I have hunted elk from 100' elevation in the Oregon Coast Range to 11,000' above timberline in Wyoming, and the ideal elk rifle is actually at very least two different rifles. An open country rifle shooting stiff bullets with a competent/reliable longish range scope that makes 400 yard shots quite feasible is a necessity. In my opinion, that can start all the way down at .264 bore up through .308 bore. My current choice is a M70 7 Rem Mag, long throated, shooting 168 Bergers (which act like stiff bullets in their odd way). But then you need a close quarter thumper for thick country and grizzly bear areas. That starts at .338 bore and goes up, although the configuration of the gun and the speed with which it can be put into action may be more important than the chambering. My current choices are both .375--an open sighted Brown Precision ..375 H&H on a Rem 700 and a .375 Ruger in the short barreled guide gun with a low magnification Zeiss Conquest. I also think that a Rem 760/7600 in .35 Whelen checks a lot of boxes.
