I've never shot an elk so take my opinion for what it's worth, hehehe. I love the precision rifle bullets. They saved my ML career. I've shot 4-5 deer with them and recovered 3 of the bullets. All expanded well and penetrated well also. They retain their weight and I think that's very important for penetration. I shot a buck through the shoulder this year and the bullet stayed together and was recovered under the skin on the far side of the deer. So, I think you've got a great bullet. Here's what i would do.....go to the precison rifle website www.prbullet.com and look around. Then, go to the "contact us" section. Call Cecil and explain to him what you are going to hunt, how long you expect your shot to be, what type of rifle and what twist you are shooting along with the powder you plan to use. He will be glad to steer you towards the proper bullet for the job. I do know they killed quite a few caribou with 175 and 195 grain dead center bullets. So, check out their website and contact them and they will hook you up with the right bullet to do the job. Let us know what you decide on and what the results are. Thanks, Greg

P.S. - I did a little more research on the website and it said something to the effect that for deeper penetration you would want to go with the larger diameter bullet. So, in your case, the .45 caliber in the 300 or 340 grain variety. But, call Cecil, he'll hook you up. Thanks again, Greg