A 300 or 338 for open country and a 45-70 for timber hunting I think is the ticket for elk. And good bullets are a must.
I have thought similar to this for a long time. I hunt most with a 22' bbl .338WM as it is a compromise between long range capable & good for close deep-woods shots. It's usually loaded with Woodleighs or Partitions. I still have a .300 set up long range, and sold my big bullet lever gun.
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