Can animals understand ballistics? Do they carry a Chronograph? Wear Kevlar?
So much obsession is on the headstamp, fps, ft. lbs, B.C., etc.....yes it matters in terminal performance, but truth be told, most animals WILL die when vitals are punched with a decent bullet.
Marksmanship comes before ballistics = hit vitals and it does not make as much difference as folks debate, after that happens. All bullets drop, drift, and slow down. Yet they still kill - when punching vitals. KNOW where your rifle will hit, and use a POA that will give a POI on vitals.
One merely has to look at the field results on say the 6.5 Grendel forum to realize most any standard round is plenty sufficient on most non-dangerous North American Game, at typical field ranges.
Shot placement + bullet selection.
Now about that ideal caliber... Lol
Now see what you're done? You've done and ruined cartridge discussion/debates by bringing in logic where there ain't no place for it. And you could have single-handedly destroyed basis for mega-magnums.
Fact is put a bullet from any reasonable cartridge into any animal's heart and/or lungs, and it will die. Cartridge is immaterial. That oxygenated blood flow to any animal's brain has been permanently interrupted will kill every animal every time.
I had a poster try to tell me that elk can keep going sans their hearts pumping oxygenated blood. I think he was watching too much "Walking Dead".
BTW, it took me some wisdom gaining before I figured out that a .308 Win will kill big game just as surely as a .300 Win Man as long as bullets from each destroy pumping parts or the oxygenation parts.
And it took me even more wisdom before I figured out that gun/hunting magazines are entertainment, and most gun/hunting writers that come up cockamamie formulae for determine perfect gun for each species of big game are really full of bull.
I was done with hunting magazines when Boddington came up with cockamamie scheme for assigning best cartridge for each species of North American big game. Madonna's. "Like a Virgin" made more sense.
