I agree Rio7 but I've never hunted anything larger than that except a few old mule deer that would go up around 300 pounds. I bet the 243 win would do a good job on an elk with good shot placement of course. I lost count of the deer and coyotes I've killed with one. One year I killed 80 coyotes with a cdl and 75 grain v maxes. But I just grab the 30-06 if I think i may need more horsepower. I do believe a .243 is the most versatile cartridge in the area I live in. And I have tons of experience with the cartridge.
