Generally speaking....with a variety of bullet types, my experience has been that caribou will tip over quicker with something like a 7mm-08 than they will when shot with a 6mm/243. (And I’ve killed a couple truckloads, at least, with both.)
I’ve only run 7 or 8 bullets from 6.5x55 or 7mm-08 into 3 moose - and they died without undue drama. However, the 30-06 which I’ve used on over a dozen moose with a variety of bullets - generally in the classic ribcage type location- has been significantly more positive in effect.
FWIW as it relates to Scandinavian moose hunts, there seem to be a fair number of rather smallish (600-800 pound) animals in the mix. Smaller moose are nowhere near as formidable when it comes to the projectiles needed to get well inside. Neither are the smaller animals as difficult to put down. It seems to me that once a certain threshold is met, more ‘power’ really doesn’t get much additional effect, perhaps until you reach a scale where by you’re beginning to simulate prairie dog type energy effects.
Of course a person who makes brainer shots is not going to see any difference between the 223 and the 460 (although he might shoot a bit less precisely with the latter from time to time for a variety of reasons.)
