Somebody said on here the other day that the further you get from elk country the bigger the caliber gets . . . I think there may be some truth to that. Now . . . to lay down the ground rules . . . I have never shot an elk. I do know many who have. I can say that the most popular chamberings in Colorado for elk are .30-06, 7mm Rem. Mag. , and .270. Oh yes, there are plenty of "louden-boomers" being used, but I am sure they are far out-numbered by smaller, or more standard chamberings. The .270 is VERY popular for elk hunting. Remember, the .270 has quite a reputation as an all-around chambering. My .30-06 would do the job.

A point to consider is bullet placement. I had a friend who always used a .257 Roberts Ackley Improved every year for mule deer and elk. He laughed at any need for something bigger . . . bullet placement AND premium bullets were his medicine. You can't argue with an 85 year-old man who always got his game. I never tried.

Personally, I think that the .300 Mag is an excellent weapon . . . the .338 Mag even better for that size game . . . especially in bear country . . . but it is not necessary. The 7mm Mag., as I said, is VERY popular because of the ranges involved . . . it is a flat-shooting dude . . . the 7mm bullet will do its job if you get it there.

An observation . . . I bet the new .270 WSM will become the new Rocky Mountain sweetheart . . . ?