I suppose it depends on cartridge and impact velocity. As people hunt elk with smaller and smaller cartridges I see the need for premium bullets increasing overall. For older, low velocity stuff ... .30-40 Krag, .300 Savage, .45-70, with heavier bullets and lower velocity, I think standard cup and core is ok, but you wouldn't catch me hunting elk with a .257 Weatherby and 100 grain Sierras for instance where I might use it with 120 grain partitions. Given the overall cost of elk hunting, I see no reason to try to save a couple bucks by using cheap bullets. It seems disrespectful of the animal to use something more likely to fail to deliver a clean kill and disrespectful to myself to use something that increases the chances of a longer pack out even if the critter is equally dead .. eventually.
Tom
Anyone who thinks there's two sides to everything hasn't met a M�bius strip.
