Caliber and bullet selection has everything to do with matching them to the situation you anticipate, while elk hunting. Black timber hunting for mature bulls requires a much tougher bullet than shooting cows or raghorn bulls in open country. Mature bulls are a much tougher animal than a cow or immature bull, and can take alot more punishment. To me, I equate a cow elk to a large mule deer, in terms of toughness.

IF you have the discipline to wait for the perfect broadside shot, in the timber, any of these mentioned calibers and bullets will work. Hell.....bowhunters get it done every year, with a stick and razor blade. BUT, the successful ones are the most disciplined and are willing to pass on a marginal shot. One chance may be all you get, where I hunt. So, I drive a 300 gr swift a-frame through the vitals. No matter the angle, I get an exit hole. The first 4 bulls I killed with this way were between 16 and 32 yards, and all dropped at the shot....with very little meat damage. That heavy bullet means you can eat right up to the bullet hole. I can't say that with faster/lighter set ups.

Another thing to take into consideration is, are you hunting a general season or a draw hunt? Or....are you on public land or private? Many hunters that are not familiar with hunting the west, base their decisions on what they see on hunting programs. Most of those hunts are limited entry, either by the number of tags issued OR access to private land OR both. This is huge in how the elk react to the pressure, or lack of pressure. Public land, over the counter, elk hunts here in Idaho puts the bulls down into the darkest/deepest black timber canyons you can imagine. A far cry from what makes up most of the elk hunting shows, on tv. Those black canyons would not make for good filming conditions, for sure! Add a month of elk bowhunters and packs of wolves, and these elk are on TILT!

So, it all comes down to the shot presentation you anticipate, and chose the best combination to get it done. Out of my several bull elk rifles, they are dedicated to 338 rum for long range or a 375 H&H for black timber. I scale back to a 300 win, if open country cow elk is what I'm doing. The deciding factor, is the worse case scenario. I take the rifle and bullet combo, that covers it. Sometimes I have 2 rifles in the truck, the 338 for clear cuts at first light and last light.....and then swap to the 375 while still hunting the timber, in the middle of the day. This has proven very deadly.

BTW, the gun in my safe that has the most elk to it's credit is a 22 mag. A friend of mine had an elk farm, and when it was butcher time, he would borrow it. Shot in the head, in a squeeze chute, is probably the most "high percentage" shot there is!!! :o)

Sorry about the long post, but this is what I have learned from 37 years of elk hunting in New Mexico and Idaho. It has worked VERY well for me. BTW, I have used .308, .270, and 30-06's during this learning experience, but now they stay home and wait for deer season. Elk meat is very important at my house, and I try to keep the odds in my favor.

Andy3