Elk are very different during bow season than they are in rifle season. It is much eaiser to get close because they are distracted.

I'm not saying a 20ga won't kill an elk. It will smoke the piss out of one.

I'm saying a 20ga is a very poor choice for elk hunting during rifle season, unless you are on private property and have a very easy hunt laid out in front of you. Or, you want to use it for a timber gun.

There is not a single real elk hunter in the world that would argue with that.