Again NOT ALL ELK live in the timber we have elk here in washington state that live their whole life in the low desert of about 400 to 800 ft elevation.....where I hunt is high desert at around 2000 to 4000ft no trees just sage and grass like around the spike in my thumbnail.....500yd shots are common not the exception here!!!! don't knock the other guys game till ya played...we spot and stalk or sometimes have the animals walk right up to you...not many of the old salts or locals hunt with the big magnum bangnums as they just are not needed!!!! they have everything from .32specials to the huge .300 rum, but so far I have not seen a animal taken with one of the supermagnums....normally the guy M/Ts his gun into the sky and the ground and the elk run off and then the locals shoot them!!!!! just my two cents here fellas.......take it with a grain of salt....BUT the question was what would we recomend on a $1000.00 budget!!!! don't be fooled folks, elk are not near as tough as a big muley buck, they are bovine in nature, normally in herds, one stop they all stop,run pretty much in a straight line witch if you see them coming you have ample time to get in front of them and shoot one at your liesure!!!!