I am a bolt guy also. I haven' t ever owned a BAR so I can' t comment on their reliability. Autos in general are not as reliable as a bolt gun when you get into really cold temps which is certainly possible elk hunting. You should be able to find 338 win ammo just about anywhere you go in elk country no matter what state you are in. Given your current stock of guns I would definetly go for the 338 especially if you are planning on making elk and possibly moose a " regular" hunt. And you will want to!