Searching for "The" elk rifle.... opinions...?

[mcwoodduck]

Coyote Hunter,
Depending on caliber I think I would even go up to 26"
you can really wring al lthe FPS out of the weatherby and Win mags

[Coyote Hunter]

So it's settled, right? 

A 7mm Rem Mag, 24" barrel, good 160g  bullets.  Recoil like a .30-06, flatter shooting, good to 600 yards.

Worked for me for 20 years.

[Lt Smoke]

.338 Win. Mag, 250 Nosler Partition puts an Elk to rest like hitting a mouse with a dead blow hammer. I have loved this cartridge for nearly 30 years. We have had a strong partnership. When I do my part it does the rest with an authority that is hard to beat. In a recent trip to Africa a friend of mine took 14 plains species with 15 shots. In short, for me it works.

[mrussel]

Both the paddle and the M77 belong in a lake.  I'd rather carry water soaked walnut than spend 60 seconds looking at what has to be the the biggest blunder of Bill Ruger's career.

Good for you.
I have hunted in terrain like you hunt in Va and NC.  I have hunted in the woods of Up state NY, western Pa,westen and central VA, and Northern Ca and the deserts of Ca and Az.
Nothing compares to the abuse a rife suffers on a hunt for elk.  The rugged mountains of Idaho and Montana, the rocks are jagged, The rocks are slipery, the terrain is very verticle add to that the snow and ice.  Add horses, back packs, pack frames and the changing weather and the rifle takes a beating.  Plastic stocks are the way to go.  Kevlar stocks may be sturdier and laminated are prettier but the added weight of the kevlar rules it out.  The liminated stocks too are heavier than the plastic.  When on horse back, when on foot trying to drag an elk or mule deer quarter back down the mountain or to camp every ounce matters.  Look at the 700 XCR, it has a boat paddle plastic stock.  Are you going to tell me that the 700 XCR is not a good rifle?
Right now most of my rifles wear walnut and when I buy another Elk rifle, having been elk hunting a couple times, I will go for Stainless and plastic stock with a 40mm or less scope.  The 40mm or less fits in most rifle scabords.  A 50mm or larger will have you holding the rifle while trying to ride.  Not something I want to do while ducking under trees.  I still curse at the scars my Super grade wood wears, and smile at memories of the hunt.
Caliber is up for debate, either a 338 Win Mag or a 7mm rem mag.  yes I know a 30-06 or 308 will do it but why would I want to limit my self to 300 yards (know this opens a can of worms but for me 300 yards with either is max- 450 yards with my 338WM).  Remington, Kimber, Ruger and Sako are on the list of rifles I am looking at.  I think each offers special features and each has detractions.  Your comment about having a month to sight in a rifle is bunk.  I have been able to mount a scope and fire three rounds at 100 yards and be on.  From there I usually move to 200 yards on western rifles, eastern rifles stay sighted at 100 yards.  You simply aim at the center of the target, and fire a round, then shoot at the hole you made, adjust second hole to the first.  Fire third at center of target to confirm, you may need to ajdust from there  but you are really close as a start.
You comment of wanting a soaking warped walnut stock rather than a Plastic stock too is silly.  As I said above the XCR and some of the SPS rifles have a plastic stock, are you saying those Remingtons are only good as boat anchors or canoe paddles?
Also think about it this way, if there was not Ruger, kimber, Savage, or CZ and only Remington 700's as a Bolt action rifles, the prices would be double or tripple the cost of what they are now.  So the rifles you hate so much make it possible for Remington to put out a cost comparitive rifle and not rape the rifle shooters.

 I hate plastic stocks myself,but you make a damn good case for them. I look at it like I look at the Glocks,I dont like plastic,but it DOES have advantages. Even if I dont choose plastic,becuase I just cant get past the way it looks Im not going to ridicule someone else making the decision to go that way. (Unless of course we are talking about those gawd awful ATI stocks with the raw injection molding seams on them.)

[Coyote Hunter]

As things turned out, the new "boat paddle" stock I bought needed tohave the barrel channel hogged out for the .30-06.  Rather than butcher it myself I decided to let the gunsmith do it when he reams the chamber throat to match my other .30-06 rifles - sometime after hunting season.

Two offers came in to sell me like-new Ruger "boat paddle" stocks with studs intalled for $50 delivered.  A few days later I was the proud owner of my 3rd "boat paddle" stock.  The .30-06 dropped in perfectly and is shooting extremely well.

Not sure what I'll do with the remaining "boat paddle" stock, but I have another Ruger .30-06 in a walnut handle...

[Mr. Joe]

With a outer limit in the 300 yard neighborhood i think you would be hard pressed to improve on the .308 you already have.  I would save your money or buy other stuff.