To be perfectly honest with you, at your stated 250 yard limit it anit going to make a hill of beans defference one way or the other. The elk will never know the difference.

According to Federal charts. At 300 yards with Federal ammo shooting 160 grain NP in the 7RM and a 180 grain NP in the 30-06 there is only 1.3 inch difference in trajectory. Out past 300 yards or so the 7mm begins to shine better than the 30-06. However, it still doesn't get an 11 or 12 inch advantage until you get to 500+ yards and then it's only 10.6 inches at 500 yards.

It's really a matter of flipping a coin and buying one. Ammo is readily available anywhere for both, Both have a very wide selection of bullets in either factory loaded or for the reloader. Both are inexpensive to practice with. Recoil is about the same for either one. And they are both very capable elk cartridges.

Personally I would choose the 30-06 for the simple reason that it does not have a belt on it. But that 's just a personal thing.