Interesting post to be sure. What I learned from killing 28 bison in 3 days is that cartridge absolutely makes a difference. It was undeniable. HOWEVER, nothing else matters if you don’t hit the vitals!
What I learned from the 1 MOA hoax and milk jug challenges is that few people can shoot as well as they hope.
So my opinions on cartridge have shifted down this year. Where I used to recommend a 300 win, I now recommend a 30-06z. Where I used to recommend a 7 PRC, I now recommend a 280 AI, etc.
Nobody shoots high recoil as well as they shoot low recoil.