Hunting and the over 1000 ft/s hype

Muzzle energy is something new airgunners should become familiar with, because it is far more significant than muzzle velocity. Greater muzzle velocity can be obtained by using lighter pellets. Does that make your rifle better suited for hunting? Probably not. A 8.4gr pellet @ 810 ft/s is much more effective than a 6gr pellet @ 950 ft/s.

During the Civil War, soldiers were sometimes fascinated that they could see enemy cannonballs bounding along the ground toward them. The speeds at which the balls were traveling were slow compared to rifle bullets, and their great size made them visible. Field commanders warned soldiers that these cannonballs were dangerous; nevertheless, some soldiers did stick out their arms to touch the balls as they bounded past. If they touched one, it usually ripped off their arm at the shoulder, thus imparting a valuable lesson in ballistics and energy transfer to a dying man.

Over penetration
If a pellet penetrates well and the energy level is too high for the target, the pellet may zip through without much effect. It is possible for a pellet to transit the body of an animal without hitting anything vital and exit without imparting a fatal wound - at least not at that moment, leaving the animal to die a slow and painfull death.
That's why we always recommend heavier or larger-caliber pellets for hunting. The greater surface area of a .20, compared to a.177 means it has to impart more energy to the target it hits.
If you're shooting a powerful .20-caliber deep-penetration pellet, it can also go too far, so you may want to select a pellet that doesn't penetrate as far.

Controlled energy release
This discussion of over-penetration leads us to the world of hollowpoints and wadcutters. Both are great at releasing energy in a target, but neither has a very good record for long-range accuracy. However, the farther you go from the muzzle, the less energy a pellet retains, so the over-penetration problem might take care of itself.

After all the theories have been evaluated, we must remember that only the pellets that hit the target count, so accuracy has to be at the top of every list. But, accuracy can be relative, too. All that matters is that the pellet you select is accurate enough for the job you want it to do at the range you intend using it - not whether it's the most accurate round in a particular airgun.

The bottom line is that accuracy, pellet performance on target, range and caliber all play a part when hunting. An airgun hunter who doesn't consider these factors will not be as successful as he could be.