That definitely provides more context. Since you already hunt elk with a bow and presumably know where you're going to hunt them with a rifle (probably the same place), consider taking a scouting trip with your 3-14x44 Vortex scope. Set the scope at 4.5x or as near as you can get and glass over some of the terrain, etc. Get a feel for how the scope feels at 4.5x-ish and then dial it back to 3x to see if the difference matters to you or not.