RE: wyoming elk, scope choice
Oh the decisions. On a whim one year (thinking I might be wise to have a "backup rifle"), I hauled along my M700 Safari Grade .375 with a VXIII 1.5-5x along with my Vanguard in .300 Wby Mag with a VXII 3-9x. Loved carrying the Weatherby, but found the elk "escaping" my 3x field of view entirely too easily (maybe I'm just slow?). So, I swapped out and carried the pig of a Remington. That 1.5x was just the ticket for the dense timber I was hunting.
The 3-9 should be perfect though under every other circumstance BUT thick timber and probably the best choice for most western hunting.