I will let y’all decide.
My elk rifle is a 20 inch barreled 1/10.5 twist 300WSM and this season My load was 152gr Hammer Hunters running 3125fps with H4350.
ELK #1 Cow Broadside 345 yds hit behind shoulder saw dust fly as bullet passed thru. About dime sized in and out with nice blood spray at point where elk stood. No blood at all until elk fell about 35 yds away then lots of blood. Lungs had some damage not shredded though.
ELK#2 Nice Bull uphill 320 yds sharp quartering away but looking back at me. Getting late last day of hunt. Laying across rocks on bipod put crosshairs on shoulder shoot partner watching seeing trace calls good shot elk slowly walks away. No blood nothing found that night or next morning looking for hours.
Came back a week later found Bull about 900 yds away thanks to coyotes. I assume it was bad shot too far back but not enough left of elk to determine exactly.
The next two are why I am bothering to type this as they kinda freaked me out.
ELK#3 Slipping along Bull walks out broadside at 75/80 yds I drop to sitting position put the crosshairs on shoulder shoot loud smack elk drops struggles to get up then rolls over and quit moving. I sit for a few seconds then pull my glass to look down the mountain to see where my partner was and when I look back elk is going in timber and next time I see him he is going over high ridge at about 800 yds away.
Very slight blood trail for about 1000 or so yards never found elk.
Elk#4 See 5x6 elk coming for over a mile away public land in Colorado. I move into position so I can intercept before he gets my wind. I coyote howl to get him to stop at 40 yds but wouldn’t you know it he turns towards me right behind a fence post so I can’t shoot the neck shoulder junction so I lean as far as I can and shoot him behind the shoulder with him quartering to me. He drops in his tracks BUT as I stand up he jumps up and hauls it across the sage brush and I make a running shot that makes him skid on his nose which was quite the sight. But then he raises up and started trying to get his feet under him but he was broken down. I moved around until I could get a good angle into his lungs crossways up thru his body and shoot again.He rolls over and lays there breathing for what seemed like forever. I finally ease around to the other side so I could see his eyes and he raises up and looks at me.... what the heck. I walk right up to him and put one low right behind the shoulder and finally his dies.
Not really sure what to think honestly because of all the circumstances involved. Been debating over even putting this on the forum but I figured I would get some feedback...
In all honesty I'd say in those cases the problem was the shot placement with respect to the bullet used. This is why I do not take lung shots at all personally.
Yes, I may waste a whole pound maybe even pound and a half putting one through the shoulders and spine but nothing gets up and runs off with that shot. It also helps maximize your room for errors.
Same with the heart shot. They may run a few hundred yards but no matter what other conditions exist when the BP hits zero you're seconds away from cells burning off their remaining oxygen.
If I were going to shoot lung shots I'd use something frangible like the Berger, NBT, Hornady SST or Amax so I could guarantee maximum damage and hopefully a big exit as well.
