Confidence is actually a very good reason to select a rifle for an elk hunt, if you think you can't miss you probably won't. My magic death ray rifle is a 7mm Remington that has shot several groups you could cover with a dime and killed lots of deer and elk. After 4 years of carrying the 300 Weatherby it is finally starting to have that same feeling.
If your 30-06 or similar good elk cartridge kicks too much for you slap a muzzle brake on it and see what that does for you - I'm a big fan and you can manage the noise or thread on a solid cover if you hate it.. But there really isn't a substitute for confidence gained by practice and experience.
