Forget the caliber, it's all about the bullet.
Also, when it comes to elk hunting you're most likely to find them at less than 100yds, but be prepared to shoot 400 yds. A "specialized' rifle is not what a guy wants to be carrying on most elk hunts.
One rifle--a general purpose rifle.
So far I've killed three critters this year--bear at 28 paces, cow elk at ~60 yds, and a bull at 40 yds--this is with a 270 and 150gr NPT's. A flat shooting cartridge in a bolt action rifle set up with short range, quick shots in mind.
