Of course shooting off a bench is not a measure of how someone will shoot in the field, but if a shooter can't shoot his/her choice of cartrige from a bench 15-20 times without flinching and having a crick in their neck, they are overgunned and they will likely muff the shot in the field. I would ALWAYS recommend to any hunter that they choose accruacy over power. That said, for elk, shoot the most powerful cartridge that you can shoot accurately.

Bottom line, if I were a guide, I would rather my hunter be carrying a 270 that he can drive tacks with than a 375 Super Duper he flinches and closes his eyes every time he pulls the trigger.