Agrrrrr! Though deer are generally pretty darn easy to kill, there is "gettin' them down " and then there is "slapping them down". On ocassion I would use my 338WinMag for the annual deer hunt. It was fun to see the way it floored them and I do mean "right now" with a non-CNS shot (it was almost comical and the results were generally the source of much amusement within our group). So I know what you mean when you say "smacked the poop out of them" ---- I can only imagine that a 338RUM would do it even better. BTW, I'm sure it will be quite satisfactory on elk as well!

I'm sure you are aware that we're "bad boys" for actually enjoying being so supposedly "overgunned". IMHO, in the realm of hikeable/huntable rifles (15 pounds or less "finished weight") there is really no such thing as being "overgunned" as long as you can handle it and you can carry it (neither of which is particularly hard [barring injuries]); however, there is definitely such a thing as being "undergunned" for a given ocassion.

No doubt much talk to follow that focuses soley on 100% pure "shot placement" [a misnomer] while conveniently ignoring "minor" factors like TKO, repeatablity, angle selection/limitations and a myriad of other issues that are very much "at play" in the elk woods but are practically irrelevant when bench shooting at the range. [:@]

Always nice to find a new "hammer" that floats your boat. Enjoy,

EKM