All I can say to this post is this. ANYONE who is not capable of killing an elk with a 270(which has been done thousands of times) SHOULD NEVER NEVER NEVER carry one afield. For those who can and have, You already know this is BUNK.. If the 270 is legal for elk where you hunt and you can shoot it well, for gods sake use it. If you need a much bigger gun then go for it. I have never shot an elk with a 243 but many have. A 270 is plenty of gun with good bullets when used by good hunters. I know as many hunters who use a 270 for elk as I do hunters who use something bigger. Just like a bow hunter has to count on his hunting skills, so does the hunter who carries a rifle smaller than the 375 H&H. Or so I hear. Well anyway things are stirred up again for a while. Myself I use a 30-06 or a 50 caliber Muzzle loader. Or the trusty 45-70. . I have a new Buffalo Classic.