We are talking deer here, but i highly doubt an elk is much different. Anatomy dont change a huge bunch on ungulats. A 300 win mag would deffinatly cause a sucking chest wound if it were in the chest cavity. Sorry you shot high.

Aim lower.

How long between first and second shot? He probably would have laid down and died from the first shot. One lung or top of lungs will undoubtedly kill, but takes more time. You said he left the herd, which means he was in bad shape. This topic is about animals that survived.

Any animal with a wound into the chest cavity is in serious trouble. Anyone who has processed many deer has most likely found broadheads in backstraps, or scars through backstraps. How many have found broadheads or scars in wounds that went into lungs? I suppose it could happen, but vast majority of those shot that look like that, and the deer survives, went above the spine. It’s an ego thing to tell yourself your shot was “in the lungs” but your luck was bad and hit the void, versus admitting that you just made a bad shot - too high.

So you're telling me I can't recognize a wound above or below the spine? How do you explain a rib shot through right at the attachment to the spine? I'm not talking conjecture, as I butchered the animal and saw right where the damage was.

I imagine it was about 10 minutes between shots. Could he have survived? I can only surmise but it looked survivable. The top of the lungs definitely had a dark color to them like bruised but I never saw a puncture.
And just for a little info on herd bulls: it is very common for them to leave the herd when chased even if they have not been shot at. He was for sure hurting though.

Look up sucking chest wound, theres a vaccum in the chest cavity. Again you simply cannot go below the spine and above the lungs.

You do realize that the first picture that started this thread was hit with an arrow?
Hugh difference between a bullet impact and a broad head

Swamp wolf, your diagram has the heart in the wrong place

This whole thread is crazy

I 100 percent know this, the cment i replied to was a guy saying he shot an elk with a .300 win mag though.....