actually you are wrong, the ogive of the LRX is not the same as your tsx series bullets I have some 200LRX and have cut one in half along with other TSX bullets and the expansion chamber is deeper and the nose is longer.
I'll have to take your word for it as I don't have cutaways myself. However, the difference in 'mushroom' diameter is going to be small, and not yield a significantly larger wound channel, as I stated above.
and a 110 or a 130 hitting elk bone is going to not be nearly as effective as the heavier bullets. energy is a number but it isnt whe whole equation. the very low sectional density makes the 110 and 130 and in my opinion the 165 very poor choices for elk
Yes, there are many factors in the penetration equation. Energy and SD both play a role. Interestingly, if the 200 LRX you mention does indeed have a much higher petal mushroom diameter, then this actually decreases its SD advantage over the 110/130 zippers after impact. This is because the 200 grain mass is distributed over a larger cross sectional area. To illustrate, terminal SD is precisely why a 147 gr 7.62x51 ball round will sail right through an elk, bone and all, at 500 yds, and keep on truck'n. It doesn't expand at all, so it's terminal SD doesn't change. The terminal SD of expanding rounds will drop by a factor of at least 3 due to mushroom in the case of the TTSX/LRX, and around 6 for standard lead bullets that have a uniform mushroom surface.
Thus, if you want maximum penetration, you want your bullet expanding less, not more. However, penetration isn't the only factor in the kill equation. As I mentioned previously, cavitation creates your wound channel and transfers bullet energy into the body. A larger mushroom diameter is going to create more cavitation, more shock, and a larger wound channel. However, cavitation is more a function of velocity than cross sectional area, so again, the faster X bullets have a small edge here, at least to 500 yds. Above that the 200 is retaining more velocity thus energy, thus more cavitation.
I do agree that field circumstances don't always allow for perfect shot placement, so maybe the extra 500 ft-lbs of the LRX 200 at 500 yds vs the 110, or the extra 300 ft-lbs over the 130, could mean the difference between a running injured elk and a hobbling injured elk which, like deer, is much easier to pump that 2nd shot into. The X bullet design and the math demonstrate that the zippers should be just as effective as the freight train with proper shot placement. I guess this debate can only be settled with field experience. Unfortunately I don't own and do not plant to purchase a 300 WM/WSM, and I won't be travelling West for an elk hunt any time soon. It'll be up to others to test these rounds in the field.