The Side Mounted Scope on the 6.5 mm Carcano

[Drew Phipps]

Does the muzzle velocity of the smaller WC bullet decrease, and if so by how much? My high school physics tells me that the force on a bullet should be proportional to the surface area of the bullet exposed to the explosive gases. A .264 caliber bullet would have about 97% of the surface area of a .268 caliber bullet. Is the muzzle velocity 97% too?

I ask because the "magic bullet theory" has some pretty tight contraints on the velocity of the bullet. If it's too slow to begin with, you might fall outside the range of velocities that are medically required to produce the observed injuries.

Any ideas about how much muzzle velocity would differ for the smaller ammo?