There are better choices for elk hunting than a short barreled AR. Nothing wrong with a .308, either. Some guides might take exception to a client lugging a chamber loaded AR on a hunt. They are also very noisy to load and unload. A 19 year old that is sensitive to recoil of a 7mm Remington Mag is understandable in this day and age. A 7mm-08 or 7x57 might be better. A friend's 13 year old daughter that is 85 pounds soaking wet handles a 7-08 with ease. Just sayin'

Life Member NRA, RMEF, American Legion, MAGA. Not necessarily in that order.