7Mag, 25-06, and 300 Mag all seem to have about the same messy effect on deer and the Mag's both seem to make a mess of elk meat if a shoulder is hit. I've lost whole shoulders on deer and elk with all three of those.

However, using my Pre 64 .338 with 225 Hornadies, I've shot elk through the shoulders, stern to stem, and through the lungs and lose very little meat each time. Probably because it is just lumbering along at 2650 at the muzzle- but it puts them down practically in their tracks every time. - Sheister

As for the most .270 leaves littte to the butcher's imagination. The 308 win in my opinion is friendly to the meat aspect.

Well, never really had a problem being a round nose fan.

However, two seasons ago, I did load up a 260 Rem with a 100 grain Nosler ballistic tip with a MV of 3350 fps.

Took a deer at 300 yds with that load, having the hood of a Ford F250 to use as a rest. I watched the deer drop straight down while using a scope set on 4 x ( Leupold) and using a Dot reticle.

However I do not recommend this load on deer as I think we lost enough meat on the far shoulder that I could cover the blood shot area with both hands, fingers fully extended.

Since then a lot of testing with Ballistic Tips has made me a believer in them at under 2700 fps MV.

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

The most destructive and bloodshootinist cartridge I've ever used was a 270 Wby Mag loaded with 130 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips. Poor animal was a deer that I encountered at about 25 yards. Terrible mess. I traded the rifle after having problems with 140 grain loads also.

I will agree that the .270 was the most destructive. I used to think that absolute velocity was the key to killing power and always loaded my 130 grainers with 58 to 60 gr. of surplus 4831. Lots of jellied blood throughout.
I recall one small forkie I was aiming at in particular. I was under 50 yards and decided to try a head shot. When I fired It dropped like a ton of bricks. Upon inspection I found I hit the little thing about an inch up on the ear. I guess the concussion just scrambled his brain and knocked him down.
The least destructive was a little sierra 165 gr. from my 30-338. The bullet never opened, just punched all the way through but of course the shot was around 400 yds.- Don't do that anymore.
Frank