6.5 Creedmoor/260 for Deer, Elk, and whatever else.....

[Formidilosus]

I was out a couple weeks back with 6.5 Swede using 140ELD-M on fallow cull hunt. I culled four deer, including a a good sized hind solidly hit at 250m quartering away. She ran off about 75m and tipped over, but came close to tumbling down a steep hill/ravine. Exit wound was not very big, but lungs/liver were shredded.

My experience so far with the 6.5 has been just mediocre. Nothing spectacular about it and you really want solid hits with no room for error. The 6.5 does not put deer down like a .270 or 30-06. However recoil is light so you can be more accurate. Wind deflection is much better than .30 cals once you shoot distance. I need more time with this calibre, but this is my initial impression. If I was on an important big game hunt I'd take my 30-06 or 270 at this stage.

My mate on the other hand has shot a lot of deer with his .260 with 123s at higher velocity and has much faster knockdowns than I had. He uses that rifle for guided clients now for the low recoil.

Another mate that has shot thousands of heads of game just thinks the 6.5s are also so-so. They work fine, but you need to really make sure you have a good shot as margin for error is a lot smaller than larger calibres.

I’m not saying that you experience hasn’t happened, but what do you believe is the difference between .013 inches in bullet diameter on game? It can’t be magical- bullets destroy and/or damage tissue in only a few ways, and the wounding mechanisms are the same regardless of caliber. The wound channels created by .277 and .264 bullets of like weight and design are absolutely identical at same impact speeds; and a 30cal of the same is very marginally larger than either- so marginal that one can not tell by looking at them which did which.

In hundreds of game with each, based on time to incapacitation and distance traveled after the shot; I have not seen any functional differences between like/optimized bullets from .224-7mm, and only noticeable differences when using certain 30cal and .338 bullets at high impact velocities.

 

[Southern Lights]

I understand and have shot countless thousands of rounds of 260 in comps so I like the calibre.

The swedes I own shoot about 2700-2750 fps with 140s (comparable to 6.5 creedmoor). The 270 is coming out at almost 3200fps with 130grs and 3050fps with 145ELDX. So although the diameters are near identical the impact speeds at most ranges I am shooting deer are much different and I believe the 270 allows more margin for error. Same again 30-06, it just drops animals really fast.

Again though a mate uses 123 SSTs @ 2900fps and it wrecks deer at ranges under 400m. They need to be solid chest or neck shots. Gut shots they will run off farther than we've both seen happen with bigger calibres where the same mistake happens.

At the same time I'll ask another guide I know which calibres does he see the most problems with on hunters he takes out and he immediately said: "6.5 anything."

But it all comes to shot placement. At mate's fallow block some hunters came in with a 300WM. Managed to gut shoot a buck at 150m. Shot some more with various poor hits. Found it exhausted in the bush to finish it. Took eight shots. A lighter recoil 6.5 would have been a much better choice.

The problem is there is a mystique that people think the 6.5 has the same trajectory as larger calibres with better wind and then want to take shots at range that result in marginal hits. The trajectory may match, but at hunting ranges the impact effect is just much different and the overconfidence compounds the problem because the 6.5 really needs a good shot placement from what I've seen.

I'll be out culling in a week or so and will take my 6.5 and 30-06 barrels again. I'll alternate what I use and see if I get any more data. I'm not thrilled with the 140 ELDM. I need to try the 123 loads with the higher velocity to get the impact results I want.

 

[Southern Lights]

Does he use 123gr SST or ELD-M?

thank you

123gr SSTs @ about 2900fps. Good luck with them at shots out to 400m.

 

[Bado20]

44 Yards, 123 SST impacted at approximately 2750 FPS slightly quartering facing almost dead on. Shot went through the neck, down through the spine, lungs, and against the hide on the far shoulder.

 

[Grundy53]

Finished the .223 thread. Now I need to read this one. Thankfully, I already have a 6.5 CM so this thread shouldn't be as expensive. Lol.

Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

 

[bojangles808]

is the ELD M 147 separating in flight still a thing with the factory ammo in 6.5 cm? this thread is very convincing on ELDM's lethality however I can only get 147 locally and I see there's been a history of some issues with it

 

[TxxAgg]

is the ELD M 147 separating in flight still a thing with the factory ammo in 6.5 cm? this thread is very convincing on ELDM's lethality however I can only get 147 locally and I see there's been a history of some issues with it

Not that i can tell, but i've only shot maybe 5 or 6 boxes so far.

 

[bojangles808]

Yea I suppose there's the law of averages that says they sell so much it will never be a problem for you, but just something I came across. Most of the threads I saw were 3-5 years ago though? That's why I was aondering about recently

 

[TxxAgg]

Yea I suppose there's the law of averages that says they sell so much it will never be a problem for you, but just something I came across. Most of the threads I saw were 3-5 years ago though? That's why I was aondering about recently

My guns shoots slow. Starting at 2625 fps at 1000' so it's pretty mild

 

[bojangles808]

My guns shoots slow. Starting at 2625 fps at 1000' so it's pretty mild

I'd be similar (tikka, sea level) so maybe I'll give it a shot thanks

 

[Formidilosus]

I'd be similar (tikka, sea level) so maybe I'll give it a shot thanks

That was never a thing in factory barrels, certainly not Tikka barrels, and I never saw it with 6.5CM at all. It was a thing with a few cut rifled, after market barrels and high muzzle velocity cartridges (6.5PRC).


It is nothing to worry about for you.

 

[Short Track]

I've taken Moose with 6.5CM. Elk with 7mm08. 140's from a short track are plenty.
I don't see what the drama is about to own a super-duper magnum.

My last Elk was copper ammo .308, and needed 4 shots through the lungs. I'm going back to 6.5 with accubonds. It just works.

 

[541hunter]

Son took his first elk last weekend using a 6.5 creed. Shot was 200 yards using the 147 eldm. He hit a bit low and back in the liver. Elk dropped in its tracks. She picked her head up and a follow up shot to back of the head finished it. Muzzle velocity with the 147 eldm was right at 2700 fps. Estimated impact velocity of 2426 fps.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Son took his first elk last weekend using a 6.5 creed. Shot was 200 yards using the 147 eldm. He hit a bit low and back in the liver. Elk dropped in its tracks. She picked her head up and a follow up shot to back of the head finished it. Muzzle velocity with the 147 eldm was right at 2700 fps. Estimated impact velocity of 2426 fps.

I've found that an ear or behind the ear (depending on angle) follow up shot is absolutely ideal with a rifle (not a pistol) when it presents itself.

Similar story this this coues buck. I hit him high on an extreme uphill angled shot (buck was 600 vertical feet above me) slicing through the top of the broadside lung, hitting ribs, then lodging into the spine paralyzing the bottom half of the deer. He began to crawl away, occasionally picking his head up to gasp for air. He crawled behind some thick ocotillo and all I could see was his head occasionally popping up quartering away. He would have died there after a while but didn't want to deal with mt lion or coyotes hearing him huff and crawl around. A follow up shot placed directly behind the ear instantly killed him.

Ended up making for a pretty neat skull mount once I glued it back together.

 

[gerry35]

Managed to get through this thread finally. Congrats to everyone especially the young guy 2 posts up on his first elk!

We have a 260 and 6.5x55 and have had excellent results on piles of blacktails, one muley doe, one whitetail buck, a mountain goat and a bunch of black bears. I can't believe the ranges some of these were taken at, pretty impressive wound channels too. Going to load up some 140 gr ELD-M for my wife's 6.5x55 for this fall after seeing that they are more than just a "match" bullet!

 

[Bado20]

Managed to get through this thread finally. Congrats to everyone especially the young guy 2 posts up on his first elk!

We have a 260 and 6.5x55 and have had excellent results on piles of blacktails, one muley doe, one whitetail buck, a mountain goat and a bunch of black bears. I can't believe the ranges some of these were taken at, pretty impressive wound channels too. Going to load up some 140 gr ELD-M for my wife's 6.5x55 for this fall after seeing that they are more than just a "match" bullet!

How did the goat react? I've always gunned up a bit for goats because of their reputation for being able to absorb some lead but haven't experienced them being any tougher than anything else with good shot placement.

 

[gerry35]

How did the goat react? I've always gunned up a bit for goats because of their reputation for being able to absorb some lead but haven't experienced them being any tougher than anything else with good shot placement.

This happened when I was in my late 20's, quick climb, was super excited and had a case of buck fever! First shot at 50 yards was too far back and he just flinched, the second shot I got my act together and hit him in the chest facing me and he dropped. 140 gr Nosler Partition from a 260 Rem. Shot a couple more with a 264 Win Mag 130 gr Swift with similar results, one shot and down.

You're right in your assessment they die like anything else if you hit them right, if you don't you can have a real rodeo on your hands. I do prefer more gun on them if for no other reason the goat country here is crawling with grizzlies. In reality it works just fine on them though.

Forgot to add to the list of species a wolf from a 6.5x55, facing me and took one Norma 156 gr to the chest and she dropped on the spot!

 

[Bado20]

This happened when I was in my late 20's, quick climb, was super excited and had a case of buck fever! First shot at 50 yards was too far back and he just flinched, the second shot I got my act together and hit him in the chest facing me and he dropped. 140 gr Nosler Partition from a 260 Rem. Shot a couple more with a 264 Win Mag 130 gr Swift with similar results, one shot and down.

You're right in your assessment they die like anything else if you hit them right, if you don't you can have a real rodeo on your hands. I do prefer more gun on them if for no other reason the goat country here is crawling with grizzlies. In reality it works just fine on them though.

Forgot to add to the list of species a wolf from a 6.5x55, facing me and took one Norma 156 gr to the chest and she dropped on the spot!

Those 140 Partitions are a pretty attractive do-all bullet in the 6.5's for shorter range work.

I hear you about the grizzlies, I'm from pretty near the Skeena myself and if I'm hunting thicker stuff for black bears I'll take a 338WM more often than not just in case.

 

[Icelk]

I have a tikka ctr in 260 that is a tack driver. With the newer heavy bullets and twist rates, nothing wrong with the 6.5s on deer and elk.

 

[gerry35]

Those 140 Partitions are a pretty attractive do-all bullet in the 6.5's for shorter range work.

I hear you about the grizzlies, I'm from pretty near the Skeena myself and if I'm hunting thicker stuff for black bears I'll take a 338WM more often than not just in case.

The 140 gr Speer G.S. is very good too for typical hunting ranges, inexpensive and just plain work well. I have shot quite a few blacktails with them and my only whitetail buck, also loaded them for when we took out young hunters for black bear. Never recovered one and usually an exit wound the size of a Loonie (about 1 1/4" for you non Canadians). The 130 gr Accubond and 140 gr Ballistic Tip are favorites too.