Never been elk hunting, maybe someday but I've shot a pile of moose, it is what I eat for meat for the most part. I like to take out the lungs for the most part but if I'm inside a couple hundred yards my favorite is a neck shot right behind the head, they're dead so quick they bounce. Shoulder shots tend to damage a lot of meat and I've seen a lot of lung shot moose and caribou continue to feed after they've been shot and then just get tired and lay down and go to sleep..................permanantly.
Gus