Extremely good point! Unless one hits the knuckle bone which I've seen done exactly once in well over 100 elk observed taken and on that one said elk was so sick it just sat there for a second until the 2nd shot took it down.
People truly make way freaking too big of a deal regarding how tough it is to punch thru the shoulder of an elk and get the bullet into the lungs. I've done it with the 63 Sierra out of my 22/250 and with the 60 Horn HP. The most recent was taken at 308 yds, bullet in behind the front left and exited the right front, that was a 63. Said volunteer took several steps and pitched over. And keep this in mind before you all start climbing all over my mentions of the Big 22's on game. They're not for everyone, they're not for all circumstances. Just like bowhunting one has limitations but then we all have our limitations in many ways. Many people are just too jumpy or excitable to have the cool and calm to be a predator.
The next thing that people (generally those with little elk killing experience) like to parrot is what some guide or outfitter thinks people should be using on elk. Not ALL but a great many guides and outfitters are incredibly uneducated when it comes to bullets/cartridges that people use and yet people have a tendency to take what they say as gospel...... Now the 300's are wonderful machines but I've found for the ranges most work within the Big 7's are an easier choice to deal with.
Personally I'm a huge Big 7 fan, my choice is the 7 Mashburn Super. I've got mine set up with Premier dots to 700 yds and feel very comfy going to that range. I've generally used the 150 NBT, it's done well for me. I've used many other bullets on elk, and I do like the 120 TTSX and the 150 Scenar.
There was a time though when I used a 340 Wby (700, Brown, Schneider, Leo), it weighed 8.25 lbs ready to go. I wore out two barrels with it shooting chucks etc out to 700 yds. I went back to the Big 7's as I haven't seen how the 340 does it any better and yet it's a pretty chippy bugger in a light rifle sans brake or a can.
Day in and day out we've found the 270 to be very tough to beat. One of my best friends took 17 elk with 18 rounds using his old 270 and 130 Sierra BT's. Farthest shot was 650, it took 2 steps and pitched over.
Lots of ways to skin an elk...