In your original post you mentioned money was an issue for getting out on an elk hunt so I would go with a 30-06. A 3006 will reliably kill elk to 500 yards at 7,000+ ft elevation with the right ammo.

06 ammo is 35% less in cost than the magnums and that gets you more trigger time to develop shooting skills which is more important than outright power 99% of the time.

More different ammo is available than any other big game cartridge so will have tons of choices so your chance of finding a load that shoot well in your rifle are increased also.