Exactly Howler, No one here can say that a bull hit with a .338 "nearly anywhere" will put down an elk. You could shoot one with a 50BMG and if you don't hit it where it counts, guess what you are going to be in for a long tracking job and maybe still loose the animal. And how much room for error do you want. The kill zone doesn't grow just because the bullet gets bigger. Yes the mag calibers have a little more range than the "standard" calibers but while the rifle and cartrige may be up to shooting 500 yards or more can most of us shoot that far in the real hunting world. A .270 has about a 300 yard range for elk and if I can't get that close then I probably wouldn't be able to make a lethal hit on it anyway after chasing them around in the mountains at 9000 - 12000 feet.