Fragmentation results in secondary projectiles - effectively more mini-projectiles fractured out of the original projectile. Each will penetrate much less than the original projectile would have. Each will also spread out the damage. If they all reach vital portions of anatomy, then the fragmentation will certainly make it harder for the animal to recover. The fight does not go out of the animal because it cannot recover, however. The fight goes out because either the electrical circuit for the brain to actuate the system is broken (central nervous system hit) or the oxygen does not get to the brain and other vital organs. Stopping the animal is different from doing the most damage - making sure the animal does not recover. Damaging a kidney will kill but not at all quickly. The animal cannot purify waste out of its blood but that takes a long time to kill. Lungs or heart are more important because they get oxygen to the brain.
The deer I mentioned was shot by a pretty high powered rifle round judging from the size of the damage (maybe 8 inch diameter). The wounds were in the muscle tissue of the shoulder, however. The deer probably died from infection. I doubt it recovered but it certainly didn't stop (I saw it walking with other does feeding and limping while small game hunting, I considered ending its misery but that was illegal so I did not). That is an extreme case but may illustrate the point. A non-expanding large caliber (45) would have done less damage but the damage would have been deeper (assuming reasonable velocity) and if the hit was to the chest, the deer would have died within a few minutes.
Wounding rather than killing is preferable to me if I ever have to shoot at a human but only if I can predict the person I wound will cease trying to do harm to me or others. If I cannot be sure of that, then it may come down to them or me and mine.
Penetration through walls is an issue. Drywall does not stop much of anything. Shotguns are sometimes recommended for inside homes to minimize over-penetration. They are also kind of the ultimate fragmentor (pre-fragmented). At short range, the shot column apparently does not separate, however, so there can still be sufficient penetration to do a lot of damage. There is a pistol that will shoot a 410 shell but a 410 is a very puny shotgun. It would also have a lot more kick than a 380.
The FBI article I mention is specifically critical of the wound cavity argument. I think there is something to the size of the wound cavity and when I test in newsprint I measure it but I think it is a secondary factor. The main thing I want to know is how far it penetrated. With a Nosler partition, I know I have enough penetration to take a quartering shot where the bullet will have to penetrate maybe 18 inches or more to go through on a deer. With a Remington 150 grain, I know I have to wait for a shot straight through from the side.
Jim
The deer I mentioned was shot by a pretty high powered rifle round judging from the size of the damage (maybe 8 inch diameter). The wounds were in the muscle tissue of the shoulder, however. The deer probably died from infection. I doubt it recovered but it certainly didn't stop (I saw it walking with other does feeding and limping while small game hunting, I considered ending its misery but that was illegal so I did not). That is an extreme case but may illustrate the point. A non-expanding large caliber (45) would have done less damage but the damage would have been deeper (assuming reasonable velocity) and if the hit was to the chest, the deer would have died within a few minutes.
Wounding rather than killing is preferable to me if I ever have to shoot at a human but only if I can predict the person I wound will cease trying to do harm to me or others. If I cannot be sure of that, then it may come down to them or me and mine.
Penetration through walls is an issue. Drywall does not stop much of anything. Shotguns are sometimes recommended for inside homes to minimize over-penetration. They are also kind of the ultimate fragmentor (pre-fragmented). At short range, the shot column apparently does not separate, however, so there can still be sufficient penetration to do a lot of damage. There is a pistol that will shoot a 410 shell but a 410 is a very puny shotgun. It would also have a lot more kick than a 380.
The FBI article I mention is specifically critical of the wound cavity argument. I think there is something to the size of the wound cavity and when I test in newsprint I measure it but I think it is a secondary factor. The main thing I want to know is how far it penetrated. With a Nosler partition, I know I have enough penetration to take a quartering shot where the bullet will have to penetrate maybe 18 inches or more to go through on a deer. With a Remington 150 grain, I know I have to wait for a shot straight through from the side.
Jim
Black wallnut
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