The problem is that a bullet strike is an "inelastic collision" which energy is mostly transformed in other forms of energy.
That is correct.
The idea that this vast amount of "kinetic energy" is transfered is incorrect and is a BS myth that gets continualy perpetuated.
It depends. If the bullet stops in the animal all kinetic energy has been transfered to either other forms of energy within the animal or the kinetic energy of the animal. Its called the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
If the bullet fully penetrates the animal, then any remaining KE after it exits is wasted (it is eventually transfered to the dirt like I mentioned before). The amount of energy that was transfered to the animal is equal to the KE of the projectile entering the animal minus the KE of the projectile leaving the animal.
A 500 gr solid bullet with a KE of 4700 ft-lbs with penetrate deeper (not shed KE as fast) than a 300 gr HP bullet with the same KE for two reasons. One is the greater sectional density. Two is the construction of the bullet and the fact that it does not expand as much. Seeing as how at 3000 ft-lbs my 300 gr HP's fully penetrate, why would I use a 500 gr in the .45-90? Remember I am hunting deer.
I have only made this conversion to increase the range and the knockdown power at those ranges of my rifle. The 500 grain bullet at equal power definitely has it place in use against charging large game and I have not argued against that point at all.
Your argument that KE means "dick" is completely false and you are doing a disservice to the shooting community by preaching that jibberish.
It is all about how much KE is transfered to the animal that matters. And
yes bullet weight, caliber, and construction completely determine the rate at which KE is transfered to the animal which determines the penetration, but the KE is what you are starting with. It provides the energy to enable all that bullet expansion, penetration, fragmentation, hydroshock, etc. aka, the stuff that actually kills the animal.
I feel I could argue this all day long and not make any impression on you, so can we just accept that we have two different views on the importance of KE. For those that are impressionable I would like to explain that I am a mechanical engineer, I regularly use the laws of thermodynamics, and I am very confident that I am right on this one.
"point blank range"...
There's the friggin' problem.
Get a decent barrel sight (think ladder variant - Buffalo Arms makes a very fine one), regulate the load to it, and learn to use it.
Load a decent BC slug (400+ grains) in the .45-70 case now that you've lengthened the throat and action to have zero feeding problems, and go forth to slay stuff at range "point blank" can't even begin to contemplate.
I am already all setup to compensate for drop at very long ranges, just now the range beyond which I need to compensate is further out. Its just nice to have one less thing to think about during a fleeting moment of opportunity.
-JR
