I have hunted with the .270 Wby Mag for many years, and have taken over a dozen elk and deer with it. For what you suggest, I would have to recommend it wholeheartedly.

In terms of the .257 Wby Mag, it is just a tad light for elk, if you include 21-day elk hunts in your criteria for this rifle. I know it will do it, but I just don' t feel comfortable with it. The .270 Wby Mag will take any elk that has ever lived at any range normal hunters should be shooting at one. I have shot bulls with it from as far as 325 yards and it drops them as if they were hit by a neutron bomb. [X(] And at that range I didn' t have to worry about holdover...the bullet hit where I aimed and the 5-pt bull dropped in his tracks, the 150gr Partition doing unbelievable damage.

In terms of the 7mm STW, I would disagree with Stubblejumper and say that the .270 Wby will do anything the 7mm STW will do and will do so with much less recoil, therefore making it a more accurate round to shoot. I agree that the STW is a better round at extreme long range, but only 1% of the hunters out there are capable of shooting at a range that is beyond the capability of a .270 Wby Mag, and even at that, only about 1% of the shots those marksmen may ever be presented with would actually require the extra horsepower. That is too little need to put up with the increased recoil. With all due respect to Stubblejumper, who is one of those hunters who can take advantage of the extra reach, the .270 Wby has to get my vote if you want a rifle that can do all you ask in a package that light and still be manageable at the bench.

As far as recoil, most of you know that I am ultra-sensitive to it because of multiple shoulder injuries and the resulting surgeries. At the bench, I can shoot a .270 Wby Mag all day long and show no ill effects. I can put maybe three groups through a 7mm STW and then I have to put it away.

As far as the .280 is concerned, the .270 Wby Mag is much more capable and doesn' t present the shooter with much more recoil, if any at all.

For an alternative, I am inclined to agree with Vapodog that the 6.5-06 may be something else you should consider. You may even take a hard look at the 6.5x.284. There isn' t much difference between the killing power of the 140gr 6.5mm bullet, the 150gr .277-cal bullet and the 160gr 7mm bullet when launched at nearly the same velocities.

I don' t have any experience with the new Ultralight rifles by Weatherby, but everyone I have spoken with who has tried one says they are tack drivers and a very good value.

Robert, don' t count out a semi-custom rifle. There are many gunsmiths out there who can put together a damn-fine rifle for about $1,200 or so.

You won' t be disappointed if you choose the .270 Wby Mag. In fact, you may discover what far too few hunters have: The .270 Wby Mag may be one of the finest all-around big-game cartridges of all time.