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

[Mrwoodard]

Another doe with the 6.5x47 and 130 eldm. Head shot between the eyes at 100 yards, so no necropsy pics.

 

[LongWayAround]

I shot a cow elk yesterday. It was cold and windy so I did not take any damage pics. The distance was 300yd downhill with a stiff breeze almost head-on.

My first shot impacted mid-body behind the ribs. Probably front of stomach, possibly liver. I'm not sure what happened here, but I was having trouble clearing the roll of the hill and a lot of snow blew up at the shot. During butchery I found this bullet at the surface of the offside shoulder meat near the humerus.

The second shot was perfect behind the shoulder. Caliber size entry with a little blood. Exit on the offside, golf ball size through the ribs, plenty of bloodshot viscera. I found this bullet at the surface of the offside shoulder meat near the scapula.

Neither bullet hit bone other than the ribs.

The elk traveled maybe forty or fifty yards from the initial shot location.

6.5 Creedmoor
147 ELD-M
2600fps at the muzzle

Left is the first shot. Right is the second shot.

 

[Ozarkansas]

I know this is a long shot, but has anyone had success with the 107 TMK or 105 Blitzking at Grendel speeds?

I’m looking at building a short barrel Grendel rig and those seem like they’d do well at the speeds I’d be getting

 

[House21]

It blows my mind that will argue the bullet on left (130gr TMK) is marginal while the bullets on the right (180gr ELDm) is great even with all the info, pictures and proof to back up the smaller bullet.

Hopefully have some data for the 130TMK shortly on a couple cow elk draws. Was going to take the 6 creed but after finding the 130TMK I think I’ll take the 6.5 instead.

 

[The Guide]

View attachment 993591
It blows my mind that will argue the bullet on left (130gr TMK) is marginal while the bullets on the right (180gr ELDm) is great even with all the info, pictures and proof to back up the smaller bullet.

Hopefully have some data for the 130TMK shortly on a couple cow elk draws. Was going to take the 6 creed but after finding the 130TMK I think I’ll take the 6.5 instead.

You should see what a 160 TMK will do...

Jay

 

[Natebonebusta]

120tgk over 28.0gr Tac @2479fps
Howa mini 6.5 Grendel 18.5”
OCL Hydrogen S

Mama doe 145y in the neck front facing DRT’d

Inquisitive yearling broadside at 145y. High-ish shoulder. She made it 80-90y…

Pleased with the TGK built specifically for the Grendel thus far in my case study of two. Good speed from a short barrel. Probably could push it up another .5-1.0gr but almost 2500fps works for me.

Edit to add the exit side of the yearlings shoulder with the 120tgk

 

[SeanM243]

Setting up to load more for my 16.5" 260 AI, I have 129 ABLRs, 130 TMKs, 130 & 140 Berger VLDs, 140 Elite Hunters, and 143 ELD-Xs. Assuming I'll be around 2600 fps with 130s and 2500 fps with 140s. What would be your choice of bullet? Hunting hogs and deer at sub 250 yards.

 

[Slickhill]

For pigs and deer 250 and in I’d be shopping whatever 2nds midway has for cheap. You could probably load a piece of #2 pencil to 2600fps and have no problems with the specified game at specified range.

Since you already have them I’d probably try the TMKs first.

 

[Timplant]

6.5x47 130 eldm 175 yards. One lung had a 1 inch hole and the other one had a 3 inch hole. She ran about 50 yards.
View attachment 991728View attachment 991729View attachment 991730

Can I get some specs on that gun? about the prettiest gun i've ever seen.

Thanks!

 

[Mrwoodard]

Can I get some specs on that gun? about the prettiest gun i've ever seen.

Thanks!

Thank you. It started as a 700 VLS and is on it's 5th barrel. Currently has a 20 inch # 4 Brux done by Greg at SPR or "Bugholes". Manners EH1 in swamp camo and a Grayboe m5 bottom metal. I have several nice rifles, but this one always seems to end up going hunting.

 

[llynbrmm]

2nd year hunting with a 6.5 Creedmoor, switched from .30-06, was sick of meat loss and also just wanted a more enjoyable gun at the range. So far have killed 2 whitetail doe, 1 mule deer buck, 2 whitetail bucks, and 2 caribou. All shooting 143 Eld-X. Have had very mixed results. A few phenomenal blood trails, a few completely nonexistent.

First deer I shot - Doe broadside, offhand around 80 yards. Left chunks of lung with the bloodtrail, along with a golf ball sized exit wound, hit a rib bone on the entry side. Was pretty excited, all the reports of minimal blood trails seemed un-founded in my opinion...

2nd deer, mule deer 215 yards, slightly quartered to. Hard to tell in the pictures (was too concerned about it getting dark and having a long pack out....) but shot went in on the front side of the shoulder, and out just behind the opposite shoulder. I don't believe the bullet hit any bone. Shot felt good but I spent 20 minutes looking for blood and found nothing. started walking 75ish yards past where I thought i saw it go, found it laying dead, ran off the side of a little cliff. Zero blood except for the one spot where it presumably hit the ground after falling.


Next animal was a caribou. Technically this was shot first by my brother with another 6.5 creedmoor at 330 yards, but I took a follow-up shot at 450 yards as it was facing away from us and got a perfect Texas heart shot. Another interesting note from this caribou, there was a bullet that did not expand at all that we found just under the skin...


2nd caribou, 75-100 yards double lung, ran 20 yards and expired. Didn't even bother looking for blood

Looks like I'm file restricted, will have to make another post with the rest...

 

[llynbrmm]

Whitetail buck - first shot was double lung, 100ish yards. found the bullet under the skin. Shot a 2nd time as it was nearing private land, in the neck and dropped immediately. Out of curiosity I looked for blood from the first shot, and found very little.


Last deer whitetail buck broadside at 270 yards. Found 3 single drops of blood about 30 yards from where I initially shot. Knew roughly where it ran to, and after over an hour of grid searching the area found a large patch of blood about 200 yards from where I initially shot. Deer was dead 20 yards away. Shot was a little low and back, mashed up the liver good but I am still shocked by the complete lack of blood.

Overall a little on the fence... seems like if the bullet hits a bone of any kind it'll punch a great hole, but if you get in between ribs it gets a little sketchy. After the one eld-X not expanding, now I'm starting to wonder if that's a more common issue too... Thinking about switching up next year, feel like I've seen people on here say they go lighter and have better results, and others talk about going up to the 156 Bergers... Not sure exactly what to go with, open to opinions...

 

[Ajsomp]

View attachment 995962View attachment 995963
Whitetail buck - first shot was double lung, 100ish yards. found the bullet under the skin. Shot a 2nd time as it was nearing private land, in the neck and dropped immediately. Out of curiosity I looked for blood from the first shot, and found very little.

View attachment 995965View attachment 995966
Last deer whitetail buck broadside at 270 yards. Found 3 single drops of blood about 30 yards from where I initially shot. Knew roughly where it ran to, and after over an hour of grid searching the area found a large patch of blood about 200 yards from where I initially shot. Deer was dead 20 yards away. Shot was a little low and back, mashed up the liver good but I am still shocked by the complete lack of blood.

Overall a little on the fence... seems like if the bullet hits a bone of any kind it'll punch a great hole, but if you get in between ribs it gets a little sketchy. After the one eld-X not expanding, now I'm starting to wonder if that's a more common issue too... Thinking about switching up next year, feel like I've seen people on here say they go lighter and have better results, and others talk about going up to the 156 Bergers... Not sure exactly what to go with, open to opinions...

I personally wouldn’t go heavier in the 6.5 creed unless you are stepping on hand loads to up velocity. I’m going to run an 18” 6.5 next year, likely shooting 130s. But that’s just me.


140/143s seemingly are fairly consistent but shit happens. That unexpanded bullet looks interesting, what was your estimated impact velocity?

I’m also curious if that wasn’t your bullet (unknown based on the post if that matched up with an entry) or if it was a bullet from someone who shot previously and it clearly didn’t expand.

Overall, looks like you had a great season. Personally I think the 6.5 is a great round, keeping it in the velocity window. It’s not a magic bullet by any means, but they shoot well and are easy to get factory loads. I’d stick with it

 

[Timplant]

View attachment 995962View attachment 995963
Whitetail buck - first shot was double lung, 100ish yards. found the bullet under the skin. Shot a 2nd time as it was nearing private land, in the neck and dropped immediately. Out of curiosity I looked for blood from the first shot, and found very little.

View attachment 995965View attachment 995966
Last deer whitetail buck broadside at 270 yards. Found 3 single drops of blood about 30 yards from where I initially shot. Knew roughly where it ran to, and after over an hour of grid searching the area found a large patch of blood about 200 yards from where I initially shot. Deer was dead 20 yards away. Shot was a little low and back, mashed up the liver good but I am still shocked by the complete lack of blood.

Overall a little on the fence... seems like if the bullet hits a bone of any kind it'll punch a great hole, but if you get in between ribs it gets a little sketchy. After the one eld-X not expanding, now I'm starting to wonder if that's a more common issue too... Thinking about switching up next year, feel like I've seen people on here say they go lighter and have better results, and others talk about going up to the 156 Bergers... Not sure exactly what to go with, open to opinions...

can you guestimate when you bought this lot of bullets? I had insanely good bood trails and exits for three years and then last year I had horrible luck, small does running off, no blood trails, and wounded my biggest bull with what looked to be a double lung shot, BUT then, I realized alot of those were from a few boxes I bought about 4 or 5 years ago... aka during covid? Since I switched to a few new boxes for my 25 season I am back to 1.5-3'' exits and TONS of blood again. I may be crazy but I think there was a bad batch of bullets out there.......

 

[Chris in TN]

can you guestimate when you bought this lot of bullets? I had insanely good bood trails and exits for three years and then last year I had horrible luck, small does running off, no blood trails, and wounded my biggest bull with what looked to be a double lung shot, BUT then, I realized alot of those were from a few boxes I bought about 4 or 5 years ago... aka during covid? Since I switched to a few new boxes for my 25 season I am back to 1.5-3'' exits and TONS of blood again. I may be crazy but I think there was a bad batch of bullets out there.......

I’m a fan of the eldm but it’s undeniable that a ton of people have seen inconsistent stuff. I bump into random people on the range and a scary number of them report having weird variations with eldms.

 

[Timplant]

I’m a fan of the eldm but it’s undeniable that a ton of people have seen inconsistent stuff. I bump into random people on the range and a scary number of them report having weird variations with eldms.

He posted his post talking about the Eld-x which is also what I was talking about. not eldms.

 

[llynbrmm]

can you guestimate when you bought this lot of bullets? I had insanely good bood trails and exits for three years and then last year I had horrible luck, small does running off, no blood trails, and wounded my biggest bull with what looked to be a double lung shot, BUT then, I realized alot of those were from a few boxes I bought about 4 or 5 years ago... aka during covid? Since I switched to a few new boxes for my 25 season I am back to 1.5-3'' exits and TONS of blood again. I may be crazy but I think there was a bad batch of bullets out there.......

The bullets for the first mule deer with no blood would've been purchased sometime late summer 2024. The ones for the caribou and whitetail this year would've been summer of 2025. All 143 Eld-x, not eldm. eld-x shot better through my gun than the eldm, which i was suprised by. Tried 2 different 120 grain bullets as well, neither grouped well at all...

 

[Chris in TN]

He posted his post talking about the Eld-x which is also what I was talking about. not eldms.

I think they’re functionally basically the same bullet, at least subject to the same manufacturing variations and resultant variation on target which is more important than their minor construction differences.

I’m certain every maker has lot to lot variation, it just seems like Hornady’s variations show up in animals more. And I say that as someone who shoots Hornady bullets more than any other maker by a large margin and have hunted with interlocks and SSTs and interbonds and eldx and eldm and SST-ml and Vmaxes.

 

[Timplant]

I think they’re functionally basically the same bullet, at least subject to the same manufacturing variations and resultant variation on target which is more important than their minor construction differences.

I’m certain every maker has lot to lot variation, it just seems like Hornady’s variations show up in animals more. And I say that as someone who shoots Hornady bullets more than any other maker by a large margin and have hunted with interlocks and SSTs and interbonds and eldx and eldm and SST-ml and Vmaxes.

That makes perfect sense! Thank you

 

[Timplant]

The bullets for the first mule deer with no blood would've been purchased sometime late summer 2024. The ones for the caribou and whitetail this year would've been summer of 2025. All 143 Eld-x, not eldm. eld-x shot better through my gun than the eldm, which i was suprised by. Tried 2 different 120 grain bullets as well, neither grouped well at all...

Okay so more recently than my problems of the same nature, ODD. It's so weird too me how in 2025/2026 we are so sophisticated, but can't get something to function the same as simple as a piece of lead/copper WEIRD.