The thing about standard constructed bullets that people need to realize is that they all have the ability to fail when shot at modern velocities into large animals. Granted, people have been killing animals with cup/core bullets for centuries but the fact is that they can and do fail at times. My guess is that Ridge could make that shot 50 more times and have 50 dead bulls. That does little to lessen the frustration of losing an animal. John Noser had a similar experience with a Canadian moose that brought about the Partition. Winchester recognized this when they created the Fail Safe.
It's up to us as sportsmen to use our best judgement when choosing what bullets we will use on game. Standard or low performance cartridges at short range are always the safest bet. If you choose to shoot something high performance then you need to consider using better bullets. Speed is great, but it's not always cheap.
If I had to shoot a bull elk with a 180 SST or Ballistic Tip, I would honestly choose a 308 over a 300 Win. If I were forced to use a 180 Barnes or other solid copper bullet, I would choose the 300 Win over the 308 to ensure greater expansion. Many of you, like myself, have had great success with standard bullets and may continue to use them at the edge of their ability. Realize that there is some risk involved and upgrade to a better projectile if you cannot live with that risk.------SS
