6mm /.243 hunting success on Big Game

[Big_wals]

18" 6CM, mule deer 0-500 yards, what bullet? I've loaded up some 108 ELD-Ms but have found my McGowen barrel is throated very short - I had to go 0.082" shorter than factory 108 ELDM ammo to be 0.020" off the lands. My first clue was a pretty hard to close bolt on factory ammo. I'm going to shoot them this weekend and if speed and accuracy are where I want to be then I'll go forward with them. But looking into alternatives to be prepared.

I also don't want to buy 500 115gr Nose Ring DTACs just to try a few, and kinda want to go lighter than the 108 anyway with the 18" barrel. I did order some 87gr VLD's to try, but curious what other leading choices are in 6mm?

Agree with those saying send the barrel back and have it properly throated. If you don’t have time before your hunt, another suggestion would be 90 or 95 gr Nosler BTs.

 

[CJ_BG]

18" 6CM, mule deer 0-500 yards, what bullet? I've loaded up some 108 ELD-Ms but have found my McGowen barrel is throated very short - I had to go 0.082" shorter than factory 108 ELDM ammo to be 0.020" off the lands. My first clue was a pretty hard to close bolt on factory ammo. I'm going to shoot them this weekend and if speed and accuracy are where I want to be then I'll go forward with them. But looking into alternatives to be prepared.

I also don't want to buy 500 115gr Nose Ring DTACs just to try a few, and kinda want to go lighter than the 108 anyway with the 18" barrel. I did order some 87gr VLD's to try, but curious what other leading choices are in 6mm?

103 eld x
95 tmk (good luck)
95 ballistic tips
95 or 100gr partitions
95 or 105 bergers
105 hornady bthp
90 or 100 tgk

 

[Castle Rock]

It would actually be harder to pick a bad choice in 243, anything from an80 grain corelokt or federal powershok to whatever is available in 100 grains is totally adequate for deer

 

[PaPete90]

90gr Eldx has served ny son’s 243 extremely well for PA whitetail. 0-250 yds.


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[CJ_BG]

90gr Eldx has served ny son’s 243 extremely well for PA whitetail. 0-250 yds.


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Are you getting exits with that bullet? What's your MV?

 

[PaPete90]

Are you getting exits with that bullet? What's your MV?

2853 with an 18” Ruger American


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[CJ_BG]

2853 with an 18” Ruger American


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How often are you seeing exits?

 

[PaPete90]

How often are you seeing exits?

Rare, like 1 out of last 6 Deer. Usually found on offside hide. Heart/Lungs are soup. Nothing went more that 30-40 yds.


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[ChrisAU]

Update on the extra short throated McGowen 6CM with 108 ELD-Ms seated deep into stacks of H4350…the bullets didn’t seem to care. Also book max is group #3 which is 185 FPS faster than I was getting from factory ammo.

 

[Big_wals]

Update on the extra short throated McGowen 6CM with 108 ELD-Ms seated deep into stacks of H4350…the bullets didn’t seem to care. Also book max is group #3 which is 185 FPS faster than I was getting from factory ammo.

View attachment 918739

 

[JeffRaines]

Thanks guys. Really. You just made me order a new 6cm that I definitely didn’t need but had been eyeing and decided “eff it”.

Not trying to derail this thread, but if anyone here has suggestions for a good do-it-all can(or at least that can handle 6, 6.5 and 280ai) you could shoot me a PM with your suggestion as I want to put a suppressor on this.

 

[atmat]

Thanks guys. Really. You just made me order a new 6cm that I definitely didn’t need but had been eyeing and decided “eff it”.

Not trying to derail this thread, but if anyone here has suggestions for a good do-it-all can(or at least that can handle 6, 6.5 and 280ai) you could shoot me a PM with your suggestion as I want to put a suppressor on this.

My next hunting suppressor will be the Unknown Suppressor OG

 

[ztc92]

My next hunting suppressor will be the Unknown Suppressor OG

Second this. I have one and wish that all 3 rifle cans I own were an OG.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Second this. I have one and wish that all 3 rifle cans I own were an OG.

Third this…


____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

 

[AZ_Hunter]

Has anyone used the 90eldx on cow elk?

 

[nuffgun]

Has anyone used the 90eldx on cow elk?

I thought I remember seeing a youth with a dead late season cow with a 90 eldx a ways back in this thread.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

I thought I remember seeing a youth with a dead late season cow with a 90 eldx a ways back in this thread.

I’ve searched the thread, I thought I saw something but couldn’t find it.

A friend’s wife has a cow elk hunt this fall and she’s shooting a 243. Rifle shoots the 90eldx well and it’s available locally for them, so I said I would look into it more.

 

[ztc92]

I’ve searched the thread, I thought I saw something but couldn’t find it.

A friend’s wife has a cow elk hunt this fall and she’s shooting a 243. Rifle shoots the 90eldx well and it’s available locally for them, so I said I would look into it more.

Found this but that’s all I see…

Post in thread '6mm /.243 hunting success on Big Game'
https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/6mm-243-hunting-success-on-big-game.284525/post-3609170

Edit to add - Also have a family member hoping to use 90 ELDX on elk this fall.

 

[The Guide]

I’ve searched the thread, I thought I saw something but couldn’t find it.

A friend’s wife has a cow elk hunt this fall and she’s shooting a 243. Rifle shoots the 90eldx well and it’s available locally for them, so I said I would look into it more.

Post in thread '6mm /.243 hunting success on Big Game' https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/6mm-243-hunting-success-on-big-game.284525/post-3980366

 

[BigEd36]

I shot 3 animals with the 90 grain ELDX last year and was next to a buddy that shot another. All with .243s

Yardages were from 25 to 300 yds. All but one were instant light switches with exits. The one that didn't was mentioned in this thread and is still talked about frequently by my hunting crew. We have agreed to chalk it up as a WTF moment and keep shooting them.

Looking forward to more killin' and more data points this year, although I'll also be shooting the 87 grain hunting VLDs which get no love in this thread but were my go-to prior to the 90s. They are wicked fast in a 243...like 3300 fps fast.

Planning on killing at least one elk with them this year

What twist rate are your rifles?