Look at ballistics before you buy a elk gun. Example my x bolt 280 with 160 gr bullets will almost match my 7mm rem mag loads with much less powder and recoil, the difference in speed has little or no effect on the kill.
I have dropped elk with everything from 375 H&H to 270 win. I saw that the type of bullet and hitting the animal in a kill zone mattered more then a large caliber.
I have dropped elk with everything from 375 H&H to 270 win. I saw that the type of bullet and hitting the animal in a kill zone mattered more then a large caliber.