DraQ
Arcane
Well, you would want to make the projectile's density and cross-sectional density as high as possible as blowing up like a mininuke on contact with about any obstacle, while spectacular, may kind of miss the point if it happens well away from the target proper.
Energy is energy, so it isn't too simple, as it's conserved and has to go somewhere when the round decelerates, but but if the round vaporizes on impact, it hampers the penetration somewhat, so you need momentum and lot of it (mechanical properties don't really count at extreme velocities - your projectile won't really withstand the initial impact in any remotely solid form and released heat will melt or vaporize it anyway).
Of course, making projectile out of some light shit, like solidified high explosive, is obviously retarded, as you sacrifice momentum and density only to gain something you could very well gain, with none of the cons, by flinging your slug harder.
Energy is energy, so it isn't too simple, as it's conserved and has to go somewhere when the round decelerates, but but if the round vaporizes on impact, it hampers the penetration somewhat, so you need momentum and lot of it (mechanical properties don't really count at extreme velocities - your projectile won't really withstand the initial impact in any remotely solid form and released heat will melt or vaporize it anyway).
Of course, making projectile out of some light shit, like solidified high explosive, is obviously retarded, as you sacrifice momentum and density only to gain something you could very well gain, with none of the cons, by flinging your slug harder.
