For elk, the trend is toward mouse guns and elephant guns. I can't decide if my '06 is too big or too small.
That seems like a reasonable policy in general. If I was going to hunt everything from woodchucks to elephants with only two rifles, the first one would be exactly 6.5 caliber and the second would be at least .405 caliber but more likely ..423, 458 or .510. The guns in the middle struggle to earn their keep - too much for thin skinned non-dangerous game, not heavy enough to be a stopping rifle on the dangerous stuff.
To each their own. If I was going to hunt varmints to deer/elk/moose with only two rifles they would be a .224" for the little critters and a 7mm RM, .30-06, or .300WM for the larger ones. In fact, I pretty much did that for 20 years, substituting a .22LR for the .223 and using a 7mm RM for longer shots.
As a practical matter, the vast majority of NA big game hunters will never ever need an "elephant gun", nor would such a gun (heavy, high recoil, relatively rainbow-like trajectory) be their best choice for the game they do hunt.
I was being factitious. On some threads we read about the 243 being a great ELK round. On other threads we see 300 Wbys and 375 H&H's being recommended. So, here I am with my inefficient 30-06, too big for some, too small for others.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” ― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
