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They are good bullets, but not needed with that rifle on elk. Where they really shine is when using a gun that would normally be considered a little on the light side for the task it is being asked to do. You rifle will perform just fine with 180-200 gr jacketed lead bullets.
If I were elk hunting with a 243 or 7-08, I'd be looking hard at the Barnes bullets and limit the ranges I shot. The Barnes bullets allow these smaller calibers get better penetration than would normally be possible with smaller lighter conventional bullets at very high velocity.
If they shoot well in your gun there is only 1 reason other than expense to not use them. Most folks drop down 1 or 2 bullet weights and shoot the Barnes bullets as fast as possible. That works well at closer and moderate ranges. But the all copper bullets do not expand as well if they hit game at slower velocities. Which means they are less effective at exended ranges. Or from chamberings not capable of very high velocities. A heavier conventional bullet will still expand at longer ranges where the Barnes bullet is moving too slow to expand.
The number I keep seeing is 2000 fps at impact. If the solid copper bullets are moving slower than that they don't work well. Conventional bullets still expand as slow as 1600-1800 fps. And heavier bullets maintain those speeds at greater ranges than the lighter copper bullets. I'd look at some ballistics charts and find the range where the bullets I were considering fall below that speed. That will determine the max effective range for that bullet. If the shooter is skilled enough to shoot at that range.
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