were all very much the same, the formula did provide a pretty good comparative scale for the African big bores.

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