I have not read all the posts yet on this thread, but while working to day I thought of this explanation. We have two ways to express energy .....as measured as foot pounds, Or the other as a vacuum inducing " hydrostatic " shock. Hydrostatic shock relies on an exit hole to in essence " suck " or aspirated vascular tissue into non viability. Hydrostatic shock not only requires full penetration, it need velocity. These two requirements demand both shot placement, adequate barrel length, and cartridge powder capacity.
Foot pounds of energy are only felt by an animal if the projectile does not fully penetrate the beast. Once it fully penetrates the energy is still in the bullet wasted on the impact of wherever the bullet goes and hits next.
Using a heavy bullet with a large meplat helps ensure maximum foot pounds of energy are utilized in the process of shooting into an animal. The larger meplat lowers the sectional density limiting penetration, but the heavier bullet " stores" energy as it is sent down range. This energy will transfer into the beast as the bullet sheds its weight while going through the tissues.Thus reducing the need for precise, shot placement, barrel length . One could also employ a smaller cartridge length.....for faster actions.
Makes this approach perhaps a better compromise in point blank situations.
Just my thoughts.
Perhaps this admittedly questionable analogy is at least partially germane to the discussion with providing a mental picture of what "hydrostatic shock" might look like if it exists. I preface it with admitting no personal experience in stopping dangerous game nor am I claiming some degree of hydrostatic shock is even a stopping factor in and of itself as the body mass of the game has to be a big factor I suspect in mitigating its effect. Also, the temperament of the creature at the moment of the hit makes a difference in the immediate reaction to the hit. But I have watched what may be varying degrees of it in many ungulates expiring from solid chest hits over the years
Consider a big watermelon hit dead center at fifty yards with, say, a fast 30 and then with 22 LR to give extremes in bullet weight, frontal area, velocity, and energy and their effect pursuant to illustrating the point of the concept. And that a bigger, faster bullet of right design, equally well-place (controllability), trumps the lesser all day long in its effect. But with so many variables in hunting big game (not to mention you can never shoot the same animal twice under the same conditions) it's difficult to isolate to just the effects of a different caliber cartridge with the same bullet design.
A watermelon is ~ 90% + water. Water is not very compressible. We all can visualize the explosion of chunks of melon and the red mist in the air at the hit from the 30. The 22 hit depending on the size and weight of the melon might not even be discernible other than the slight melon wobble as it bored through and out.
Note: HS, if it exists, is not a ubiquitous factor -- Phil's killing the brown bear with a 9mm handgun at close range involved very little HS as far as I can imagine but provided enough leakage due to good bullet placement and penetration in an animal without an apparent "vengeful turn of mind" at that moment. Similarly, the 22 can be very lethal but we are talking of the effect on a time continuum, a very short one being optimim. The Masai with noted precision poke a hole in the carotid artery of their donor beast with a sharp stick to obtain blood for one of their culinary staples, and that animal would soon go to a forever sleep were it not for soon-applied pressure and a daub of mud over the big pounding vessel. There is certainly no HS there but it would be a quickly lethal wound being one of the larger pipes in the cardiovascular system..
A mammals percentage of water content is on the order of 70 to 60% on the conservative end with, of course, different tissue types and densities as opposed to the homogenous nature of a melon. The significant difference in total body water of mammals of course reduces the effect and the amount of air in the lungs should they be hit reduces it further yet. And as mentioned there are many other variables that enter in with a very mobile, aware mammal and certainly a dangerous one. A supremely important factor is bullet weight and design. Yet, while the melon scenario is an imperfect model, I have to believe it illustrates "some" of what I've seen in the reactions of many head of big game.
The point being, while there is rarely a consensus on the specifics of these matters, there are groups of cartridge/bullet combinations that over time and many experiences have shown themselves to be appropriate for different classes (size and temperament mainly) of game due to their effectiveness in quickly killing or even immediately stopping big game.
But I am pretty sure everyone here knew all of this already but it gave me something to reflect on again this morning. 😉
