One of the experienced guys on here who has helped me is "memtb" he has a quote from Bob Hagel. It basically says: you should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong. So, after reading that numerous times, I bought a used copy of The Game Rifle by Bob Hagel. BTW, I love used book stores, and used books. I can't remember what I payed, but I just saw three copies of it on abebooks.com for less than $4.00. What a bargain.
While a 7mm rem mag is certainly capable of taking elk sized game, ... it might not be the ideal caliber-as you alluded to. I will let other more experienced, and more knowledgeable members of this forum advise you on what might be a good choice for your purposes.
-Johnny
p.s. I have been a member for less than a year. I've learned a lot. I'm sure you will too.