Well I guess I'm going to add my 2 cents also. Shot placement is everything! If you don't have a good shot at the "kill zone", front shoulder included, you should not shoot no matter what cartrige you are using. If you can't hit the heart and or lungs then your in for a long tracking job. Trying to punch through something that isn't necessary is just plain irresponsible. If you don't have a good shot then wait or pass. I personally use a .270 with 140 grain premium bullets on elk and they have all gone down with one properly placed bullet and none have ran more than 40 or 50 yards. I too aim for that one little spot cause it only makes sence since your bullet is going to where the cross hairs line up on the animal. It makes no sense to me to aim at the animal instead of a spot on the animal. If you are out in the field hunting then you should be responsible enough not to take any shots that are not going to end in a quick kill.
And to answer the original question, any of the bullet weights in either of the calibers are more than adequate for elk.

Edited by - bigbulls on 11/14/2002 23:39:45