Okay so there’s no debate on the larger caliber being more effective. At least not where all the other parameters are held constant...projectile geometry, velocity, and point of impact.
The OP was making the assertion that the caliber isn’t the important thing, it’s the energy delivered to the target.
I see that my initial response didn’t adequately represent the fact I agree on that central premise. So let’s take the same .22 vs .25 example and wrap it with what I think are the relevant qualifiers.
Let’s just say the .25 is a dome and on impact it expands very slightly to .26. The .22 will deliver the same energy to the target if and only if it expands to the same .26 diameter. Essentially it must “plow the same trench” in order to be able to impart the same energy to the target. If it doesn’t expand, its frontal area will plow a narrower trench and therefore be unable to transfer its energy to the target. Granted if there is still flesh in its path, it will penetrate further than the .25 which may or may not be useful depending on what those downstream tissues happen to be, but that gets into manipulating other variables so let’s not go there.
So another way of saying this is...the .22 is as effective as the .25 if it can transform itself into a .25 on impact.
Admittedly this is a bit of of a simplification because it will have to pass through some amount of tissue before it expands out fully. And there is undoubtedly some increased turbulence around the head as it flattens and plows through tissue, but again that’s just a pesky detail that shouldn’t detract from the basic premise.
The OP was making the assertion that the caliber isn’t the important thing, it’s the energy delivered to the target.
I see that my initial response didn’t adequately represent the fact I agree on that central premise. So let’s take the same .22 vs .25 example and wrap it with what I think are the relevant qualifiers.
Let’s just say the .25 is a dome and on impact it expands very slightly to .26. The .22 will deliver the same energy to the target if and only if it expands to the same .26 diameter. Essentially it must “plow the same trench” in order to be able to impart the same energy to the target. If it doesn’t expand, its frontal area will plow a narrower trench and therefore be unable to transfer its energy to the target. Granted if there is still flesh in its path, it will penetrate further than the .25 which may or may not be useful depending on what those downstream tissues happen to be, but that gets into manipulating other variables so let’s not go there.
So another way of saying this is...the .22 is as effective as the .25 if it can transform itself into a .25 on impact.
Admittedly this is a bit of of a simplification because it will have to pass through some amount of tissue before it expands out fully. And there is undoubtedly some increased turbulence around the head as it flattens and plows through tissue, but again that’s just a pesky detail that shouldn’t detract from the basic premise.
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