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

I like practicing with my 6.5A maybe more than most. It keeps me honest. I can cheat it with a 223 and get away with not a perfect rest or having my body perfectly aligned behind the gun. With a 6.5 it has enough recoil that if I have a poor foundation, I can’t spot my shots but it is not enough recoil that my ugly flinch comes back
 
Form,

Do you think there is any advantage in the the terminal performance and lethality of a bullet with the increased velocity between a 6.5 PRC and 6.5 CM? Shots on elk less than 600 yards. With the factory ELDX ,as an example, looks like a 150 to 200 fps difference.
 
Form,

Do you think there is any advantage in the the terminal performance and lethality of a bullet with the increased velocity between a 6.5 PRC and 6.5 CM? Shots on elk less than 600 yards. With the factory ELDX ,as an example, looks like a 150 to 200 fps difference.

Nope.
 
Bull took a few shots at 454 - 460 yards 143gr eldx (4 I think, might have been 3 with an exit), to be fair I think he was dead on shot 1 and just didn't know it yet. He soaked up 4 total shots and never made it more than 20 yards, @abbrown said it was all over in under 30 seconds including a move from sitting hugging pack with hiking sticks crossed out front (thanks @Formidilosus) to a 20 yard lateral shift and prone over pack final shot. 2 lung lobes survived, the rest were liquid.

Adding an additional picture post processing, I believe I snuck an additional shot in, so 5 impacts. The new picture shows what is left of the distal shoulder bone where it meets the femur, totally destroyed, the bullet was found about 4” posterior in muscle, function of shot angle not lack of penetration.
 

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@Formidilosus what are your thoughts on lead free bullets for the 223? I’ve had good luck with the 127 lrx in the .264 variety and I see that Barnes makes a 77 grain lrx. Is that what you would shoot if you wanted lead free?
 
No pictures of the carnage but I took a 4x5 bull elk second day of Colorado first rifle. Shot with 140 ELD-M (6.5 Creedmoor) at 85 yards. First shot was slightly quartering to so shot through the front shoulder. That bullet exited. Bull wobbled and slowly turned 180 degrees (wobbling the whole time). I hit him again for good measure (he was dead on his feet though). Second shot was slight quartering away and went into the offside shoulder (no exit). Bull dropped in his tracks. We found the base of the second bullet in the offside hide. That shoulder was damn near detached from two bullets going through it. Internal damage was impressive.
 
I’ve got no clue what the ratio should be. I put ~150 rounds down my 6creed trying different bullets, shooting for fun, and verifying dope. Now I almost never shoot it except a few shots before and during the season.

My 223 sees well over 90% of the work (excluding rimfire).
I decided to try ELD-M in 140 and 147 and threw in some S&B 140 FMJ (at $1 per before fees and taxes) for my "practice" - although I purchased the same amount in each.
 
Just to add to the “whatever else” category — this was my trip to the grocery store for thanksgiving last year. Yes this was legal where I was, no it’s not sporting to shoot a turkey with a rifle… but it made for a nice way to break family members into wild game meat for thanksgiving. All of these dropped where they stood. 143 eldx has never failed me on 50 game animals and counting. Since swapping from an old .270 — and I don’t think I’ll go back.

IMG_0616.jpeg
 
Is there any info out there on the 140gr Tactical Tip Matchking loaded by Federal for their tactical line? I couldn't find anything useful out there. It looks like a 140gr TMK but I didn't find published data on it.
FWIW I just purchased some of these. Eventually I will report back on them.
 
White-tailed deer doe, 95lbs. 125 yard shot broadside.

130gr TMK
2795fps

Loud thwop, no immediate reaction, a few seconds later a 40 yard awkward loping run that ended when the deer fell over and kicked for a little bit.

The blood trail over bare cultivated soil was light considering the exit size.
 

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