Elk

[GROUNDpounder]

For a decent shot I wouldn't use anything smaller than a .308, if you are a great shot I suppose a .270 would be ok but why make it suffer?

[Kepper]

Hundreds of elk are shot each year with muzzleloaders and bows. I'll take the .270 over both. Stay within the limits of the gun your using. If the only rifle I owned was a .270 and I wanted to hunt elk, I wouldn't run out and buy a new rifle just for that hunt. A bad shot with any caliber is taking a chance.

At 200 yards a .270 carries the same amount of energy as a .308. It caries 90% of the energy of the 7mm mag which is a very popular elk rifle.
.270 - 2206 ft/lbs (150 gr)
.308 - 2180 fl/lbs (165 gr)
7mm mag - 2397 ft/lbs (162 gr)
30-06 - 2447 ft/lbs (180 gr)

Data from Hornady.

[dog_paddle]

Well, I was an Elk hunting guide in Montana for about a decade. If you want to harvest a big bull (in this area)you have to go to remote places so be in shape. Also, ELK are big, figure out a strategy on how to get it out of the woods before you kill it!...