|
Lemme first do a little prediction... This thread will proceed as all of the others over the last 15 years regarding this very debate... Won't live long before it 2 groups of folks gallantly circling a deceased critter taking turns beating it to death...
Now the way I see it is, the argument regarding equal performance regarding velocity and such only holds true at the muzzle and nearly true until the wad petals begin to open... From this point on, more is better takes over and your understanding of "terminal velocity" is not exactly spot on...
Even the 12 gauge suffers this but it is here that payload capacity keeps it up to snuff...
Might a .410 do the job??? Sure it might... But once the wad departs, the individual pellet begins to severely shave off speed so penetration potential reduces... Sure you have a fist size pattern but with fewer pellets you risk actually not affecting the body enough to stop the threat... The 12 gauge having more pellets of equal size has a higher probability of hitting something to stop the threat...
So the recoil I do not have an issue with is the only possible benefit... Your over penetration argument defeats your argument that at close quarters it is equal... Since the 12 gauge is not even a guarantee of instant stopping power in all cases, than the .410 would logically have a higher likelihood of failing to achieve the same results with fewer pellets...
I love the little .410 more than most but I have to with smart folks like Newton, Mass and Math...
Brent
|