In Colorado for mulies and elk shots can range from cross-canyon shots at distances up to 500 yards or more to 10 yards, right under your nose in heavy brush. I used .308, .30/' 06, and a 20" .270 Mann/Schoen. carbine for this hunting. If there was any advantage to one over the other, I failed to notice it! The .270 did as well as any of the others, and dropped more mulies in their tracks using the 130 grain bullet than either of the other two using 150 or 180-grain bullets. The .30' s were a little better for elk, with 180 and 200 grain Nosler Partition bullets. NONE would go through brush reliably, though!!