And the OP asked about elk not Sitka or black bear. Perhaps a 7 mag with 162 GR ELD X loads would be more appropriate. And getting closer never hurt nothing No slam on the Creed but for a "newbie who wants to hunt elk extra punch isn't a bad thing. Plus the fact that Creed ammo isn't everywhere. If he was rolling his own it's a different conversation. 7mm Mag in a big green box will kill elk all day even way out there and you can get it at a gas station.
