I have read all that info about how many foot pound of enegry you should have according to different peoples theory; the problem when you come right down to whats proven and whats not is that this is all just some bodys opinion.
Some of the things we do know like the fact that if placed right [and I do not mean the brain or spine] a 54 cal round ball will drop game like deer and bear on the spot clear out to 200yds of my own experance and that specalized eliminators that the anti hunters prefer to a hunting season and poachers often use weapons that kill with preasion rather than power.
There is another thing that demonstrates this, there was never a bow or cross bow made that developed 800 foot pounds yet every type and kind of game that walks the earth has been taken with bows and crossbow they even have been used to penatrate armor in the middle ages.
SHOT PLACEMENT is more important than foot pounds and PENATRATION is too, after that its a matter of what you are using and what you are trying to accomplish some people want an exit hole some people want a bang flop , I would like to have both and can get it on deer size but when steping up to BIG game I go for more penatration. Lee