[AndrewM]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

If you think that energy is what kills a big game animal, then I question your understanding of how a bullet kills. Just as in archery, the main purpose of the projectile, is to cause a wound channel, so the animal bleeds out. The larger the wound channel, generally the quicker the animal bleeds out. And unlike an arrow, many bullets are capable of penetrating the largest bones to reach the vitals. This is where a larger, or tougher bullet does offer an advantage, because it will normally penetrate more bone to reach the vitals. As to a bullet that exits, vs one that stops in the animal, an exit wound can be an advantage, especially if you need to track an animal. As well, a bullet that normally exits on a lung shot, will generally penetrate more bone to reach the vitals.
The only exception to all of this would be impacts to the central nervous system, but the central nervous system is a small target, with a higher risk of not making a fatal hit.

You think energy doesn't matter? That's like saying velocity doesn't matter. A deer isn't dying due to bleeding out on a bang flop. They are dying due to the energy being transferred to the wound channel.