Yeah, a 22 in the eye will do the job on most anything.
In addition, the 45 was DESIGNED to be the minimum caliber that will drop a cow with one shot. This was experimentally done as part of the design process of the 1911. Yes, they shot a series of cows with various calibers until they got one that did the job consistently.
A bear or moose, I dunno. But, hit any of them inna head and they will go down.
They must have had one heck of a barbeque afterwards.
Sorta, kinda.
I have read the Thompson-LaGarde tests, which is almost certainly what the above is referring to.
As a scientist, their test design was poor, and tended to reach conclusions they were already biased toward. (confirmation bias).
None of the cows they shot, as I recall, went down right now, unless it was a brain shot.
"Stopping power" is an extremely difficult thing to measure. However, we know penetration of the brain and direct hits on the spinal column are pretty reliable stoppers. Breaking bones to stop/restrict motion, work nearly as well, as they give an ability to shoot more followup shots.
The .45 is an excellent cartridge. It has stood the test of time. It is not magic.
“Yes, they shot a series of cows with various calibers until they got one that did the job consistently.”
—————RESULTS—————
We are not acquainted with any bullet fired from a hand weapon that will stop a determined enemy when the projectile traverses soft parts alone. The requirements of such a bullet would need to have a sectional area like that of a 3-inch solid shot the recoil from which when used in hand weapons would be prohibitive. ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thompson%E2%80%93LaGarde_Tests