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

[SC HUNTER]

143 grain eldx out of a bergara ridge and aac cyclone. The middle boys first deer, he hit it behind the other shoulder quartered away and it came out the chest. Stumbled a little ways and died in the road. He was pumped up about it and I couldn't have been happier! We've been having a time all season getting him on one and making everything come together for him. The next one will be a little bigger young German Sheppard size.

 

[sierracharlie338]

143 grain eldx out of a bergara ridge and aac cyclone. The middle boys first deer, he hit it behind the other shoulder quartered away and it came out the chest. Stumbled a little ways and died in the road. He was pumped up about it and I couldn't have been happier! We've been having a time all season getting him on one and making everything come together for him. The next one will be a little bigger young German Sheppard size.

Gotta start somewhere! Congrats to the young man!!

 

[TNHighlands]

What is the best deer/elk hunting factory round for 6.5 creeedmoor?

Agree that there's quite a bit of evidence here if you read. But 140/147 ELDM, 143 eldx are easy button for factory loadings.

Berger, sierra, etc if rolling your own.

 

[Hoosker Doo]

My wife got her first elk today. 363 yards with a creedmoor shooting 143 ELD X. It was a liver shot with an impact velocity of about 2200 fps. After the initial shot the cow was surrounded by other cows, so no opportunity for a follow up and they walked over a rise so they were no longer visible.

After gridding and zigzagging in knee deep snow for 40 min and not a drop of blood to be found, we decided to check the hillside below where the herd had went, and she was lying there 100 yards downhill from the site of impact, but she had gotten out of sight before doing her death run. We walked right up an put her down.

Caliber sized entry, no exit with bullet against opposite hide. Zero blood in the snow.

 

[Mike D Texas]

My wife got her first elk today. 363 yards with a creedmoor shooting 143 ELD X. It was a liver shot with an impact velocity of about 2200 fps. After the initial shot the cow was surrounded by other cows, so no opportunity for a follow up and they walked over a rise so they were no longer visible.

After gridding and zigzagging in knee deep snow for 40 min and not a drop of blood to be found, we decided to check the hillside below where the herd had went, and she was lying there 100 yards downhill from the site of impact, but she had gotten out of sight before doing her death run. We walked right up an put her down.

Caliber sized entry, no exit with bullet against opposite hide. Zero blood in the snow.

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Glad you were able to recover her cow. Bullet looks like it performed as well as it could have.

This is what makes me nervous shooting larger animals with smaller cartridges. Sure they can and will kill effectively, especially when hits are in the heart/lungs. But they can be challenging with less than ideal hits.

I’m not convinced that a larger caliber, more powerful cartridge wouldn’t have put the animal down quicker in cases like this.

And before the mob jumps all over me, I have and hunt with plenty of 22,25 and tons of 6.5mm cartridges. But, when I am able to go after larger game, I will be carrying either my 300 or 338 Norma Improved.


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[Hnthrdr]

Glad you were able to recover her cow. Bullet looks like it performed as well as it could have.

This is what makes me nervous shooting larger animals with smaller cartridges. Sure they can and will kill effectively, especially when hits are in the heart/lungs. But they can be challenging with less than ideal hits.

I’m not convinced that a larger caliber, more powerful cartridge wouldn’t have put the animal down quicker in cases like this.

And before the mob jumps all over me, I have and hunt with plenty of 22,25 and tons of 6.5mm cartridges. But, when I am able to go after larger game, I will be carrying either my 300 or 338 Norma Improved.


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Not jumping on ya but I think there was thread this year from a guy loosing a bull to a liver shot with a .300 win mag. Never recovered him. I think it boils down to shot placement just about over anything

 

[11Justin22]

Glad you were able to recover her cow. Bullet looks like it performed as well as it could have.

This is what makes me nervous shooting larger animals with smaller cartridges. Sure they can and will kill effectively, especially when hits are in the heart/lungs. But they can be challenging with less than ideal hits.

I’m not convinced that a larger caliber, more powerful cartridge wouldn’t have put the animal down quicker in cases like this.

And before the mob jumps all over me, I have and hunt with plenty of 22,25 and tons of 6.5mm cartridges. But, when I am able to go after larger game, I will be carrying either my 300 or 338 Norma Improved.


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It was a poor shot. Going to a larger caliber would have made no difference except for the probability of making the same bad shot a higher likelihood. Bad shots are bad shots. Getting a bigger hammer won't fix that.

 

[Mike D Texas]

It was a poor shot. Going to a larger caliber would have made no difference except for the probability of making the same bad shot a higher likelihood. Bad shots are bad shots. Getting a bigger hammer won't fix that.

I don’t see how anyone can make absolute statements like this.

I actually don’t even know what you are trying to say in your first sentence. Are you inferring that it’s absolute fact that shooting a larger, more powerful cartridge automatically means that you will be less precise in bullet placement?

If so I have to say that’s one of the most absolutely ridiculous statements I’ve seen on this site; and that’s saying a lot.


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[Formidilosus]

I don’t see how anyone can make absolute statements like this.

The wound channel difference is not large enough to make drastic differences- it’s about an inch between a 6.5 and 30cal.

As for larger cartridges versus smaller cartridges, it doesn’t make a positive difference- more recoil, more poor shots

Are you inferring that it’s absolute fact that shooting a larger, more powerful cartridge automatically means that you will be less precise in bullet placement?

100%. There are zero humans alive that shoot identical rifles the same, when one recoils more. Getting punched harder in the face doesn’t make one more accurate.

If so I have to say that’s one of the most absolutely ridiculous statements I’ve seen on this site; and that’s saying a lot.

So why don’t you grab a bunch of people, get them off of the bench and into field positions with some time pressure, and see who shoots and unbraked 8lb 338 Norma Improved better than they do an 8lb 223.

 

[11Justin22]

I don’t see how anyone can make absolute statements like this.

I actually don’t even know what you are trying to say in your first sentence. Are you inferring that it’s absolute fact that shooting a larger, more powerful cartridge automatically means that you will be less precise in bullet placement?

If so I have to say that’s one of the most absolutely ridiculous statements I’ve seen on this site; and that’s saying a lot.


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Well form pretty much laid it out but I can make statements like that because I can objectively look at data, test and observe results. My ego is not tied to the size of my gun caliber

 

[Hoosker Doo]

Glad you were able to recover her cow. Bullet looks like it performed as well as it could have.

This is what makes me nervous shooting larger animals with smaller cartridges. Sure they can and will kill effectively, especially when hits are in the heart/lungs. But they can be challenging with less than ideal hits.

I’m not convinced that a larger caliber, more powerful cartridge wouldn’t have put the animal down quicker in cases like this.

And before the mob jumps all over me, I have and hunt with plenty of 22,25 and tons of 6.5mm cartridges. But, when I am able to go after larger game, I will be carrying either my 300 or 338 Norma Improved.


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Thanks. That's the biggest gun my wife can shoot comfortably. We were a little stressed when we couldn't find any sign of a hit/blood in the snow. I glassed the herd moving away and could see there was no wounded among them.

I had some of the same thoughts like "what would have made this better" but besides a better shot it went as well as it could have gone. To the bullet's credit, when we did find her, we got within 10 yards before I saw her blink and we knew she was still alive, she just had nothing left to try and run any more. The lungs were bruised but not punctured.

If we would have seen where she ran it would have been a quick and painless harvest.

Edited to add: I am curious if at those lower velocities of a Creedmoor, would the ELD-M do more damage/be more effective than the ELD-X. Do any of you who have used both have some input on any difference in terminal performance?

 

[bojangles808]

140 ELDMurder exit. impact was mid body right up from armpit. shot was 75yds 6.5 cm 20 in tikka. estimated impact velocity 2429 fps. ran about 40 yards. great blood trail.

 

[Mike D Texas]

Thanks. That's the biggest gun my wife can shoot comfortably. We were a little stressed when we couldn't find any sign of a hit/blood in the snow. I glassed the herd moving away and could see there was no wounded among them.

I had some of the same thoughts like "what would have made this better" but besides a better shot it went as well as it could have gone. To the bullet's credit, when we did find her, we got within 10 yards before I saw her blink and we knew she was still alive, she just had nothing left to try and run any more. The lungs were bruised but not punctured.

If we would have seen where she ran it would have been a quick and painless harvest.

Edited to add: I am curious if at those lower velocities of a Creedmoor, would the ELD-M do more damage/be more effective than the ELD-X. Do any of you who have used both have some input on any difference in terminal performance?

I definitely understand. My wife primarily shoots a 6.5x47 Lapua. We use the 129 ABLR at just over 2900fps and it does great on medium size game and she is comfortable shooting extended sessions at the range with it.

She has shot my 6.5 SAUM Improved and taken a red deer hind with it but she wouldn’t be as comfortable on longer range sessions.

I expect the 140 ELDM would probably produce similar performance to what you saw here, maybe a bit more fragmentation. But doubtful you would get an exit with it either. A single caliber diameter hole makes for a tough tracking job regardless of bullet, caliber or cartridge.


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[Mike D Texas]

Well form pretty much laid it out but I can make statements like that because I can objectively look at data, test and observe results. My ego is not tied to the size of my gun caliber

Nor is mine but I’ve seen imperical data that shows me what I stated.

But I guess since I didn’t document it for the world to see in the internet it’s invalid.


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[atmat]

But I guess since I didn’t document it for the world to see in the internet it’s invalid.

You make a lot of these kind of comments, and I don’t get why.

 

[11Justin22]

Nor is mine but I’ve seen imperical data that shows me what I stated.

But I guess since I didn’t document it for the world to see in the internet it’s invalid.


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You make a lot of these kind of comments, and I don’t get why.

atmat sounds like gaslighting to me

 

[FB Trout]

My son and wife shot 2 cow elk this morning, one at 720 yards with a Tikka 6.5 Creedmoor shooting 139 Lapua Scenars 2767 fps muzzle velocity (my son) and my wife with a 22 Creedmoor shooting 88 ELDm at 3050 fps, muzzle velocity, distance 520 yards. I’ve transitioned to the 130 TMK in the 6.5 mostly, but my son hasn’t sighted his gun in with the 130 TMKs, so he shot what he had on hand. The cow was broadside and hit in the shoulder, but more in the crease and broke the offside shoulder and exited. It moved ~75 yards, bedded and kept its head up for 30 or seconds and expired. My wife, on the other hand, shooting the 22 Creedmoor shot her cow as it was facing her, very slightly quartered towards, and she shot it directly in the brisket, pulverized the lungs, and exited behind the left from shoulder. It stumbled, tipped over and expired with a 15-30 second span. Anecdotally, the 22 Creedmoor was more impressive, and will be my choice of caliber and bullet going forth. We have used the 139 Scenar quite a bit, but it definitely seems less predictable. I do like the 130 TMK, just haven’t shot as many animals with it yet, but will be my 6.5 bullet progressing forward.

Exit on 139 Scenar:


Exit 88 ELDm

 

[Ozarkansas]

This is a weird one: Adult whitetail doe, 75 yards, 6.5x55 shooting a 140 grain Gold Dot at 2700 FPS (chrono’d).

First shot was rushed while the doe was walking fast through a small shooting lane- hit high shoulder and spine. What you’re seeing in the photo is the entry side. Despite the spinal hit, she had her head up for nearly a minute so I put another shot into her chest from underneath (at 75 yards again), through the sternum and out the spine, directly between the entrance and exit wounds of the first shot. That shot is why there’s such a gaping hole. I’m not thrilled with the shooting but I was happy to have only lost a small amount of meat from the top of one shoulder blade and the very front of both backstraps

 

[sierracharlie338]

View attachment 661358
This is a weird one: Adult whitetail doe, 75 yards, 6.5x55 shooting a 140 grain Gold Dot at 2700 FPS (chrono’d).

First shot was rushed while the doe was walking fast through a small shooting lane- hit high shoulder and spine. What you’re seeing in the photo is the entry side. Despite the spinal hit, she had her head up for nearly a minute so I put another shot into her chest from underneath (at 75 yards again), through the sternum and out the spine, directly between the entrance and exit wounds of the first shot. That shot is why there’s such a gaping hole. I’m not thrilled with the shooting but I was happy to have only lost a small amount of meat from the top of one shoulder blade and the very front of both backstraps

Better than no meat!

 

[FB Trout]

A couple of antelope with a Tikka 6.5 x 55 shooting 143 eldx at a muzzle velocity of 2900 fps:
Impact velocity on this one was 2560 fps, hit in the low chest and it unzipped the chest cavity, no necropsy photos, sorry, full pass through, no bullet recovered

Same gun, same bullet, impact velocity 2230,
Bang flop, hit in shoulder and exited.
Entrance:


Exit: