Here's what I recommend: A Sako 75 .300 Win Mag with Zeiss Conquest 3-9X40 scope mounted in Conetrol rings. Also, a good premium bullet would be a plus. Maybe a Nosler Partition, Nosler Accubond, Barnes TSX, Northfork or something similar.

I'd go with either the 30-06 or the .35 Whelen. Both have excellent knock-down power with appropriate bullets

thanks alot will have to visit my local gun shop and try some of them out

300 win mag. 180 gr. premium bullets. The 270 mentioned above is NOT enough gun for elk. the 06 is good, 7mm mag. also.

NVMIKE thanks for the input I was looking at the 270, 06 and the 300 will most likely go with the 300.

Another matter of opinion, the .270 Win has taken many Elk and other large game. It may be somewhere near the minimum but many would not make the statement "not enough gun for elk".

Depending on your capabilities as a shooter, I'd suggest either one of the hot .30's, or a .338WM.

A .308win mag, .30-06, .300WM, .300WSM would do you very well (preference in INCREASING order).

If you're a little more experienced, it's always nice to have an excuse to pick up a .338Win mag...although it's pretty heavy on recoil for a beginner. A .375H&H would do very well in what you've described too, but it kicks considerably harder, and I'm not ceratin your elk or bear get big enough to warrant the .375, however at the ranges you're asking about, you might NEED the energy!!

However, since you ask about rifle manufacturer too, it leads me to kind of assume you're not really experienced, and I'll say this, don't take a 300yrd shot. Until you've practiced shooting the rifle you'll be hunting with under hunting conditions at the range you're thinking about, it's just plain stupid to expect such great things. Most people don't even realize how far 300yrds is when they hear a rifle is "good for 300yrds on deer", until you've sat down and practiced it, you shouldn't be shooting that far.

USMC PMI - from your post you sound like you may be one of those guys who could do alright w/ a 270 for elk, the reason, you admitt right off that its marginal. That in mind you would be more likely to pass on marginal shots that could be legitimate shots w/ bigger calibers. Anyone who goes into the west w/ a 270 thinking his caliber is PLENTY for elk is looking for trouble. I've hunted elk w/ a 6mm. I got skunked one year because of it, I had shots at elk under 100yds on three ocassions, but they were running in the brush. w/ a 06, 300mag, or even a 308 at that range I would have gotten an elk, but w/ the 6mm there was no margin for error. At that time the wife and I REALLY needed the meat to but I refuse to wound an animal. I'm pretty confident that I could have dropped her w/ the 6mm, but if I was to be just a hair off...wounded elk. If you want some proof, go out west and go into the mtns during elk season. See what most locals use,.. 06 and up is the norm. when I was a kid that was not the case, but over time guys see the difference year in, year out and over the years more and more have gone to mags. One of my dads best friends guided in wy for @25 years, in his words "the 270 is the elk woundinest son-of-a-bitch ever made". This is a guy who saw probably 1000 or better elk shot over his lifetime. Sooo... if you think that you can spend all that money on an elk hunt and pass on shots and go home empty handed by all means use the 270, or if you dont mind killing three elk to finally kill and find one use the 270 also. If on the other hand you dont like the idea of passing up shots and dont want to chance wounding one use a bigger caliber.

NVMIKE, sounds like a fair statement based on experience. Don't think the .270 would be my first choice for elk but I do like a challange. I am 100% with you on the importance of shot placement and shot discipline. Never been out for elk but have taken three nice Caribou up in Canada with the .270 using the failsafe bullet, all clean kills but also ideal shots. Any opinions on the .270 WSM for larger game? Anyone out that way feel it is a little better suited?

Do you have experience with fairly heavy recoil? I don't mind the recoil on my 300 mag, but some do. If you don't, stick with '06 or .308.