Location
By location I mean bullet placement. Regardless of cartridge or game size, proper bullet placement is the number one most important factor.
I grew up on a small farm. It was only four acres, but we made the most of it. In fact, my dad raised steer. Only three or four at a time, but it was enough to provide the best beef for the table.
When it was time for butchering, my dad would call this local guy to come drop the beef , gut it, and haul to the locker. This guy used an old, beat up, 22 single shot rifle. Granted, he got very close to the target. He also knew exactly where to hit it between the eyes. None-the-less, it was an animals weighing around 800 pounds. When he pulled the trigger, the steer would drop like it had been struck by lightning. It was scary.
The point is, a 22 rimfire, with one shot, killed an animal larger then most North American game animals just as dead as if he had used 458Win mag.