I've just taken my 30th elk this fall, and have been present / helped for just under a hundred elk kills. In my experience, given enough odd opportunities, bullets can do some wonky things.
Broadside thorough the scapula is a shot almost any decent bullet can make on an elk with excellent results. But I try to avoid shooting the humerus/scapua joint because I've experienced that joint stopping some bullets dead, with no further penetration. That's happened twice with 150 grain and once with 165 grain cup and core .308" bullets from .308 and .30-06. Range 80-150 Meters. A few times I have seen similar .270, 7mm and .308" bullets do the job with that placement. But it can be unpredictable.
I have found 250 grain bullets from my .35 Whelen rifles more reliable when that joint is hit. Barnes copper bullets, Nosler partitions and Speer Grand Slams have all done good work.
The oddest incident was a nice little 5 point bull that I shot exactly on the humerus/scapula joint at just under 100 meters with my .375 H&H. Bullet was a 260 gr. Nosler Partition at about 2700 FPS muzzle velocity. The bull was quartering towards me. At the shot there was a loud crack as the bullet hit just where I aimed and he hunched up. I'm not one to "admire my shot" - I shoot again if they are hit but run.
I'm very glad I put another quick shot into him as he ran, even though I shot him the first time in a good spot with a big rifle and good bullet. When we butchered him I was astounded to see the first bullet never entered the chest cavity. Almost the entire scapula was in pieces. The bullet had smashed the humerus/scapula joint, the shock broke the scapula, but the bullet deflected at about a 45° angle along the scapula muscle, upwards and outwards, and lodged near the ribs/backbone/scapula junction. I probably would never have caught up with him if I hadn't shot again.
Those who wrote that .270/7mm/.308 bullets are "plenty" when shooting shoulders aren't wrong, but the devil is in the details.
Last edited by castnblast; 11/08/22.
