6.5 Creedmoor: Heavy and Slow or Light and Fast

[General RE LEE]

Two options for 20" 6.5 Creedmoor:

Heavy and Slow (147 ELDM)

Light and Fast (130 TMK, OTM)

What's your choice? I like heavy and slow cause the high BC bullets buck the wind at long range.

 

[Hoosker Doo]

And once you get out to 500 yards, the heavy slow will be moving faster than the fast/light.

 

[plebe]

6.5 CM - 130 TMK or 147 Eldm

I’m looking to move away from the mono bullets I’ve been shooting the last few years and shoot a fragmenting bullet based on all the testimonials and photos on the board here. Primarily looking to increase my odds of recovering an animal, but to be honest haven’t had any issues with the 127 LRX...

rokslide.com

 

[Natebonebusta]

Max I might shoot is 400y if I’m lucky so it’s short and fast for me. 130 TMK at 2715fps out of 18” browning xbolt at the muzzle.

 

[Jon Boy]

I used to run slow and heavy and now I run light and fast. The extra bc for the heavys in hunting situations never came to use for me but the slower velocity has certainly hindered me at times.

 

[khuber84]

Check your mv at 600y, that's the control here. Mv needed to initiate expansion. A 20" should get a 130tmk running 2800+. The tmk bullets from all accounts and reading(77tmk threads) have a lower mv threshold for terminal results. I'd likely go light and fast myself. If I was looking to kill relaibale from a short barrel 6.5mm further than 600y, I'd be on a magnum bolt face to keep mv up.

This is where the 6cm shines. Relative slippery heavy for cal bullets that still run 2850-2950mv from 18-20" barrels. You have enough mv to get expension out to 800y or more, along with low recoil.

 

[Speaks]

Neither, I shoot 140 eldms and 143 eldxs

 

[TaperPin]

140s to 600.

 

[Castle Rock]

130s for the flatter mid range trajectory and more bullet upset

 

[peterk123]

Whichever gives you the most consistent accuracy. 140 to 143 grain seems to be the sweet spot for most 6.5cm rifles.

 

[Jfowler]

I went with the middle ground 140 eldm going around 2730, 20” barrel.

 

[OverInfinite]

140 ish seems to be the ticket, I use to shoot alot of 130ELDM's but when I stepped up to the 140, velocity was slower at 600+ but wind was much better.
156s was just too slow for me. I couldnt get the speeds without using the illuded RL26. I've still never found a pound locally..

 

[Turkeytider]

Heavy. I need all the help I can get in the wind at the range.

 

[Matt5266]

Neither, I shoot 140 eldms and 143 eldxs

This

 

[khuber84]

The wind with a 130 at 2850 VS a 140 at 2730 VS a 147 at 2630 are all within 0.1mil with same wind speed. I cannot shot the difference of 0.36moa from field situations.

 

[huntsd]

And once you get out to 500 yards, the heavy slow will be moving faster than the fast/light.

agreed but not sure if you'd want to be shooting game much past 500 with a 6.5 CM. At least that's been my experience

 

[HuntHarder]

I chose the 130 Berger VLD-H. Out of a 20" C6 I get 2895 with no pressure signs. Hits 1800 fps around 775 yards.

 

[Hoosker Doo]

agreed but not sure if you'd want to be shooting game much past 500 with a 6.5 CM. At least that's been my experience

I haven't done it, but as long as you're over the minimum expansion velocity (1800 fps for these options), it should theoretically perform well. 73 ELD-M's performed great at 1900 fps this fall.

OP's question is very dependent on the application. Long range or mid range? Short barrel or long barrel?

If it's mid range, I would just decide if I preferred ELD-M or TMK performance and go from there. For a low recoil load for young shooters, I'm actually planning on loading a 103 gr TMK for sub 400 yard hunting.

 

[hereinaz]

All depends on the expected range of the shot. By the time I would switch to a heavy bullet for caliber in the 6.5 creed I am reaching or at max effective range given wind errors.

If you want heavy for caliber bullets past 500, above a 6mm you need to go long action for 25 cal and short mag for 6.5.

That’s my opinion after running number dozens of times showing friends and shooting in the wind.

 

[Hoosker Doo]

And once you get out to 500 yards, the heavy slow will be moving faster than the fast/light.

After looking at my Hornady app, the 143/147's and 130's are within 50 fps of each other after 500, but the heavies don't pass the lighters up within the expansion window. Both hit 1800 fps between around 800-850 yards depending on muzzle velocities. For me that's plenty of range for hunting - unless you're wanting more "wallop" factor or wanting to push out to 1000 yards (which I am not ready to do).