I'm going for the 270win on this one. All because of some of the latter stated facts where distance was an issue and time frame of making the shot. See in the public land elk hunting world nothing is absolute. Your not going always get that perfect set up or minutes of time to aim, range, and set up solid rests. Here's where I might add some common sense to the logic of speed vs bullet size in the elk hunting world or some might just think i'm nuts but anyway it works for me and everyone else I take out hunting.

3000 fps is the king of all quick shots. Almost any caliber you get to the 3000 fps mark will hold a trajectory in the 10,20 and 40 inches of drop if sighted in at 200yards. So therefore at 300 yards it's going to drop 10 inches or less, 400 yards it's going to drop 20 inches or less and at 500 yards 40 inches or less. Shooting an elk with an average chest cavity of 28" in depth. 300 yards shoot middle of the body for height, 400 yards top of the back and at 500 yards aim 18" to 24" over it's back. 500yards is a more trickier shot but 95% of the time this will nail them depending on bullet design. The reason the 10,20,40 rule works 99% of the time is because that hold will put you within 4 inches just above the heart every time. And that folks is one dead elk. Heart shots are perfect and can't be beat but in any given Sunday morning on the mountain you may not have time to shoot that perfect shot into a four inch circle at 400 yards. But all this is for bullets that travel over 3000 fps and in medium weight bullet range.

It may sound totally insane to some of the Elmer Keith minded folks out there but when it comes down a Bull of my dreams at over 400yards I want one of my rifles that's zipping out there where I may not have but just a few seconds to get a range and a mediocre rest and put him on the ground without going through a mental meltdown of bullet drops. If a hunter knows his rifle like the back of his hand then by all means ignore everything I just said. But unless you truly shoot paper up to the distances your willing to kill game you don't know what your rifle is going to do at those ranges. And for hand loaders vs factory ammo buyers the 270win will beat the 308 win and vise versus depending on how the load is set up. But the last secret of all this is at 250 yards or less none of this makes a hill of beans and if your never going to shoot over those distances it makes no sense to debate any of it because you should be almost capable of pin pointing any shot you take with almost any caliber. Yes shot placement wins the day and the man that practices the most wins the most.

I'm not a fan of shoulder shots and have never seen an elk not recovered shot through both lungs. NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In closing having to make split second decisions not shooting someone else's rifle and getting the kill at longer distances for most hunters I choose speed over everything else. Less drop does mean a more precise shot placement. To me it's not a bore size debate in the heat of the moment it's a trajectory issue. And at 250 yards or less might as well have the biggest bullet you can chunk out there. Field test 25 years watching all calibers and shooters shoot elk at all sorts of ranges and scenario's.