It would appear that 6mm still rules in the shorter range competition. At 1000 yds., the 6.5mm bullets look like the current big time winners. No?
That said, "how high is up?", when it comes to expecting more from the newer, bonded bullets? With the best bonded bullets and working within 500 yards, is the 6mm bullet now to be considered an elk bullet? By this, I am not referring to the "shoot them in the ribs and follow them until they drop" style hunting of elk. I am talking quick, clean, relatively painless death of the bull elk.
In 2000, my guide in Darby, MT. killed all his elk using a rifle chambered in 22-250. He was a cretin, in more ways than one. I would not use less than a 7mm bullet on elk, unless I was convinced that I could get a quick kill hit from a number of angles.
Steven A.
