I missed this comment the first time I read this thread, and I would like add to it by saying "depending on where your bullet hits the animal."


I shot my last two bull elk, each with a single 168 grain Barnes bullet from my .300 Weatherby. Both bulls were the same size 5x5s.


The first bull was standing broadside about 100 yards away from me. The bullet entered in the crease just behind his shoulder and exited behind his far shoulder. There was a 30 caliber entrance hole and about a 3/4 inch exit hole. He ran less than 10 yards and fell dead. There was very little meat damage from that 168 grain TSX bullet.


The second bull was standing quartering to me about 175 yards away. My 168 grain TTSX bullet hit him on the point of his near shoulder breaking the large ball joint where the leg meets the shoulder blade, then went through the center of the elk, stopping in the ham of the opposite rear leg. He basically just fell dead. The upper end of his front leg bone was shattered and most of that shoulder was heavily bloodshot and had a 2-3" diameter wound cavity through that it.


I knew before I shot the second bull that I should wait for a broadside shot, and hit him behind his shoulder, but he was standing next to a fence that I didn't have permission to hunt on the other side, and he was looking at me. I also reasoned with myself that the last Barnes bullet hadn't ruined much meat, so I went ahead and shot him on his shoulder. Bad decision.