I'm no ballistics expert.........

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That is an arguable point. Likely it's true if you are shooting factory produced jacketed projectiles and shooting factory ammo. However if you reload and have a specialty application like a overcapacity 12" barrel handgun, you can custom taylor loads (no pun) for greatly enhanced performance. Ditto for a big bore revolver. A bit faster burning rate for a rifle capacity hunting handgun specialty ctg. or maybe a heavier bullet to give more resistance in the short tube, burning more powder, and improving efficiency.

Cast bullets are slicker, and have less resistance in the bore than jacketed counterparts. In a typical pistol or revolver I regularly see 100 fps for a given weight at the same pressures listed, sometimes more! Also I can add a bit of weight, go the same speed, at the same lighter factory pressure for a notable increase.

In all it's mostly tinkering and harmless fun. Any animal shot will likely not be impressed with my efforts or notice any extra 200 fps. But every once in a while I find a guy who just emptied some 240 gr. JHP into a hog and it ran off, while my story goes more like the shot went completely though to cut a sapling in half on the off side, said hog ran 10 yds. and piled up. (How many .44 Magnum JHP in the buffalo, Denning, 11? - HIS beginning of the search) As noted there is a point of diminishing returns, a line that is truly silly and rough on equipment to cross. Many do too. But it is fun to search out that line and find your comfort zone, just the right spot.

have been bitchin' about for years. The extra heavy bullets actually lessen the killing power of any cartridge. Take a softball, for instance. Throw it at a friend and you will thump him a bit and piss him off but no big deal, now throw a hardball at him as fast as you can and see him really get pissed off. Medium weight and fast are , in my humble opinion, always better. Lee Jurras proved that years ago with his Super Vel ammo. Lee was kind enough to give me his load data years ago for the 44 mag with the 180 grain Sierra bullet and I have taken more deer than should be allowed with that bullet and cartridge. The same goes for our 41 GNR and the Sierra 170 grain bullet. Hundreds and hundreds of deer and cow elk size critters have been taken with that bullet and cartridge and most with one shot.