6.5 for elk

[OXN939]

We had a big debate back at the lodge over the effective range of that gun on Elk...

Lol. Hopefully someone told whoever was arguing for using a 6.5 Creed on an elk at 950 yards that there are compact 9mm pistols capable of producing similar energy and velocity to that ballistic arrangement...

 

[JG358]

Lol. Hopefully someone told whoever was arguing for using a 6.5 Creed on an elk at 950 yards that there are compact 9mm pistols capable of producing similar energy and velocity to that ballistic arrangement...

Hell, I hear the 6.5 creed is a long range game magnet. Kill anything out to 1000yds even if you don't know your dope. Freaking magic caliber that makes everyone a better shot, better looking and a better lover.

 

[CAElkhunter]

I got into an ethical debate with the outfitter who declared with the new optics and custom rifles long distance is the new norm. I told him that he still has a responsibility to the Elk to not let someone shoot a caliber out of its optimal kill range. Especially if they can get closer. They seemed okay with the stories of clients shooting and wounding Elk that got away at long range.

I am always a believer that you should get as close as you can to your personal kill range. I guess the "new Norm" according to him ignores the physics of the energy needed at distance to kill an Elk cleanly.

 

[Sled]

I got into an ethical debate with the outfitter who declared with the new optics and custom rifles long distance is the new norm. I told him that he still has a responsibility to the Elk to not let someone shoot a caliber out of its optimal kill range. Especially if they can get closer. They seemed okay with the stories of clients shooting and wounding Elk that got away at long range.

I am always a believer that you should get as close as you can to your personal kill range. I guess the "new Norm" according to him ignores the physics of the energy needed at distance to kill an Elk cleanly.

i agree with you. i really enjoy shooting long range but i don't have enough faith in all the variables to say i'm going to hit a pie plate 10/10 times when the target moves and the winds change. gotta respect the animal i'm chasing.

that said, i know the capabilities of my equipment and myself in the conditions i'm shooting in. if i don't exceed those and i can't get closer then i get settled and take the shot. if something goes wrong i have myself to blame and not the caliber.

 

[AaronMColeman]

A couple weeks ago (when this thread started), I kinda thought for the huge majority of shooters 400 yards is the MAX they should shoot an elk from. With that frame of reference I figured a 6.5CM was fine, a 30-06 is fine and so on. After a long talk with a friend who routinely shoots 600-800yards on elk my mind is changed on long-range shooting. With the right gear and right circumstances some guys can do it. I won't but that's my choice.

Wind changes, sometimes even finding the spot the animal was shot is difficult from 700+ yards, tracking is more difficult. Everything becomes more difficult. I won't say nobody should shoot long range, but most of us need to be honest and admit our gear and our selves...it's not a great idea.

 

[CAElkhunter]

As a side note another client shooting a 300 Ultra Mag shot an Elk at 850 yds. Missed the first shot. Hit the Elk on the second shot, a high spine shot. It took him 1 1/2 hours to get to the Elk across a canyon through some thick shit where the Elk laid wounded for that time. After 1 1/2 hrs he killed the Elk at 100 yds. People are all entitled to their opinions on long distance shooting but this illustrates why I don't feel that is an ethical shot. I personally believe a hunters responsibility is to get within range to effectively make a clean quick kill. I am capable under perfect conditions of shooting that far but choose not to. I don't think less of those who do but I am not a fan of it.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

As a side note another client shooting a 300 Ultra Mag shot an Elk at 850 yds. Missed the first shot. Hit the Elk on the second shot, a high spine shot. It took him 1 1/2 hours to get to the Elk across a canyon through some thick shit where the Elk laid wounded for that time. After 1 1/2 hrs he killed the Elk at 100 yds. People are all entitled to their opinions on long distance shooting but this illustrates why I don't feel that is an ethical shot. I personally believe a hunters responsibility is to get within range to effectively make a clean quick kill. I am capable under perfect conditions of shooting that far but choose not to. I don't think less of those who do but I am not a fan of it.

I mean, at some point the range takes the "hunting" out of the game and it just becomes "shooting" now.

 

[CAElkhunter]

exactly......

 

[brsnow]

Same arguments in archery, technology has come a long way, I try not to be too concerned on how others enjoy hunting. It is a pretty personal sport.

 

[Ryan Avery]

I hunt right up till I pull the trigger. At what point does it become LR? Is shooting something out of a bind or tree stand really hunting? Is shooting an animal that feeds in your field all summer out of your hay barn really hunting?

If we want to talk about bad shots, bow hunting should be illegal especially stick bow hunting. I’ve talked to eight guys this year that put arrows into bulls but never recovered the animal. Then there is the elk I help a guy find last year after he blew half its ass of while it ran passed him at 60 yards. It lived for at least six hours after the shot.

It’s easy to point the finger, isn’t it... The truth is at least half the hunter in the field has no business taking most of the shots they take no matter the method. But for some reason, LR shots are the devil.

I’ve hunted mature animals with both stick bow and LR rifle. They are very different but in lots of ways so much the same.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tdhanses]

The key item here is everyone has their own limits, equipment limits are pretty easy to determine, individual limits are not but are up to the individual. All these high horse opinions sound like people want to set their limit on to others which is bs. Just because you are not capable doesn’t mean others are not. Good for those that always sneak up to 300yds with a rifle and 20yds with a bow. Seriously if bow hunters can get within 50yds or less why can’t all rifle hunters?

Shit happens while hunting and no one is perfect, but intent is key and hopefully the intent is a clean kill based on your own skill set.

 

[derekbeaudry]

I think with the right bullet it’s fine. There are a lot of calibers that work well for most animals if you use the right bullet. Just get comfortable shooting the rifle and put the bullet where it needs to go.

 

[AaronMColeman]

Good for those that always sneak up to 300yds with a rifle and 20yds with a bow. Seriously if bow hunters can get within 50yds or less why can’t all rifle hunters?

Shit happens while hunting and no one is perfect, but intent is key and hopefully the intent is a clean kill based on your own skill set.

Because of the time of year. Archery is during the rut, much easier to call them in to 20 yards than it is to sneak up during rifle. But I get your point.

 

[Sled]

Good for those that always sneak up to 300yds with a rifle and 20yds with a bow. Seriously if bow hunters can get within 50yds or less why can’t all rifle hunters?

because it's not safe to do so in the state i hunt in. you're very likely to get a bullet right over your head or worse.

Because of the time of year. Archery is during the rut, much easier to call them in to 20 yards than it is to sneak up during rifle. But I get your point.

well, unless you're hunting in utah. then only the people that can draw limited entry rifle tags get to hunt the rut.

 

[tdhanses]

because it's not safe to do so in the state i hunt in. you're very likely to get a bullet right over your head or worse.

So your laying down the law on what is safe and what isn’t based on what, fear? I know our society is becoming all blame everyone else and limit to fears but that is bs. Just my view though, anytime you go rifle hunting you run that risk no matter the distance involved, probably should take up a safer version of hunting, maybe archery.

Fear of bullet over your head or worse isn’t logical based on distance, heck I bet if you looked at the stats most hunters that get shot are in a range of under 200 yards.

 

[Sled]

So your laying down the law on what is safe and what isn’t based on what, fear? I know our society is becoming all blame everyone else and limit to fears but that is bs. Just my view though, anytime you go rifle hunting you run that risk no matter the distance involved, probably should take up a safer version of hunting, maybe archery.

Fear of bullet over your head or worse isn’t logical based on distance, heck I bet if you looked at the stats most hunters that get shot are in a range of under 200 yards.

did i say my word is law? don't know where you hunt but mine is one of 2 states still growing a hunter population. the orange army is real out here and yes they will shoot the animal your trying to stalk if they see it. call it fear or common sense. my work is dangerous enough. best to mitigate risk where you can.

and i do hunt archery primarily. less idiots with a gun that don't identify their targets.

 

[Snowy]

Every once in a while I log back into Rokslide just to see if it's just the same old crap getting re-hashed. 90% by people that have no idea what they're talking about, 9% by people who do but take themselves way too seriously. Then there's a few like Huntsman and Tanner, thank God.

 

[mtswampfox]

what I find most amusing living in south east Georgia is the number of deer hunters, and believe me there are a bunch, who would not go afield with anything less than a 30-06. The gammut ranges from short mags, to rums, to super short mags. to bees. And to a man they feel this is what it takes to kill a 150 pound deer, no less.

 

[AaronMColeman]

Fear of bullet over your head or worse isn’t logical based on distance, heck I bet if you looked at the stats most hunters that get shot are in a range of under 200 yards.

It's never happened to me (knock on wood), but I can tell you several stories of friends who have had bullets fly past their heads during rifle season. The ones that come to mind were all under 200 yards, and poor identification by hunters. We don't think the hunters were shooting at them, but at nearby elk.

 

[Wmmichael20]

Father in-law has heard the whistle noise before of bullets wizzin past his head during hunting season and yeah I'm here yo tell you it is something to worry about. Granted it was caused by a jack a-- who wasn't paying attention and just sending bullets down range without identifying what was beyond his target animal.