[smokemaker]

I was wondering if any of you guys might be able to explain the Taylor KO formula. I remember reading about it when I was younger, but cannot find anything explaining it now. I'm trying to figure out how my .58 cal Firehawk useing 560 grain Maxi-Hunter in front of 90 grains Pyrodex RS. I figure it'll do 1200-1300 fps, and I think it should be a better thumper than the energy numbers show. If I recall right, caliber is taken into account in the Taylor formula, not just weight and velocity.

[RCL]

Smokemaker, the link below is to an article on John Linebaugh's site that shows and talks in part about the Taylor formula. I'm not sure how it would relate to pure lead muzzleloader projectiles. Seems it's most often used with hardcast or solid bullets, though not always.



http://www.sixgunner.com/linebaugh/gunnotes.htm#bullet

[BigG]

John "Pondoro" Taylor used observed performance on African elephants hit with shots that narrowly missed the brain. Literally how long would said hit knock the pachyderm down and keep him stunned. He never specified exactly what his formula was but he was in favor of long, heavy bullets for any caliber and the larger diameter was not bad either. According to his writings, once you got above a .40 caliber 400 grain bullet, you pretty much had everything you were going to need in an elephant rifle.

Attempts to project his "formula" to handguns performance, etc. are hot stove league caliber. They should name their postulating something else rather than bastardizing a specific term that already exists.

[HankB]

Taylor's TKO formula is (bullet weight in pounds)*(velocity, ft/sec)*(bullet diameter, inches)

He originally meant it solely as an index of the effectiveness of a solid bullet when used to make head shots on elephant. Taylor claimed something with a relatively low TKO may only put an elephant down for a couple of minutes with a near miss to the brain, but a heavy caliber might put it down for a half hour or so. AFAIK Taylor - perhaps wisely - never correlated his TKO figure to "X" minutes of elephant unconsciousness.

Taylor also didn't claim the formula was perfect - IIRC he admitted the .375 H&H seemed to perform better than it's TKO of around 40 would suggest.

[smokemaker]

OK so I did the math... weight of bullet in pounds (560 grains is .0807 pounds.) times velocity (1300 fps) times bullet size (.58) and ended up with a KO of 60. Seems high to me, but there it is. Thanks all for the info. I'd still take my .50 loaded hot over the .58 for "serious" work, but the big bore should be a heck of a tree stand gun.

[H&Hhunter]

Smokemaker,

I've got a friend who has the hots for a big bore black powder gun. Do you know if anybody is making an 8 bore muzzle loader?

[RCL]

http://octobercountry.com/muzzleloaders/

Scroll down to "The Heavy Rifle".
8 and 4 bore

[smokemaker]

October country is the big bore muzzleloader company. The Heavy rifle in 8 bore or 4 bore, and I think they still make 8 bore double rifles too. October Country is a semi-custom operation, though. If you pay enough, they'll about build you anything you want. (I really want an 8 bore double myself, but I have to move up a few tax brackets before that day comes.) The Pacific Rifle company used to make an 8 bore underhammer, IIRC. Think it was called the Zephyr. If this guy really wants one, somebody should let him shoot a 12 pound .577 nitro, and then remind him a 14 pound 8 bore loaded stout will kick at least twice as bad.