I would say forget the WSM, get the .300 Win. Mag, it's a more familiar cartridge, and it's more popular, plus I think there's more factory ammo availability.

I have a friend who has a 300 Win. Mag, and he likes it, and I have another friend who has a 300 WSM XCR, but it's an earlier model I guess, and he constantly has trouble chambering a round, he uses the Winchester XT bullets, the ones that replaced the Failsafe ones, and the bullets he uses have a plastic ballistic tip on it, and he had so much trouble chambering, the plastic tip actually broke once!!!!

I'm not sure if his is a normal case, but the rifle was new, and he was having trouble with that. His son did shoot a doe with it that year, so the rifle can definately kill, but if you are hunting elk, guides suggest you get two shots at the elk, so that you don't have to track too much, and if your rifle has trouble feeding, that'll be a problem.

I would still suggest getting the .300 Win. Mag, the case isn't so fat.