In the current issue of Outdoor Life, the shooting editor, Jim Carmichael, recommends the .338 Winchester Magnum as his preferred elk rifle, for those who are already accustomed to shooting high power centerfire rifles. One thing that is worth considering, sometimes elkare hunted in territory that is also inhabited by grizzly bears. If confronted by a grizzly bear in, for example, the Thoroughfare area of NW Wyoming on an elk hunt, I think I would rather have a .338 Winchester Magnum in my hands than a .270. I am simply presenting information I have heard others advance and do not claim to be an expert myself.

I'm going on my first elk hunt in SW Colorado (no grizzly bears) in about three weeks and will be carrying a .30-06. If the elk hunting bug bites me, however, I'm thinking that will be a good excuse to add a .338 Winchester Magnum to my battery of hunting rifles.