I really do not think the DEAD elk will complain or tell you that he wished you would have used one over the other.

From a .270 and 7mm-08 on up to what ever you wish you will end up with a dead elk if you can put the bullet where it is suppose to go.

Having said that neither one would be my pick simply because I do not like belted cases. Personally I would choose WSM in the caliber of your choice.

Anything from tghe 270 Winchester on up will handle Elk very well. The 06 has probably killed more elk than most of the others combined.

If you own a .270Win rifle and can shoot same. Load up the heaviest, fastest, premium bullet that your rifle will shoot accurately and go after your elk. The ONLY situation in which you may be limited, in terms of wishing that you had a Magnum big bore, may be in max range. The .270Win probably needs to be kept inside 300yds, to insure quick, humane kills. Jack O'Connor did kill about every animal in the world with a .270Win and he did not have the advantage of today's premium bullets, that give a 140gr bullet the same killing power for which we used to use a 180gr bullet.

A .30 always has an edge over the 7mm caliber in all classes. That is, a .300 Win. Mag. (NOT WSM!!) is a better elk rifle than a 7mm Rem. Mag., a .30/'06 is a better elk rifle than a 7X57, a .308 is better than a 7mm/'08, etc. etc. However, this is not to say that the 7mm Rem. Mag, using the right bullets, is not sufficient for elk, because it is. If I shot more deer than elk, I'd opt for the 7mm Rem. Mag., and use it for both. If it is to be an "elk-only" rifle, then I'd get the .300 Win. Mag., or a .300 Weatherby!