I cannot speak for the smaller stuff on elk (other than my buddy's with the 7mm-08) but I sure can say it kills deer just fine and like Rapier said, it is a very pleasant gun in .260 or 6.5X55 (I Have also shot a 6.5X57 in the Steyr Pro Hunger - it was very mild).
To be honest, my 6.5-06 does not kick much either but then it is an 8lb rifle unlike my .260s and 6.5X55.
By coincidence, today I was riding around with a wildlife biologist and his 2 assistants looking over some of our training site management area and the subject turned to deer rifles. The four of us could count over 20 deer we had actually seen lost to the .243 or 6mm Remington...most of them finally recovered but ruined. Of course that is over a long career for two of us, the other guys are still wet behind the ears at about 35-40 years of age
By no means is 20 the majority of the deer shot with those calibers, so dont take it as a blanket condemnation.
Riposte