First, hydrostatic “shock” isn’t a thing. Please read the international wound ballistics papers, Dr. Fackler’s work, or Dr. Roberts who took over his work.
Yes, our tissues are mostly water, which is part of the reason for the temporary stretch cavities that occur when a bullet enters the body if it transfers energy *. In order for that to do any damage, you need to exceed the elastic limit of the tissue (different tissues have different limits). You need enough energy transfer to reach that limit, but you can decrease the limit with lacerations in the tissue (think from fragmentation).
* if a pointy bullet doesn’t destabilize, fragment, or expand, then it will ice pick straight through and not cause much of a temporary cavity at all.
Now, velocity absolutely helps when trying to have enough energy transfer to turn a temporary cavity into permanent tissue damage. It helps because it has a non-linear influence on energy.
However, it is not required. It is still possible to exceed a tissue’s elastic limit with a slow bullet. You just need enough mass and a big enough meplat (or expanded petals) to transfer the energy in the tissue. Think heavy big bore subsonics with expanding bullets.
Looking at pistol calibers, you only have the bullet’s crush path for wounding. It’s even smaller when using an FMJ because the round nose pushes tissue aside instead of crushing. So hollow points, wadcutters, and other designs with an edge help create a crush path that’s actually the diameter of the bullet. Anyway, I digress, I meant to say that because pistol cartridges don’t cause that permanent wounding from temporary cavities, it has exacerbated the rumor that only rifle velocities do exceed that elastic limit. But it’s just not true. It’s only that velocity makes it easier. Partly because high mass bullets are harder to slow down quickly in tissue and partly because velocity has that non-linear effect on energy.
Edit: one thing that could potentially be called hydrostatic shock is if a bullet passes close to the spinal column without hitting it. And the temporary cavity encompasses the spinal column and causes the spinal cord to smack against the vertebrae. It has been theorized that this can cause momentary paralysis.
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. And a bronze barrel cannon would be a prime target for thieves.
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