I figured people can interpret the question how they want. I'm still learning about ft/lbs energy and whether or not that is an effective measurement of killing power. From what I've been reading, what makes a cartridge effective is a combination of velocity and bullet construction - pretty much whether a bullet can do what it's designed to do at its velocity when it hits game. I'm still figuring out what role the caliber of a bullet plays in this whole thing. I know that "bullets matter more than headstamps," but surely caliber matters as well?
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You are ahead of the game compared to a lot of folks.
Velocity and bullet construction, including mass (which with velocity at impact determines a bullet’s maximum destructive potential), are important. So is a bullet’s expansion characteristics, which are determined by construction and characteristics of target encountered.
When hunting elk, I prefer my .338WM to my .258 Roberts an probably any 6.5CM load available. Diameter is part of the reason because the .338 expands wider. At the end of the day, though, what matters is how much energy is transferred to the target, the time frame in which that transfer occurs and where that transfer occurs. The goal is to accelerate flesh and bone past its limits of elasticity. There is no magic calculator for determining what you want to know.
