6.5 for elk

[SCT]

I shot my Bull last year with the 143 eldx at 525 yards. Love the 6.5!


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[MHWASH]

I shot a mule deer buck last year at 230 yards with the 143 ELDx. I was very disappointed in the bullet performance. Had jacket core separation with no exit. Yes I got the deer, but had to put a finisher in him.

I haven’t decided what bullet to use from now on, so I’ll be using my 270 with 140 Accubonds this year for deer and elk.

 

[Nmbowhunter06]

I’d say it’s plenty if kept under 700 yards. I shoot the 143 eldx out of mine and it has worked great. I used in a Barbary sheep ram last year at 550 and oryx at 200 yards and both went down clean. Those are suppose to be the 2 toughest animals in New Mexico.

 

[AaronMColeman]

I haven’t decided what bullet to use from now on, so I’ll be using my 270 with 140 Accubonds this year for deer and elk.

.270...another round internet experts will tell you can't take down an elk: "that's a deer gun".

 

[longbarrel]

bullet improvements over the past 40 years have made the smaller calibers much more effective, with good shot placement. However, these same advances have made the bigger stuff like .338 even better than they were. It comes down to shot placement and needed penetration to reach the vitals. As in Elmer Keith's time, the bigger calibers give an edge over the smaller ones. Unlike his time, even the smaller ones are usually adequate if the best bullets are used.

 

[ChevyKevy]

6.5cm seems to be the new craze at the local gun shops. I'm not saying it's a bad round but it has definitely proven to be a great elk hunting round. I personally was in this situation when shopping for a rifle just a few weeks ago. I ended up going with a tried, true, and proven 30-06 myself. You can't go wrong either way though!

 

[AaronMColeman]

6.5cm seems to be the new craze at the local gun shops. I'm not saying it's a bad round but it has definitely proven to be a great elk hunting round. I personally was in this situation when shopping for a rifle just a few weeks ago. I ended up going with a tried, true, and proven 30-06 myself. You can't go wrong either way though!

I've hunted with a 30-06 for years. It's been used by hunters for a century. Great round. I do find myself online drooling over a new 6.5cm, or a STW. But, in the end, the elk don't care, that 30-06 will take them down. And, it's like I always think, my rifle and scope shoot better than me...so the biggest factor in improving my rifle set up is ME (more range time, more work on seated and standing shots, off-hand shots, etc.).

 

[AaronMColeman]

Nice windy day here in Wyoming (but aren't they all?). I couldn't hunt this morning, but I've been so inspired by this group that I went to the range to practice in the wind and seated shots. Now I'm heading out in a couple hours for an evening hunt.

 

[elkduds]

I went to the range to practice in the wind and seated shots. Now I'm heading out in a couple hours for an evening hunt.

Good call. Getting off the bench for practice in field conditions and shooting positions. A well-practiced seated position is one of the best skills a western hunter can master.

 

[AaronMColeman]

Good call. Getting off the bench for practice in field conditions and shooting positions. A well-practiced seated position is one of the best skills a western hunter can master.

100% I don't want to miss a monster because I don't know what to do to adjust for the wind, or I can't get a great supported position.

Same with archery. I shoot off my deck down to the target, I shoot up a slope on our property to the target, I shoot in the wind. I haven't noticed too many bench rests just sitting in the forest where I hunt, so I assume the bench position with sandbags is highly unlikely in real world

 

[elkchsr]

I’ve killed 3 elk with the 6.5 140gr partition, 1 with a 6.5x55 and 2 with a 256 Newton and I’d not hesitate to use either one again. I think the 140 partition is a bullet worth building a rifle around.

 

[Marble]

I choose bullets and arrows that will make up for the moments when shit happens. I shoot a bullet/arrow that's tough, decently heavy and accurate. Numbers and stats and comparisons are great to use, but the bottom line is I do not want my bullet to be what makes or breaks my hunt. 7mm or .308 for the great majority of any elk hunts for me.

 

[Wmmichael20]

All this 6.5 talk has me wanting a sweet 6.5x55 Ruger 77 that just found it's way on to a lgs used rack.... decisions decisions.

 

[njdoxie]

Suggest you acquaint yourself w the Search feature here, since there have been 10+ threads about this in the last 2 months. https://www.rokslide.com/forums/search/457778/?q=6.5+elk&o=relevance

Good luck this fall, from the redundancy department of redundancy.

Totally agree, if you’ve been on here for long, the same old threads over and over and over gets old, it’s tiresome wading thru all the chaff to get to the wheat.


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[Call.me.porter]

All this 6.5 talk has me wanting a sweet 6.5x55 Ruger 77 that just found it's way on to a lgs used rack.... decisions decisions.

Do it.

 

[ebubedike]

10 years ago I had zero interest in any 6.5. Fast forward to today and I have 3. I blame marketing , but I am glad I tried one as they do nicely fill a spot in my line up. Will shoot an elk with one, maybe to test a new bullet. Do I prefer it for elk or feel it is the best choice? No, far from it.

 

[lyle_destroys]

If you have ever listened to Tyler Freel on the tundra talk podcast, they talked about how many people use 243s to kill moose and elk and a few grizzly guides that carried 243s. If you can get close and make a good shot then take it.

 

[Sled]

If you have ever listened to Tyler Freel on the tundra talk podcast, they talked about how many people use 243s to kill moose and elk and a few grizzly guides that carried 243s. If you can get close and make a good shot then take it.

the first part of your post i can see. the .243 is a good round. if my grizzly guide showed up with a .243 win i'd tell him to just pit his sh!t back in the truck and go home.

 

[ebubedike]

6.5 Creed popularity is because of marketing for sure and good job they've done.

I shot my first moose with a 260Rem simply because I was hunting with my 80yr old dad and he cant shoot a hard kicking gun anymore. With that said my dad has shot all his moose over the years with a 6.5x55. Also worth mentioning he's never had a shot over 150 yards.

I would rather some use a small 6.5 they can shoot well over using a canon they can't shoot straight.

Not everyone can afford multiple rifles for different applications.....keep the shots close and the 6.5 will do the job.

PS Helped a friend recover an elk he shot with a 243 last fall.....it went 30 yards and piled up....shot was 90 yards

 

[Dkpack99]

100% I don't want to miss a monster because I don't know what to do to adjust for the wind, or I can't get a great supported position.

Same with archery. I shoot off my deck down to the target, I shoot up a slope on our property to the target, I shoot in the wind. I haven't noticed too many bench rests just sitting in the forest where I hunt, so I assume the bench position with sandbags is highly unlikely in real world

Always a good idea!