I've never lost an elk that I hit but I have had a bullet come apart. 180 gr AB out of a 300 WSM. It hit a rib and blew up. I found the jacket inside the ribs on the far side and later found the core in the heart. I can see that if it hit a leg bone but not a rib. I really lucked out with that little bit of lead in the heart. It was enough to ground him within 10 yds.

“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
― George Orwell

It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.