Ive owed a 7-08 since the late eightys, shot well over 40 deer with it and the vast majority of them have gone right down. Who ever says it wont drop them were they stand, isnt shooting them in the right place. I dont care if your shooting a .378 weatherby mag. you shoot a deer through the rib cage and it will usually run, its dead but it will still make it X amount of distance from the shot. As for using it for elk, a properly loaded a 7-08 will kill any elk. 7-08 killed elk