I don't have any experience with hunting elk with a handgun but can give you my impressions. Speer gold dot is an excellent bullet and a 300grainer out of your 454 at about 1700 should be awesome. I would also like to suggest wfngc hard cast bullets so if you hit that shoulder it will just plow right on through. Just some thoughts and with either of these you should have no problems at all. Good luck.

Brian