Well, here I am boys - an elk expert.
. Nothing wrong with a 6.5, and plane Jane bullets, IMO.
I've taken exactly one elk (one more than some here, I suspect), so it's worth what you paid for it.
That cow elk I took at @ 150 yards with a .260 pushing 140 grain Corelokt never knew what hit her. Bang-flop. Mighty friendly on the shoulder, and light to carry also (Rem 725SA). I shot her one-handed, using my left arm braced between two diverging aspen? birch? trees for a rest. No problem.
I'd do it again.
Previously, my son hd taken a cow caribou in excess of 200 yards with it. Bang-flop. Post elk, I've taken a number of caribou with it to about 400 yards. Haven't lost one yet, tho that's in wide-open tundra, but none went more than 50 yards. The wolf at @30 also fell right over...
Well, that pecker-shot bull caribou did (the 400 yd), but he was getting closer all the time post first shot, slowly, so I let him come in for the second shot, where guesstimated distance and ignored wind didn't fug me up... One might say that was a painfully effective placement.
For him- didn't bother me much.
I am hoping to use the 260 on moose one day- I have confidence it is up to the task, if I don't screw up. I would also use any of my others, .243, 30-30, 270, 30-06, 7x57, .338WM. I have used premiums in the 'o6 and .338 calibers - doesn't seem to make any difference over ho-hums... Premiums run a tingle up your leg, go for it.
It ain't what you shoot them with, it's where! Mostly.
