My dad shot a 270 for 30+ years and took a lot of elk with it. Most bulls took a few bullets to stop, but it did a fairly good job. It is a good caliber and will kill an elk.
However, he did wound two big bulls he shot at through out the years. Both were 300-400 yard shots. Luckily, both bulls ran a long ways and other hunters were able to harvest them. Yes, we followed the blood, heard the shots and saw the downed game. Needless to say, the other hunters earned the right to the elk. I guess that is one benefit of any bull units in Utah. Looking back, the shots were probably too long for a 270
After the second wounded bull, we both upgraded to 338 win mags. We still use 270s for deer and other animals and we really like the round, just not for elk or larger animals. Something about using one bullet that stops elk in their tracks immediately...