Agree on how important good boots are. I use Meindl's when it's warmer and Schnee pacs when the snow gets deep. Your 300 mag sounds like a good bet, but my 300 WSM prefers 180 grain Accubonds. I think a 10x binocular is probably to much power for elk hunting, I use a 8x32 Pentax and have a spotting scope that usually gets more use from the truck. Good Luck
