Before my first elk hunt out west I was focused mainly on my rifle. Before my second elk hunt I was focused mainly on my boots. Most deer rifles with decent bullets work fine on elk.
That's what experience will do for/to you. Most of the fun you could have had obsessing about the choice of rifle and perhaps contemplating a new one --- pphhhhhtttt --- gone. Instead you worried about practical stuff like keeping your feet warm, dry and comfortable so you could enjoy the hunt.
Hopefully the practical stuff is out of the way and you can go back to worrying about the fun stuff!
