I would use partitions myself. They may not always be the absolute best choice, but are always a very good choice. It is considered trite by some but if you have enough gun and a good bullet you will never wish for less. If something goes wrong with an elk, and your follow up shot is at the backside, you will not wish you had a little gun and a lightweight bullet.
Partitions are my favorite bullet... but in my particular 7-08 they didn't shoot very well, hence the use of the NBT's.
Personally I don't consider the 7-08 a "little gun"... load it with a 160 NP or NAB and it'll do everything and perhaps even a bit more than a 30-06 with a 180.
But if you hit an elk right the first time there won't be any follow-up in the backside.
