Glad to find some fellas that put as much stock as I do in bullet weight!! Couple of guys in my elk camp this year were shootin .25-06 with 100 gr bullets. They were handloaded up to some astronomical speed, but 100 grs is still 100 grs. I asked 'em what if all the uncooperative elk will only give you a is quartering shot? Their answer was to wait for the right shot. I don't know about you guys, but when I just finished climbing a huge mountain and get onto a big elk, the last thing I plan on doing is trying to talk him into standing still exactly broadside to accomodate a surgical bullet placement.
I ain't saying a small bullet won't kill elk, cause they did, but there's no arguing that a bigger bullet will provide some margin for error if you get into the shoulder bones