Ft-Lbs vs FPS

[Huntbear]

Which type of bullets generally hold together the best?

I am a dyed in the wool Partition fan.  They are time proven and perform exceptionally even if you hit a major bone.

[demontang]

Its not only how well it hold to gether but how fast it opens and how big. I like the nosler Accubonds/partition, and the trophybear claws are a great bullet to. I have an artical some wear that the compare a lot of the major bullets in I will have to dig it up.

[jdb]

I think people think WAY to much about ft lbs. I really think its a bs number. if you study balistic tables and compare wildly diffrent rounds you'll soon see what I mean. a 22-250 with a 55 grain bullet has about 1200 ft-lbs of energy at 100 yards, a 45-70 with a 405 grain bullet has about 1200 ft-lbs of energy at 100 yards. Thats about the same load the masses used to wipe out the american buffalo herd, if it were available do you really think they would have used a 22-250 instead? also imagine if you will that your about too face down a bear charge, you have your choice of either of these are you really goning to pick a 22-250? now I am not trying to down grade a 22-250 its a great varmit/predator rifle. I am just trying to illustrate a point that ft-lbs of energy arent what thier cracked up to be. JB

[Rick]

Horandy has a program to give you an idea what is needed. I think bullet construction has a big part to do with it though.

http://www.hornady.com/ballistics/hits_calculator.php

That thing said .270 shooting a 140gr bullet is suitable for Moose at 100 yards.  I realize shot placement matters, but I don't think I would be chasing Moose with a .270.

Why not the .270 for Moose? I have a .270 and with the proper bullet,I wouldn't feel handicapped using it on a Moose.

In Sweden thousands of Moose are killed with the 6.5x55 Swedish. The 6.5x55 is a step below the .270 as far as energy goes.

[norsepeak]

I think the 270 is a great all around cartridge and would work fine for moose at moderate distances, but if you want more power look at the 270 weatherby mag. or even 7mm or 300 weatherby.  I like the 270 because with a 130 grn. bullet your good to 4-500yards on deer, but you can step up to the 150 grn. and have plenty of power for an elk or even a moose at moderate distances 3-400 yards no problem.  I've seen my dad take elk at much farther with his 270, but the conditions have to be right.  I also have a 300 wthby which I love for all game and most distances.  It has great balistics and plenty of power for large game like moose.

[Intruder]

I think people think WAY to much about ft lbs. I really think its a bs number. if you study balistic tables and compare wildly diffrent rounds you'll soon see what I mean. a 22-250 with a 55 grain bullet has about 1200 ft-lbs of energy at 100 yards, a 45-70 with a 405 grain bullet has about 1200 ft-lbs of energy at 100 yards. Thats about the same load the masses used to wipe out the american buffalo herd, if it were available do you really think they would have used a 22-250 instead? also imagine if you will that your about too face down a bear charge, you have your choice of either of these are you really goning to pick a 22-250? now I am not trying to down grade a 22-250 its a great varmit/predator rifle. I am just trying to illustrate a point that ft-lbs of energy arent what thier cracked up to be. JB

This is very true.  There is a ton of misinformation out there regarding energy and a relation to killing capacity or "knock down power" etc.  It is a factor that in and of itself doesn't mean much out of context.  Even in context there are far more important factors to consider.... such as bullet construction as many have talked about already in this topic.  If you ever get real bored there's quite a bit of "scientific" data on terminal ballistics out there.  What a lot of it ends up pointing out is that the old measures that people have used for years don't hold water or are actually not objectively measureable.

One objective measure that I've found to be more accurate in relating to killing capacity is momentum.  A number of balistic calculators will give you that measure.  It seems to be a better indication of what a particular caliber is capable of doing.  It's not the end all but it is more meaningful. 

Bottom line.... "in general" the most used modern cartridges today(30-06 based cartridges as well as 7mag, 300 mag, etc) are perfectly capable of cleaning killing all N. American game out to 300 yards (except maybe the largest of the bears) when using a good quality bullet of at least 130 grains and with a good shot placement.  The arguments that X cal is better than Y cal is largely based on personal bias, misunderstanding of terminal ballistics, or both.  They're fun discussions to have but are usually academic when talking about taking game at the ranges where 90% of animals are killed.     

[270Shooter]

A .270 will kill a moose as long a shots aren't too long and good bullets are used. And a .300 win mag will certainly nock a moose over. If it were my choice i would just buy a 30-06 and be done with it

[KillBilly]

No matter what caliber you use (within reason) it all boils down to what kind of damage the bullet does when it impacts. Clear cut and dry.... there is very little else to consider.

Stopping power is related to the physical properties of the bullet and the effects it has on its target. Stopping is usually caused not by the force of the bullet  but by the damaging effects of the bullet which are typically a loss of blood, and with it, blood pressure. More immediate effects can result when a bullet damages the central nervous system such as the spine or brain.