6.5CM 120gr ELD-M vs 6CM 108 ELD-M

[LongWayAround]

I have a 6.5CM and generally shoot Hornady 140-147 ELD-M/X. Lately, I have been thinking about getting a 6CM but there's obviously substantial overlap.

With the popularity of the 108gr ELD-M in 6CM, is there any reason not to just shoot a 120 ELD-M out of the 6.5CM?

At this point, I believe I'm somewhere in the 50% barrel life of 6.5 and I'm largely thinking about where I go in the near future.

I would probably not shoot at an animal beyond 500yd, and even that distance is unlikely for me. It would probably be more like inside of 450.

I realize that you trade b.c. value and trivial amounts of trajectory and velocity between the three (140/120/108).

What am I missing here? Anything?

I really don't need a 6CM, but who doesn't like new guns? I'm already sitting with a .223, .243, 6.5CM, and 7RM...

 

[Grizzle]

I don't know for sure but I would think the 108 may penetrate better based on weight to caliber but it's probably not a big difference.

 

[rharbaugh]

Form talks about this exact comparison here https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shoot2hunt/id1668626771?i=1000674442784


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[ARK_Ginger]

I have the same dilemma but with 22 creed in the mix.

I’d probably use the 123 or 130s if I was going for velocity and a bullet I’d hunt with. ELD-vt for paper and steel.

 

[mtnbound]

I have a 6.5CM and generally shoot Hornady 140-147 ELD-M/X. Lately, I have been thinking about getting a 6CM but there's obviously substantial overlap.

With the popularity of the 108gr ELD-M in 6CM, is there any reason not to just shoot a 120 ELD-M out of the 6.5CM?

At this point, I believe I'm somewhere in the 50% barrel life of 6.5 and I'm largely thinking about where I go in the near future.

I would probably not shoot at an animal beyond 500yd, and even that distance is unlikely for me. It would probably be more like inside of 450.

I realize that you trade b.c. value and trivial amounts of trajectory and velocity between the three (140/120/108).

What am I missing here? Anything?

I really don't need a 6CM, but who doesn't like new guns? I'm already sitting with a .223, .243, 6.5CM, and 7RM...

Heavy for class equals a longer bullet, so there is more bullet to come apart and do tissue damage while still getting the required penetration. For this reason, the 120gr will not work as well as the 143 or 147. Reading your post, you probably don't need a 6CM. If you really want a new rifle, then I would say buy a 6ARC.

 

[Ferrulewax]

Ditto the above podcast. Literally talks about exactly this and was uploaded yesterday.

 

[omicron1792]

Heavy for class equals a longer bullet, so there is more bullet to come apart and do tissue damage while still getting the required penetration. For this reason, the 120gr will not work as well as the 143 or 147. Reading your post, you probably don't need a 6CM. If you really want a new rifle, then I would say buy a 6ARC.

He wasn’t really comparing those two though. Question was 108 out of 6 or 120 out of 6.5.

For me at least, this seems to get confused a lot. Several different factors get mixed together.

The benefits of the 6cm is less recoil, and your best bullet would be a heavy for caliber fragmenting bullet like the 108eldm.

But he already has a 6.5cm. The best bullet for it is a heavy for caliber 140 or 147eldm.

But comparing the 6 to 6.5, the 120eldm would be at least equivalent, imo of course, to the 108 from the 6cm. It would probably be better. It would have increased recoil, but less recoil than the 140 or 147gr.

I think heavy for caliber is important, but not the end all be all. It is down the list of importance.

If anything, heavy for caliber might decrease the velocity for these splashy bullets, and keep them in the sweet zone of less than 3k but faster than 2k. But with a 6.5cn the 120 would probably start around 3k, making the 120 a great bullet from the cartridge.

Just way I look at it.

 

[mtnbound]

He wasn’t really comparing those two though. Question was 108 out of 6 or 120 out of 6.5.

For me at least, this seems to get confused a lot. Several different factors get mixed together.

The benefits of the 6cm is less recoil, and your best bullet would be a heavy for caliber fragmenting bullet like the 108eldm.

But he already has a 6.5cm. The best bullet for it is a heavy for caliber 140 or 147eldm.

But comparing the 6 to 6.5, the 120eldm would be at least equivalent, imo of course, to the 108 from the 6cm. It would probably be better. It would have increased recoil, but less recoil than the 140 or 147gr.

I think heavy for caliber is important, but not the end all be all. It is down the list of importance.

If anything, heavy for caliber might decrease the velocity for these splashy bullets, and keep them in the sweet zone of less than 3k but faster than 2k. But with a 6.5cn the 120 would probably start around 3k, making the 120 a great bullet from the cartridge.

Just way I look at it.

"He wasn’t really comparing those two though. Question was 108 out of 6 or 120 out of 6.5."
Yes, I know that; I was committing to his other question. Comparing one caliber's heavy-in-class bullet's performance to another caliber's light-in-caliber bullet is not comparable, IMO.

"I think heavy for caliber is important, but not the end all be all. It is down the list of importance."
Heavy-for-caliber equals more tissue damage, deeper penetration, and better BC for less wind drift, so in your opinion, what's more important?

"If anything, heavy for caliber might decrease the velocity for these splashy bullets"
I do not have the gun kill totals as most of the folks on RS, but in the animals, I have killed, and in animals I have seen killed by others, describing their performance as splashy is not accurate, IMO.

"But with a 6.5cn the 120 would probably start around 3k, making the 120 a great bullet from the cartridge."
To me, in terms of killing animals, the heavy-for-caliber bullets are better, and I don't notice that much recoil difference between the 120, 140, and 147. However, I'm curious why you think the 120 would be great.

 

[Wapiti1]

I'll preface this with, I have not shot game with the 120gr 6.5 ELD-whatever. I have shot a few deer with the 108gr 6mm ELD-M.

Unless the 120 is of different construction (sometimes caliber changes change jacket thickness), I would expect zero difference in on game performance between the two out to 500 yards. Maybe the 6mm will frag a little more since it's going a little faster at that distance, but you'll have a dead critter in either case. Recoil in like rifles is a pound different. Trajectories are a couple of inches different.

I really think you are at the simple decision of do you want a new toy or not.

Jeremy