And as I said I've learned that the 300 win mag or 338 isn't ideal for elk either. I'm hoping I'll actually kill better with the 260 because I'll shoot better with it.
Not sure why you think the 300 and 338 aren't ideal for elk as I think they are. I have killed 11 or 12 bulls with a 300 Wby and found it never lacking. Most of those bulls were killed with 165 grain X bullets but I also used 200 grain Barnes originals, 200 grain hot cores and a 250 grain Barnes original. All were excellent bullets for elk. I never recovered an X bullet from an elk. I did recover a couple of the 200s in the far skin.
If recoil is your nemesis I can't understand that but it doesn't mean the 300s are not ideal for elk. The 260 is fine. The only other bullet I have used on really big stuff in the 260 is the 130 Accubond. It seemed to work fine on feral horses.
