mjrodney
Member
Here how I got there.
I think I am misleading all in my use of the term "energy dump". Perhaps there is a better way of putting it.
The energy I am referring to is the "unstoppable" momentum of a mass. An object in motion tends to stay in motion and all that.
Let's assume all the handgun bullets are hollowpoints. All are assumed to open upon impact. All are assumed to remain in the target and not exit.
1. Part of the energy stored in the moving bullet is expended by penetrating the highly elastic wall of the target.
2. Part of the energy is expended in order to continue the drive of the bullet forward, with sufficient force to cause the petals of the hollow point to bend back and open.
3. Part of the energy is expended to continue the opened hollowpoint on its path of destruction, further into the target, pushing the opened bullet through the mass of the target, be it bone or muscle tissue or both.
And part of the energy is is expended to push aside soft tissue in the form of temporary or permanent cavity deformation.
The likelyhood of a .45ACP making it through an arm and into the chest cavity with sufficient penetration to do the job is, with its larger store of energy, much more likely than with the lower energy .380ACP round.
The stored energy is what makes it happen, I would think.
I think I am misleading all in my use of the term "energy dump". Perhaps there is a better way of putting it.
The energy I am referring to is the "unstoppable" momentum of a mass. An object in motion tends to stay in motion and all that.
Let's assume all the handgun bullets are hollowpoints. All are assumed to open upon impact. All are assumed to remain in the target and not exit.
1. Part of the energy stored in the moving bullet is expended by penetrating the highly elastic wall of the target.
2. Part of the energy is expended in order to continue the drive of the bullet forward, with sufficient force to cause the petals of the hollow point to bend back and open.
3. Part of the energy is expended to continue the opened hollowpoint on its path of destruction, further into the target, pushing the opened bullet through the mass of the target, be it bone or muscle tissue or both.
And part of the energy is is expended to push aside soft tissue in the form of temporary or permanent cavity deformation.
The likelyhood of a .45ACP making it through an arm and into the chest cavity with sufficient penetration to do the job is, with its larger store of energy, much more likely than with the lower energy .380ACP round.
The stored energy is what makes it happen, I would think.