[taylorce1]

.270 Win is about as perfect as it comes for deer and pronghorn, and very capable of taking elk. If the majority of what you'll be hunting with it is deer out of State then there really isn't any need for anything larger than a .270 slinging a 130 grain bullets. Now if you're going to start pursuing elk on a regular basis then I'd opt for the bullet options available to the .30-06.

I like the .243 recommendation until it comes to elk sized game, while capable of killing elk there are better cartridge choices for that work. For deer and coyotes it is hard to beat the .243 for an all around rifle. So if it is a few years until an elk hunt comes up then maybe a .243 Win might be a better fit and buy a larger caliber rifle for when the elk hunt comes around.