nchawkeye

I say you are on the right track, too many hunters think that because you use a heavier bullet that you deposit more energy into the deer, there is more to it than that...

You are correct in what is happening, an elk bullet will exit, but after it does, it's through killing...I don't know where you hit the deer you dropped, I'd guess either a high shoulder or high lung shot...I'd bet the construction of the bullet had little to do with how they reacted and would also bet that if you hit them with, say a 130gr Sierra GameKing from a .270 they would have done the same...

I've tried about 10 different bullets on deer with my .243, bullet construction makes a big difference in both wound channel and penetration...

I've got a buddy that insists on using 150gr Nosler Partitions out of his .270, what's funny is that his exit holes are smaller than those out of my .243 and 100gr CoreLokts, his lung shot deer also tend to run further...

With a 300 Mag and 150gr bullets you are going to need to find a bullet that doesn't destroy too much meat at the ranges you tend to shoot them at...