For 30 some years, my favorite elk and moose rifle was my .30 Gibbs shooting 180 gr Nosler Partitions at 2990 fps. That's about the same as a .300 Win mag. It has worked great for a couple dozen elk and 2 Shiras bulls.
This past winter I just finished putting together a .300 Wby Vanguard that shoots 180 gr TSX's sub-moa at 3200+ fps. That's more than enough accuracy and power for any elk or moose in the woods, and it will be my new favorite rifle for that size game.
As for shooting through the brush, I won't do it. I've always been able to find an opening, or waited for an opening for a clean shot.
