As a 444 Marlin user, I would take a 300 in a soft point and the 405 in a hollow point, just to make sure to have it fold up where it stands. Why??? The 300 has less B.C. and S.D. and Elk are tough, so the soft point will penetrate better in the lighter load. As for the 270 leave it in the case. I have seen my brother in law come home empty handed to many times, before he went to 7RM. The 30-06 will fill the bill with 180 and heavier. I would keep the shooting of the Marlin under 175 yards to be safe. I use a 300gr. Keith wad cutter over a stiff load of H322 at 2150 with a outstanding performance on Elk to 150 yards, the one year I ran a 300gr.XTP it did not drop right away the round did hit the heater but never exited it was found just inside the heart. Hope this helps, sorry for your loss.