.260 on elk

[rooster740]

What energy does an arrow have?

I am not praising the 260 for elk hunting, I think that there are more appropriate rounds. I have however killed a few cow elk out to 300 yards with my 25-06. I own a bunch of magnums in 26, 28, and 30 caliber, but my main elk hunting rifle is the stainless feather weight in 308 winchester. I love the gun, it fits and I can off hand, a 9x10 piece of steel at 400 yards consistently.
Now talkin 260, I had a special type of hunter several years ago, he was 12, it was 25 below zero and he blasted his first bull elk at 250ish yards. It was a chest shot, and although the bull was dead on his feet, it did take about 30 second to a minute to die. Thank god, because in that mad rush of emotions and no experience. This stud muffin little man forgot about his second shot and one breath on the scope put us in a situation. The photo made second place in the Montana Outdoor Radio show photo contest. I wish I could show it off, but I am not so savy with this internet dealy. What a proud kid! My knowledge of this round is, this little 12 year old was able to hit his target and kill his elk.

 

[rooster740]

ooops

 

[dabouv]

260 and 6.5 creedmoor are ok but I'd personally stay under 400. 270, 7mm08 or 308 better. 30.06 and now we are talking a good marksman can think about 500 on a big bull. I like 7mmMag Or 300 win. If you like recoil,go 338. My cousins shoot quite a few whitetail Doe (landowner damage permit) and have high end guns. They shoot off a bench on the property and he can make 800:yard shots and the creedmoor is not able to consistently make clean kills at that distance On a whitetail doe.

 

[P7M13]

13 years.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

With, a Hdy 143 ELD-X, Nosler 142 ABLR or, Berger, 135 / 140 HUNTING Bullet, driven FAST ( 2,800+ FPS ), in .260 Rem / 6.5 Creed, I'd Limit my shots to, 500-550 yards IF,.. you can HIT, the "Boiler Room" at, that distance.
Some of, the .270's with, "good" 140 - 150 grain, Bullets, driven 3,000 to 3,300 FPS can safely, stretch it out another 100 to150 yards, again, Bullet PLACEMENT, Dependent ! How many of you guys have ever shot 500 to 700 yards, across a Canyon in, a 10- 15 MPH Wind after, a 2 mile Hike ???
YES, the Bullet "can" do IT, BUT, can,..YOU ??? Are you Practicing a Bunch from, Field Positions ( you won't see, many Bench Rests, in the Mountains ). Shoot at, 10- 12 Inch Dia Steel Plates,.. NOT, 24" or, 36" square Plates !
Personally, I'd learn how to get closer thru, GOOD Hunting, Skills !
I Love Elk Meat and THEY deserve, OUR respect, by making,.. clean, quick Kills !

 

[Idaho Lefty]

Thanks for the responses guys. Im just trying to figure out what caliber of rifle i want to build. Im trying to decide between the .260 or 300wm. I just liked the idea of the lighter recoil with the .260, but obviously the 300wm would be superior in terms of energy. Thanks again.

Split, the Difference !
Build / Buy, something like,.. a .270 Wby or, WSM or, 7 SAUM / 7mm Rem Mag, 280, .30-06, etc.
UNLESS you Brake, the .300 Magnums, you gonna be very UN Happy with, the Recoil from those, Big Guns !
And very FEW men, can shoot an UN Braked .300 Mag "well" off the Bench to "work up" loads or, enjoy,.. much, Practicing !
Once you develop, a Flinch, they are hard to,.. get RID of !

 

[Wild Monkey]

A lot has changed in 13 Years, and today's options not much has changed other than the 6.8 Western & 6.5 PRC. Both would fit in this rather dated scenario.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

When researching for an outfitted elk hunt I regularly asked the outfitters what the recommended cartridge was for reliably taking elk. Almost without exception, the answer was a 300 mag. Not any particular 300mag just something in that category. Not even once did anyone suggest a 6.5 anything for reliably taking elk.

What "could work" and what "should work" are generally two different things.

 

[Shane Lindsey]

13 years later...Whichever one you can shoot the wings off a fly under any conditions.

 

[Longtine88]

Very marginal. But it will kill them.

6.5x55

6.5x55 Swede is basically identical. I made 3 260's for my kids to hunt with at an early age. They killed 300 pound hogs, 250 pound Muley's and multiple white tails with this rifle and the 120 Barnes tsx. You could shoot them in the butt and it would come out somewhere up front every time. I just wouldn't shoot an elk over 250 yards with them.

From the study "
Every once in a while, during the course of testing for this knowledge base, a cartridge and bullet combination come together in such a way as to produce unique results. This is certainly the case with the Swede and 120 grain Barnes TSX and especially TTSX bullets. These 120 grain bullets have a long bearing surface, ideal for the fast twist rate of the Swede, producing optimum accuracy. The fast twist rate and fairly high muzzle velocity of the Swede combined with the blender blade style Barnes produce a result that, to be blunt, is best described as vicious.

The 120 grain Barnes bullets (BC .381) will take medium sized game end to end with tail on shots as well as giving fast kills during this process. Wounding at close ranges is fierce and wound channels at ranges of between 250 and 300 yards remain very broad if major bones are encountered. This load is perfectly balanced for use on all game up to the size of Elk, again with attention to shot placement due to limitations of the caliber. Wide wounding tapers off after 300 yards (2200fps) and this is the one caveat with these bullets - they are not fully consistent in action. The Barnes bullets need both velocity and or a measure of body weight resistance in order to produce wide wounding. The use of a light bullet such as the 120 grain weight also helps to enhance energy transfer. But if rear lung shots are taken at ranges of 250 yards and beyond, or if the range is simply too long- all bets are off. At extended ranges, the Barnes bullets simply cannot create wide wounds. "

Hope it helps. Agains it's the old age delima. Put the bullet where it counts and it would work.

 

[Plinker147]

.260 is fine for elk. Good bullet selection, I prefer 140 EH and don't shoot any further than the bullet will perform( whatever bullet you choose). I've killed elk with 6.5-06 out to 550yards with no issues. 3 yrs ago shot an elk with 6.5 and boiler room hit it stood there for 10-20 seconds fell over dead. 2 yrs a go shot my bull with 8-338WM boiler room hit. It stood there for 10-20 seconds fell over dead. This year shot my bull with 280 AI. It stood there for 10-20 seconds, put another in, The boiler room and it fell over dead. 3 different cartridges bullets were from 129gr to 220gr. Exact same results. Don't over think it. Elk die just fine when you hit them right, when you don't hit them right they don't regardless of cartridge. Only advantage to big mags is if your a front shoulder shoot big mags will ground them quicker but dead is dead.

 

[Plinker147]

Ha didnt catch the 13 yrs later part, but same is true then as it is today!!!

 

[dogz]

When researching for an outfitted elk hunt I regularly asked the outfitters what the recommended cartridge was for reliably taking elk. Almost without exception, the answer was a 300 mag. Not any particular 300mag just something in that category. Not even once did anyone suggest a 6.5 anything for reliably taking elk.

What "could work" and what "should work" are generally two different things.

On another note..............ask a bunch of locals who have taken and or in been in on the taking of 50 or more elk and see what they say....Just a thunk. I'm not talking once or twice in a life time elk guys, I'm talking guys who've been doing it for several decades.

On a side note, it's amazing to watch how so many people are so ignorant about how effective the various 6.5's can be on elk. Killing elk isn't rocket science, take out the lungs/heart and you've got a dead elk.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

Wasn't the 6.5X55 Swede the cartridge for the 20th Century that has killed thousands of large game all through Europe (Elk Moose) and Africa Lrg Animals??? Isn't the .260 Rem compared to the 6.5X55???