I keep hearing about how certain bullets have more "knockdown power" than others.
Some say it comes from big, heavy bullets. 200 grain 10mm or .45's or even .44 magnums.
Some say "knockdown power" comes from kinetic energy, which is based on mass x velocity x velocity again (velocity is squared, so it counts MUCH MORE than bullet weight).
Here's my little experiment:
I took some 7" to 8" diameter pine logs, freshly cut from pine trees I just felled.
I cut a few of these logs into 5 foot lengths and stood them on their ends on a concrete slab.
Any log that didn't have a nice clean and square cut on the end, or for some other reason didn't balance well, was rejected.
Then I shot these logs with a variety of guns. 22LR, .38 spl, 9mm, .40, and .45. I used various bullet weights, including 9mm 124 gr. +P, and 230 grain Gold Dot HP from the .45.
I shot the logs with 12 and 20 gauge shotguns at point-blank range (10 feet), using small birdshot, then buckshot (#2 for the 20 ga; but 00 buck for the 12-bore). And I shot the logs with slugs.
Nothing exited any log. Every bullet or slug or pellet was FULLY contained by the log, and all hits were near the center of the log as it faced me. No bullets glanced off or ricocheted, potentially spending their energy on some secondary target. All kinetic energy was absorbed by the logs, each free-standing and balanced on its 7" or 8" diameter base.
RESULT: No handgun bullets even made any log sway or wobble. The logs just stood there and absorbed all the hits without moving.
The 20 gauge shotgun made the logs sway a little, but it didn't make any log fall over.
The 12 gauge shotgun with slugs and buckshot pushed the logs enough that one time, one of them fell over, but the rest did not, and the one log that fell actually rocked back and then recovered and rocked forward, and ultimately fell to the ground FORWARD, toward me. That log, hit with a 12 gauge slug, was the only one to fall down.
No logs were knocked over backward.
All of these logs were easily pushed over by hand, with just a slap of an open palm, or a quick jab punch, done without drawing your fist back very far. These logs could also be knocked over by throwing bricks or grapefruit-sized rocks at them.
BOTTOM LINE: Don't count on "kinetic energy" numbers to translate to literal man-shoving abilities, when it comes to bullets. A handgun cartridge that generates "400 foot-pounds" of energy will NOT lift a 400 lb. man off his feet, not even an inch, nor a 200 lb. man. Not even a 50-lb coyote. Maybe a 10-lb groundhog. Maybe.
Some say it comes from big, heavy bullets. 200 grain 10mm or .45's or even .44 magnums.
Some say "knockdown power" comes from kinetic energy, which is based on mass x velocity x velocity again (velocity is squared, so it counts MUCH MORE than bullet weight).
Here's my little experiment:
I took some 7" to 8" diameter pine logs, freshly cut from pine trees I just felled.
I cut a few of these logs into 5 foot lengths and stood them on their ends on a concrete slab.
Any log that didn't have a nice clean and square cut on the end, or for some other reason didn't balance well, was rejected.
Then I shot these logs with a variety of guns. 22LR, .38 spl, 9mm, .40, and .45. I used various bullet weights, including 9mm 124 gr. +P, and 230 grain Gold Dot HP from the .45.
I shot the logs with 12 and 20 gauge shotguns at point-blank range (10 feet), using small birdshot, then buckshot (#2 for the 20 ga; but 00 buck for the 12-bore). And I shot the logs with slugs.
Nothing exited any log. Every bullet or slug or pellet was FULLY contained by the log, and all hits were near the center of the log as it faced me. No bullets glanced off or ricocheted, potentially spending their energy on some secondary target. All kinetic energy was absorbed by the logs, each free-standing and balanced on its 7" or 8" diameter base.
RESULT: No handgun bullets even made any log sway or wobble. The logs just stood there and absorbed all the hits without moving.
The 20 gauge shotgun made the logs sway a little, but it didn't make any log fall over.
The 12 gauge shotgun with slugs and buckshot pushed the logs enough that one time, one of them fell over, but the rest did not, and the one log that fell actually rocked back and then recovered and rocked forward, and ultimately fell to the ground FORWARD, toward me. That log, hit with a 12 gauge slug, was the only one to fall down.
No logs were knocked over backward.
All of these logs were easily pushed over by hand, with just a slap of an open palm, or a quick jab punch, done without drawing your fist back very far. These logs could also be knocked over by throwing bricks or grapefruit-sized rocks at them.
BOTTOM LINE: Don't count on "kinetic energy" numbers to translate to literal man-shoving abilities, when it comes to bullets. A handgun cartridge that generates "400 foot-pounds" of energy will NOT lift a 400 lb. man off his feet, not even an inch, nor a 200 lb. man. Not even a 50-lb coyote. Maybe a 10-lb groundhog. Maybe.
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