Actually, at BP round ball speeds energy dump is a moot point as you are not going to get hydrostatic shock. It's not the energy of the bp round that completes the task, it's the actual wound path.
If two identical projectiles go through a deer in identical locations, they both use the same amount of kenetic energy to accomplish the task, and the fact that one might have entered slower so has a residual kenetic energy upon exit of 50 ftlbs. while a faster projectile has residual kenetic upon exit energy of 150 ftlbs is moot. You might be wasting powder, but the energy required to force the projectiles through is the same, all other factors being equal.
Now depending on the animal composition, the impact path and projectile composition, plus velocity at impact... projectile deformation may increase friction as well as increase the damage causing surface area..., which may or may not require more energy to accomplish the work.
However, as Matt85 mentioned...., at a certain point, the difference between a .440 caliber round ball that collapses both lungs on a deer in .5 seconds vs. a .610 round ball that would do so on the same deer in .15 seconds ..., is moot. The deer is just as dead.
In fact there are those who argue that one does not want a "hot" load so that deformation is reduced, and maximum penetration is obtained, for it's not the enegy consumed before the projectile stops or exits, but what the projectile reaches and damages before it stops or exits. This is also the argument for using round ball made from very hard alloy.
LD
