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

[Undrgrndprdcts]

Has anyone had more consistent and/or lower opening velocity threshold with berger 130 otm by ensuring the tips are drilled open to the proper diameter? @Formidilosus

 

[RancherJohn]

2 elk in the last 5 days with a 143 ELDX, first was a 6 pt bull by my brother at 390 yds (2960 fps MV ~2550 fps impact). 2 hits to the heart and lungs (no exits), down in ~15 yds. Second was a cow elk by my future BIL, 500 yds (3000 fps MV, 2480 fps impact). Single shot through the lungs (no exit), elk was down in 3 steps.

 

[General RE LEE]

Youth hunt 6.5 Creedmoor 143 ELDX impact velocity 2600 FPS about 80 yard short.

Pass through blew heart out with plenty of expansion. Deer was dead in a few steps. The 143 ELDX has always performed well in every rifle I’ve loaded it for.

 

[Pistolpete28]

Young mule deer buck 6.5 creed impact velocity was around 2420 fps. 140 Eldm quartering away, bullet entered last rib, destroyed the lungs and stopped behind the front shoulder area. Buck was dead before he hit the ground, photo shows where the bullet stopped.

 

[Stickmark]

75 yards, elk, velocity estimated at 2675 (6.5cm sort of a RSS rifle, barrel not cut or suppressed, and for velocity number I just used the shootercalulator); animal went 35 yards, expired quickly.
143 grain eld-x.
Shot aiming point was bit high, due to obstructions, but behind shoulder. Exited low. Wish I would have taken a few minutes more to more to do a better autopsy. When I made a larger incision on the exit hole, stuff poured out. Next morning, I could see shredded lungs. Pictured is the exit hole. Knife blade slanted front is 1" exact. Found a bullet fragment tucked in a divot, next to another exit hole, as I am doing the hide.

 

[Wrongside]

Tikka SL 6.5CM
147ELD
420M

 

[NWBLKTAIL]

6.5CM tikka roughtech
130 TMK
100yards
Impact velocity 2670fps
Quartering to me through front shoulder shredded lungs died instantly

 

[AZ_Hunter]

16” 6.5CM with 130 TMK hit again today.

Basically 300 yards. My buddy got some wound pics I’ll post later, but I don’t have them on my phone yet.

The 130 TMK is brutal. Impact velocity was 2350 fps and organs were shredded. First hit lungs, second hit liver. Follow up shot was basically instantaneous. She went to front legs, then rolled over, kicked for a couple of seconds and that was it. No bullets were recovered, whatever was left passed through. Small exit holes in skin, barely visible, but massive damage in the torso and on entry wounds, making 3” wide holes in the ribs.

Shot from sitting position using tripod with pack as rear support. Stayed in the scope at 10x mag for the shots and watched impacts.

 

[Jmacx1]

Seeing that the 223 thread is such a success, I thought maybe I would start one for the Creedmoor/260. Seems like people are asking a lot about using them and various bullets, especially for elk. I've used mine for the last few years almost exclusively. I have some pics of bullet damage, albeit not nearly as many as I should have, from a couple deer. I'll try to briefly describe the ones I don't have pics of.

If you have experiences, good or bad, post them up. Of course, pics are great, and add a lot of valuable information. Maybe it will take off, maybe it won't, but if it does it could be a good reference.

2020

1-Small whitetail doe quartering away at 50 yds. Impact behind the shoulder and exit in front of opposite shoulder. Caliber size entry, golf ball size exit. Deer immediately dropped at the shot. Bullet was 130 TMK at 2830 fps or so, impact 2750 ish?

2-Whitetail doe quartering away at 40 yds. Impact behind the shoulder and exit through offside shoulder. Caliber size entry, golf ball size exit, vitals were mush. Deer ran 30 yds and piled up. Bullet was 130 TMK, same velocities as above.

Entry
View attachment 357819
Exit
View attachment 357821

3-Whitetail doe slightly quartering away at 80 yds. Impact behind the shoulder and exit point of offside shoulder. Caliber size entry, golf ball size exit, vitals destroyed, pieces of lung laying in the field beyond the animal. Deer dropped at the shot. Bullet was 156 Berger EOL at 2650 fps, impact 2550ish

Entry
View attachment 357822
Exit
View attachment 357826

2021-Bull elk broadside at 50 yds. Impact behind shoulder and exit same location. Caliber size entry, slightly less than golf ball size exit. 3-4'' hole through both lungs. Bull ran 50 yds, stopped, and tipped over. Bullet was 156 Berger EOL at 2650 fps, impact 2600ish.View attachment 357828
Wish I had some wound channel pics of the elk but my hands were bloody and we were in a hurry. I need to start carrying latex gloves so I can peel them off and use my phone.

Post them up!

Great article! I’ve shot one doe this year with a 6br Norma. 105 gr Berger going 2836fps at 192 yards did not take five steps.

 

[bigunit]

What's the pet load for the 130tmk? Also preferred seating depth? I've tried 6.5 staball and h4350 and not getting great accuracy in charge weight tests. Think im going to try n555 and w760 next. This is in lapua or horn brass with cci200

 

[AZ_Hunter]

What's the pet load for the 130tmk? Also preferred seating depth? I've tried 6.5 staball and h4350 and not getting great accuracy in charge weight tests. Think im going to try n555 and w760 next. This is in lapua or horn brass with cci200

I use 45.5 Stabal 6.5 in whatever brass with Rem 9 1/2 primer at 2.825 coal. 2750 out of the 16” suppressed barrel. Shoots good enough for me.

 

[PaPete90]

I use 44.0 H4350 at 2.80 OAL in my Tikka Superlight. 24” barrel at 2901 fps.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Natebonebusta]

What's the pet load for the 130tmk? Also preferred seating depth? I've tried 6.5 staball and h4350 and not getting great accuracy in charge weight tests. Think im going to try n555 and w760 next. This is in lapua or horn brass with cci200

42.6 h4350
Starline
2.810”
Win LRP
2715 @muzzle 18”
1.2moa

 

[43.6N]

I got to compare the terminal effects of my 18” 6.5cm (130 eldm) to my brothers 24” 300wsm (150ttsx) on our deer hunt last weekend.

We were both shooting suppressed, and were able to double up on forkies on the last afternoon he had to hunt together. What a cool experience to shoot, and then not have the animals spook. We basically had to shoo the does away from the dead bucks as we walked up to clean them.

Anyway, here are the specifics:
6.5cm Range: 420 yd. mv: 2757fps. 6.5 creed. 130gr eldm. Impact velocity: 2214fps.

Seated, rifle clipped into tripod
56f. 48%humidity, 7800ft density alt. 6200 ft actual alt.

Impacted right side crease. Exited L collarbone.
6s from time of shot to death (recorded on video).
No meat loss. Lung and heart jelly leaking out of entry wound when we rolled him over. 2.5-3” hole through onside rib cage. Golf ball exit through offside collarbone.




My brothers deer was 300yds. 150ttsx out of 300wsm. 3360fps at the muzzle. His impact velocity was well north of 2700fps. Similar impact location.
Both our deer died in seconds. And wound channels looked very similar. Like so similar, it was eerie.

I was able to watch my trace, and keep the animal in the scope through recoil. My brother was not.

 

[NWBLKTAIL]

What's the pet load for the 130tmk? Also preferred seating depth? I've tried 6.5 staball and h4350 and not getting great accuracy in charge weight tests. Think im going to try n555 and w760 next. This is in lapua or horn brass with cci200

H4350 43gr
2.830”
Hornady 1x fired
2860
1.2” 10 shots
24” tikka roughtech

 

[43.6N]

What's the pet load for the 130tmk? Also preferred seating depth? I've tried 6.5 staball and h4350 and not getting great accuracy in charge weight tests. Think im going to try n555 and w760 next. This is in lapua or horn brass with cci200

I load either the 130tmk or eldm depending on availability. But my brass and powder stays the same. Velocity and point of aim/impact have been same/same.

130 TMK/Eldm
43.0gr H4350
Starline brass. Any primer.
2.810

18” tikka: 2757fps

 

[General RE LEE]

I use 45.5 Stabal 6.5 in whatever brass with Rem 9 1/2 primer at 2.825 coal. 2750 out of the 16” suppressed barrel. Shoots good enough for me.

I’m going to get off the H4350 tit and try Staball. I would like a good metering ball powder so I can load directly from the measure to the case.

 

[Harvey_NW]

I’m going to get off the H4350 tit and try Staball. I would like a good metering ball powder so I can load directly from the measure to the case.

In all my testing in multiple calibers, I've yet to have a ball powder beat out a single based extruded in regards to precision, and in most cases velocity ES.

 

[General RE LEE]

In all my testing in multiple calibers, I've yet to have a ball powder beat out a single based extruded in regards to precision, and in most cases velocity ES.

No doubt, but how does that really translate to typical hunting distances under 300 yards? If we are talking shots beyond 500 yards, sure, I’d take H4350. For hunting ammo, it would be nice to drop charges quickly and still have very good results.

 

[Jakeb]

130 tmk
43 gr h4350
2.826
Starline
19” tikka
2745

I was fine at 43.5 grs until it got hot this summer and it started leaving some ejector marks so i backed down to 43, i think i gained a little accuracy aswell backing down.