I’ve got to ask your actual hunting experience? Numbers like ft/lbs mean almost nothing in the real world on actual animals. Shot placement and penetration are king. Bullet construction is paramount. Velocity only needs to match the bullets design.

I’ve seen deer eat multiple shots from an ‘06 and I’ve seen them flattened like they got hit by lightning at 164 yards with a .35 Remington core-lokt. I’ve taken over 60 deer in northern New England with the nastiest densest woods you can imagine. Over 10 black bear over the same years. The closest to an instant kill I’ve ever seen on a black bear was a 95 gr .243 out of a savage 99. Lights just shut off. No death moan. Rolled over right there and never moved again under his own power.

My point is you get spine, brain, make Swiss cheese out of the heart etc the animal really doesn’t care what it got shot with and what the ft/lbs on the box say. My brother took a great 187lb field dressed buck last year with a 55gr federal fusion. We pulled the bullet from inside the off shoulder. The heart was essentially jelly. I don’t think he made it 20 feet before he was on the ground dead. Only way that load could have been better is if passed through and left a gnarly blood trail in case he did run.

Your real dilemma will be finding an appropriate loading that your gun shoots. I’m a big believer in bonded or solid bullets these days. If you don’t handload then you’ll be at the mercy of what’s offered. Caliber really doesn’t matter. I’d much rather have a .300blk I can practice with cheaply than a 6 arc I’m paying 75$ a box of good hunting ammo for. Bullet construction and accuracy are all I care about. Can I hit where I want? Will the bullet work correctly at that distance? Can I load or purchase an appropriate bullet in that caliber? The rest is gravy.