I have shot bull elk using failsafe, Nosler Partition, Nosler AB and Barnes TSX.So far allwere lung shots where heavy bone wasn't a factor and all produced 1 shot kill, easy to find animals.A less stout bullet may have worked as well but IMO the insurance factor of a bullet designed to hold onto some of its weight and pentrate is well suited for larger game such as elk. They are extremely durable creatures and not always will your "thought angle" be perfect to allow a marginal bullet to do it's thing. Elk are not anything like deer they will make the toughest bullets open up. Last year my TSX zipped through the lungs producingparts and exited with a larger hole, in short the bullet did its job. Year before AB did the same thing, while it made a larger exit hole and a little more jello in doing so. The difference was not appreciable IMO.

I suggest trying 180gr - Nosler Partition, Ab, TSX, etc. Personally think if you can get the NP shooting well it is still a bullet that is hard to beat - comprimise of expansion and pentration. It maybe be boring but highly effective and any rag writer or hunter will agree.