USMC PMI - from your post you sound like you may be one of those guys who could do alright w/ a 270 for elk, the reason, you admitt right off that its marginal. That in mind you would be more likely to pass on marginal shots that could be legitimate shots w/ bigger calibers. Anyone who goes into the west w/ a 270 thinking his caliber is PLENTY for elk is looking for trouble. I've hunted elk w/ a 6mm. I got skunked one year because of it, I had shots at elk under 100yds on three ocassions, but they were running in the brush. w/ a 06, 300mag, or even a 308 at that range I would have gotten an elk, but w/ the 6mm there was no margin for error. At that time the wife and I REALLY needed the meat to but I refuse to wound an animal. I'm pretty confident that I could have dropped her w/ the 6mm, but if I was to be just a hair off...wounded elk. If you want some proof, go out west and go into the mtns during elk season. See what most locals use,.. 06 and up is the norm. when I was a kid that was not the case, but over time guys see the difference year in, year out and over the years more and more have gone to mags. One of my dads best friends guided in wy for @25 years, in his words "the 270 is the elk woundinest son-of-a-bitch ever made". This is a guy who saw probably 1000 or better elk shot over his lifetime. Sooo... if you think that you can spend all that money on an elk hunt and pass on shots and go home empty handed by all means use the 270, or if you dont mind killing three elk to finally kill and find one use the 270 also. If on the other hand you dont like the idea of passing up shots and dont want to chance wounding one use a bigger caliber.