I meesed up on my earlier post the last reference to the 7mm-08 not being worth the extra weight and recoil should have refernced the 7mm rem mag. Please, take it from the experience myself & other s have told you; There is no need for the 7mm rem mag for deer period. You will have more fun, a lighter weight gun, cheaper ammo, dead deer, short action and never develope a recoil flinch with the 7mm-08. Taking the gun out to the plains and shooting the 300+ range target side by side with my brothers 270WSM proved it to both of us. Elk may be a different story, but why limit yourself to one gun. Get game specific guns with game specific loads!! Me, I will be getting a 30-06 next year for elk. Not that the 7mm-08 wont kill them but I want to be able to shoot 200 grain pills at elk