In our family, we have 2 270s, a 308, and a 300 Win Mag. Who do you think wounds the most elk? It ain't close. The 300 Win Mag wounds, and loses, more elk than the other 3 combined. Why? Because the 300 Win Mag user takes all your big caliber arguments and uses them as a license to let fly at any elk, any time.The rest of us use a bit of discretion inpicking our shots, even to the point of letting an elk go without shooting.
If more elk are wounded and lost with the 300win mag,it's because you have an incompetent shooter in your family.I have seen the same type of incompetent shooters using 270s and 30-06s with the same results.Don't blame the equipment,blame the operator.