a 260 Rem covers a lot of ground...
I would hunt any animal in N America and everything up to and including eland with a 260. GREAT cartridge.
the 6.5s are my personal minimum for general big game...but i dont say that to cut them short as i feel they will do anything a .30 will
A .243: is the minimum here in Colorado. I've used mine on antelope with no issues at all and my .257 Roberts is my favorite for antelope. Took one at 500 on the run with it, no problem there, either. I've hunted elk with the .257 using a 120g A-Frame loaded to 2947fps and, while I never got a shot using that load, have no doubt it will work fine out to about 400 yards.
That said, I also prefer my 6.5's for game larger than antelope, Both of mine (6.5CM and 6.5-06AI) are too heavy to hump the mountains with so my .280 Rem is where I start when hunting mulies and elk.
Had my boat-paddle/stainless Ruger .30-06 at the range a couple days ago and was banging the steel at 600. Would not have any qualms about using it at that range for elk, although I would only take such a shot under perfect conditions, regardless of the cartridge used.
