Regardless of the cal you use on elk the toughest bullet you can use is important. Having been hunting big game for over 60 years I've seen elk taken with just about every cal & bullet type . If you get a clean rib cage shot just about any bullet of sufficient weight will work. In my opinion if that bullet does not completely penetrate out the opposite side of the rib cage it is not a bullet I would consider for elk. I have observed elk shot from just about every angle. Your bullet must be able to penetrate deeply from any angle. You may have a very acute angle from the front or back. You may have an elk facing straight away from you or a shoulder exposed between trees. What type of bullet would you want in a case like these. Don't expect a rib cage shot every time. Emotion should not influence what bullet you use, nor should the cheapest box of ammo you can buy from Walmart. I have found the most dependable deep penetrating bullet to be the homogeneous copper style as produced by Barnes, TTSX, TSX, or Hornady GMX. There are some other brands I have not use but from what I have read about them they produce the same results. I have seen the shoulder of an elk stop C&C style bullets & fail to penetrate beyond & require quick follow up shots or an animal could be lost.. When it comes to cal's from 6.5 to 338 the toughest bullet available should be used. When you consider that a solid gives the deepest penetration the homogeneous copper bullet is a solid with an expanding nose. If you come from out of state & spend thousands of dollars for an elk hunt don'e skimp on the bullet. I am a 6.5 shooter & me & mine have had complete success on elk over the years with the Barnes TSX... I have a father/son friend who shoot the 270. The use the Basnes 130gr TSX with complete penetration. Another friend who uses his late fathers 7-08 & the Barnes 140gr also gets complete penetration.These copper bullets give you bone crushing penetration time after time.
