Just out of curiosity, I checked Nosler's website. They don't recommend the 140 gr. 6.5 for elk. That said, the Europeans use it for moose. I wouldn't hesitate to use it. I am surprised it failed. I used Barnes for years, because my butcher would put the spent bullets in a tray on her counter. All of the Barnes looked exactly like their advertisements. I like a SD of above 270. I now use 168 gr. Bergers at 2750 fps. Worked great at 340 yards, but it wasn't a shoulder shot. I once hit a cow elk on the shoulder at 90 yards with a 400 gr. Precision Rifle pure lead bullet from my muzzleloader. It cracked the ball joint, then split in two with one piece of the bullet going into the lung and one into the neck. She ran 75 yards. Elk are tough.