odd ballistic question for the experts.

[Great-Kazoo]

Legal is not an issue as this is for science and not killing animals in a residential area. Strictly penetration and fpe testing. Lighter projectile is needed for pass through safety. At the target and what is beyond.

Discharging a firearm is not legal, BB , air & pellet guns included inside city limits.
A 22 Subsonic lead HP will hit and stay in the test subject

[Irving]

Discharging a firearm is not legal, BB , air & pellet guns included inside city limits.
A 22 Subsonic lead HP will hit and stay in the test subject

Sometimes.

[MarkCO]

The threshold to penetrate human skin (nominally) by a small non-expanding projectile is about 230fps. The threshold to penetrate elk skin is about 350fps. The threshold to penetrate a goose breast is about 390fps. Thin skinned reptiles and rodents can drop under 200fps. Those are just the amounts required to penetrate and the projectile may stay in the underlying tissue, or pop out. To penetrate elk skin, 1/2" of fatty flesh, and fracture a rib took 510fps. When you look at energy, 10 ft-lbs of energy is considered the minimum to kill a small rodent with a head shot.

That might be useful for your academic inquiry.

fps = feet/second

[earplug]

A wounded dog like critter can make more noise then a lethal shot.

[CS1983]

Embrace the coyote. Love the coyote. Desire the coyote be your new best friend. He'll then go away and leave, like every other dream, because such things are against the nature of the coyote.

[Great-Kazoo]

Embrace the coyote. Love the coyote. Desire the coyote be your new best friend. He'll then go away and leave, like every other dream, because such things are against the nature of the coyote.

Tigers Milk !

[Rumline]

I love coyotes....they git rid of all the obnoxious "outdoor" cats that crap in my yard.

[MarkCO]

foxtrot, CB Caps have a MV of about 720 fps. There are several CB, and low powered 22 shorts in various forms. 680 fps is about the lowest MV and some go to about 800 fps with 15 to 30 grain projectiles. Those are all well above the thresholds I stated.