Some good points here. I've used a .260 with 140 gr Corelokts on several caribou to over 300 yards, one cow elk at @150, and a wolf at maybe 40. All bang flops when hit properly. That one bull caribou first hit in the end of his pecker doesn't count. He just walked funny until I put a second round through his lungs.... My bad on judging range and wind by eyeball.
If a .308 using a 150 grain bullet is considered by some to be adequate bullet for whatever, how is 140 grains from a .260 different enough to matter?
As mentioned, in heavy cover such as black timber elk hunting, a monster shutzenboomer is likely a better bet, IMO, especially if doing "raking" shots or THS. I use a .338WM for moose hunting in the thick stuff, but have ambitions to take a moose with the .260. I won't feel under gunned with the .260 since my shots are close (average for 20+ bulls is about 70 yards), and I've gone to CNS shots when I can get them. Not under gunned on a moose, anyway.
The reason I upped my old moose gun from '06 to the .338 was those 2-gallon piles of steaming brown bear poop I sometimes encountered. Probably no real difference, but it made me feel better...
That might also be a consideration in elk/Griz country.
