Partially as a thought experiment, partially because this is as big a resource as I care to call on, I need to bounce some ideas.
My father has been hunting elk in Montana a half dozen or so times near my Grandmother's property with a guide. So far he has gotten two good bulls, one 6x5 one 6x6. He has done some hard hunting on horses and riding, some a little more relaxed on foot at lower elevation.
In a fit of enthusiasm, and as extra bait to write and defend my thesis, Mom has cleared Dad and I for a week in Montana in search of the mighty Wapiti.
So, I would like to put together a rig for this purpose and hopes of returning there as I get a real job and have time.
I have a .243 and 7mm Remington. The 7 has a 26" barrel, making it unwieldy though the cartridge is all right.
I would like carry ease, no more than a 24" barrel but not ultralight weight so I can actually have some recoil weight. Preferably an off the shelf piece, I have a Remington and a Browning with preference for the low throw on the Browning.
So, Kimber Montana in 300 WSM? Browning Composite Stalker in .375? An unknown Remington in 338?