  Abundance spectra of (CO$_2$)$_N$ clusters (up to $N \approx$ 500) acquired
under a wide range of adiabatic expansion conditions are analyzed within the
evaporative ensemble framework. Analysis reveals that cluster stability
functions display strikingly universal patterns for all expansion conditions.
These patterns reflect the inherent properties of individual clusters. From
this analysis the size-dependent cluster binding energies are determined, shell
and subshell closing sizes identified, and cuboctahedral packing ordering for
sizes above $N \approx 130$ is confirmed. It is demonstrated that a few percent
variation in the dissociation energies translates into significant abundance
variations, especially for the larger clusters.
