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

[lduston]

I bought the wife a Barrett Fieldcraft in 6.5 CM a few years back and she is deadly with that thing. I get kind of jealous since it is so nice to carry and I had a moment of insanity and sold the 18" version I had. I end up borrowing it on occasion which somehow must be lucky because I kill something every time I borrow it. She has taken 2 or 3 moose with it and I've lost count of the caribou and bears that have been killed with it. A lot of kills were with the Barnes 127gr LRX but more recently I've been loading the 124gr Hammer Hunters which I like way better for consistency and the terminal performance. The closest shot was under 10 yards on a bear and farthest was 450 on a sheep. One moose was 350 which I feel is pretty decent for a little cartridge on a big critter. It's a surprisingly efficient killer with the bullets I've loaded and its a lot of fun to shoot even for small framed young shooters.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

I see your rifle has evolved. No suppressor 1st few pics then a suppressor. Tell us about the suppressor, cost, recoil reduction noticeable?

 

[General RE LEE]

Anybody try the super basic 129 grain Hornady Interlocks on game? I bought a Hornady die and there is a rebate for a free box of 129 grain Interlocks.

I run 143 ELDX handloads (41.5 H4350) cause I’m kind of vanilla and they have dropped every deer I’ve shot.

Interlocks are a classic design I’ve always had great success with.

 

[SC HUNTER]

Anybody try the super basic 129 grain Hornady Interlocks on game? I bought a Hornady die and there is a rebate for a free box of 129 grain Interlocks.

I run 143 ELDX handloads (41.5 H4350) cause I’m kind of vanilla and they have dropped every deer I’ve shot.

Interlocks are a classic design I’ve always had great success with.

Not in a 6.5 cm but I've shot them in 243 and 7mm-08 and they kill deer. I didn't always get the best expansion or blood trails with them but they work. I'm also a basic white trick who shoots 143 eldx because they just work.

 

[ianpadron]

My 9 year old son shot this Michigan Elk about 3 weeks ago. I did a lot of research on mild calibers for kids that could effectively kill an Elk. 6.5 CM kept coming up as a marginal round for Elk. Yet several reputable hunters have endorsed it when under 300 yards. 7mm-08 was my 2nd choice, but went with the 6.5cm. Bullet choice was a bonded bullet from Norma "Bond Strike 143gr". A lot was at stake for this hunt with such a hard to draw tag. We spent hours at the rifle range, his shooting was exceptional. Honestly the 6.5 cm recoil rocked him pretty good, but he completely stayed in control & shot beautiful 3" groups at 100 yards. Anything bigger would have been too much I believe. So he ended up making a perfect 87 yard lung shot on this 500 lb cow Elk. Here is the lung bullet trauma pic. The elk went about 70 yards. I just wanted to post this for anyone with kids who may be recoil sensitive. This combo worked great and was manageable for my little guy.

Double that 300 yard effective range for your MI elevation.

Congrats to your kiddo, pretty cool hunt for a young fella.

 

[The Guide]

Anybody try the super basic 129 grain Hornady Interlocks on game? I bought a Hornady die and there is a rebate for a free box of 129 grain Interlocks.

I run 143 ELDX handloads (41.5 H4350) cause I’m kind of vanilla and they have dropped every deer I’ve shot.

Interlocks are a classic design I’ve always had great success with.

That is the same bullet that they use in the American Whitetail ammo. I have killed elk with the 150 and 180 using a 300WM and deer with the 100 in a 243. Very good old school type bullet similar to a Remington CoreLokt. The 129 is a flat base bullet and should be easy to find a good short range load for.

Jay

 

[Natebonebusta]

They shoot good for me with a softer felt recoil out of my 6.5 Creedmoor than the same powder charge with 130 TMK’s.

 

[260284]

The first big doe was shot with factory 147s out of a Tikka Roughtech in 6.5 PRC, MV 2865 fps, shot at 240 yards, impact velocity 2550. The second doe was shot with the 130gr Norma golden target, MV 2840 out of a 6.5 Creed RAP, a little over 2700 impact velocity, blood trail was amazing. The buck was shot with the same PRC and 147s at 354 yards, no internal damage pictures, but he didn't go far, golfball sized exit. The last doe picture is the exit, shot with the 130 golden target out of an 18" 6.5 creed, 2785 MV, shot at 250 yards. My sons and I have taken 18 deer with the 130 golden target out to 460 yards and have gotten exits on all but a quartering to shot at 40 yards.

 

[260284]

Another 6.5 PRC 147 facory load at 2860, I get close to this speed with my Creedmoor loads. 100 yard death dash with blood everywhere.

 

[260284]

The first four deer were taken during a late anterless hunt, all with the 130 Norma Golden target at 2785 MV from an 18" 6.5 creed. Exits on the first two that were shot at 240 and 280 yards, both went 20-30 yards with lots of blood. Second two were shot at the end of the day at the top of a 100' deep cedar choked ravine. High shoulder on the fawn and head shot the doe, both at 275 yards. Last one was a doe at 150 yards, entry is in the first picture, she was hard quartering towards me. She dropped at the shot, had lung hanging out the exit at the back of the ribs.

 

[260284]

Who has tried the 130 TGK out of a 6.5 Creedmoor? I picked up 500 of these last year. Pictured next to the 130 Norma. Has anyone compared the TGK to the TMK? @Formidilosus

 

[Natebonebusta]

Who has tried the 130 TGK out of a 6.5 Creedmoor? I picked up 500 of these last year. Pictured next to the 130 Norma.View attachment 769146

It’ll be my first year trying them but I’m getting 2715fps out of an 18” xbolt. They are accurate enough.

 

[Chode223]

Who has tried the 130 TGK out of a 6.5 Creedmoor? I picked up 500 of these last year. Pictured next to the 130 Norma.View attachment 769146

Piggy backing a little bit - how do the tipped match bullets compare to the non-tipped ones, like the Norma or Berger?

 

[Brontosaurus]

6.5 CM 130 TMK 2700 fps impact vel
Mature bull elk
Bullet path roughly 20 in quartering shot full pass through.


Entrance



Exit

 

[260284]

I have the TGK and they look like they have a thicker jacket than the TMK. I am going to see how they shoot out of my 20" PRC. I want to make sure they will expand in deer sized game.

I would like to see if anyone has used the TMK and TGK to see if there is much of an expansion/penetration difference.

I do take a small orifice bit to my Norma match bullets to make sure the tip is open on all of them. Haven't had an issue with getting good expansion on those, but I almost always get an exit.

 

[Formidilosus]

I have the TGK and they look like they have a thicker jacket than the TMK. I am going to see how they shoot out of my 20" PRC. I want to make sure they will expand in deer sized game.

I would like to see if anyone has used the TMK and TGK to see if there is much of an expansion/penetration difference.

The TGK is a thick jacketed, relatively deep penetrating narrow wounding projectile.

The TGK and TMK are quite different.

 

[Brontosaurus]

The TGK is a thick jacketed, relatively deep penetrating narrow wounding projectile.

The TGK and TMK are quite different.

On my elk, could you describe why my bullet went so deep? I expected with my relatively high impact velocity to have an extremely wide and shallow wound. Instead, I experienced nearly 2 feet of penetration and normal wound width

6.5 CM 130 TMK 2700 fps impact vel
Mature bull elk
Bullet path roughly 20 in quartering shot full pass through.
View attachment 769429

Entrance
View attachment 769430


Exit
View attachment 769431

 

[wind gypsy]

I do take a small orifice bit to my Norma match bullets to make sure the tip is open on all of them. Haven't had an issue with getting good expansion on those, but I almost always get an exit.

What bit do you use for this? The ones i've seen at basic hardware stores always seem larger than what people discussing using on the internet.

 

[Formidilosus]

On my elk, could you describe why my bullet went so deep? I expected with my relatively high impact velocity to have an extremely wide and shallow wound. Instead, I experienced nearly 2 feet of penetration and normal wound width

The 130gr TMK’s is not a shallow penetrator- it is not uncommon for it to exit. A 3” wide entrance wound (isn’t what is “normal width), then into the stomach and exciting the rear leg or near it- much of the wide part of the wound would be at the back of the lungs/diaphragm/stomach.

 

[Brontosaurus]

The 130gr TMK’s is not a shallow penetrator- it is not uncommon for it to exit. A 3” wide entrance wound (isn’t what is “normal width), then into the stomach and exciting the rear leg or near it- much of the wide part of the wound would be at the back of the lungs/diaphragm/stomach.

My bad I meant normal for TMK wound diameters hehe. But that makes sense. I was unaware that the 130s were good on the penetration. I think frangible in my head correlated to less penetration. But clearly it was a false assumption

 

[Formidilosus]

My bad I meant normal for TMK wound diameters hehe. But that makes sense. I was unaware that the 130s were good on the penetration. I think frangible in my head correlated to less penetration. But clearly it was a false assumption

Yeah, no. TMK’s for like weight will penetrate on average a bit deeper than say ELD-M’s or Berger VLD’s usually.