6mm /.243 hunting success on Big Game

Ajsomp · Sunday at 10:23 AM

Thegman said:
What was the cartridge and platform? Pretty impressive that the 95 TMK still works that well, that far, when started fairly slowly.

I’m going to guess he meant impact velocity not MV, but I could be wrong

LostWapiti · Sunday at 11:35 AM

After shooting a 300 WSM for a few years I decided to get a 22” 1:8 Tikka 243 this year. Got some Lapua brass and handloaded 109 ELD-Ms. Got it shooting great at 2980 fps over H4350. On paper I was really impressed and excited as it carries great velocity out to distance with 2200 fps at 600 yards. My girlfriend and I used the rifle to take 2 elk (Cow and Spike) already this season and it was very effective. Each elk was shot twice at 300 yards(2500fps) but I don’t doubt that one shot would have been enough. She loves shooting it as there is next to no recoil and is very easy to stay on target.

I have a very big criticism though and it ties me back to why I started shooting the 300 WSM with 215 Bergers after coming from 7mm. When you shoot them with the 6mm, they do not act hit, they don’t hunch up and there is no ripple across their body. The “thwack” noise you get is much less as well. This makes it hard to be sure you hit them good and leaves me with a bit of unease right after the shot. I would say it does also have an advantage which is the elk also does not seem to know it’s hit and wants to run less.

Anybody else experience this issue I am complaining about less report from the impact and signs of a successful shot?

All of this is a long way of saying it absolutely does work well and I trust this bullet to take down big game.

Wrench · Sunday at 11:36 AM

If anyone cares, I just cut a 3groove lilja in 6xc from 27" to 23" and lost a whopping 25fps when pushing 106's with h4350.

sierracharlie338 · Sunday at 11:50 AM

24valve said:
95 TMk on an elk. First shot was 300 yards in the lungs, 2365 MV.

Ajsomp said:
I’m going to guess he meant impact velocity not MV, but I could be wrong

Curious on MV vs impact velocity clarification.

Felix40 · Sunday at 3:50 PM

90gr eldx. MV somewhere around 2500fps. 75 yard frontal. Bang-flop.

I couldn't be happier with how that set up has been performing.

24valve · Sunday at 9:12 PM

Thegman said:
What was the cartridge and platform? Pretty impressive that the 95 TMK still works that well, that far, when started fairly slowly.

Ajsomp said:
I’m going to guess he meant impact velocity not MV, but I could be wrong

sierracharlie338 said:
Curious on MV vs impact velocity clarification.

Good catch, MV was 2760, impact velocity of the first shot was 2365. My post has been edited to correct that.

Cartridge/Platform: Tikka 243 in a rokstok, cut to 17" and suppressed, with a SWFA 10x

sierracharlie338 · Sunday at 9:27 PM

24valve said:
Good catch, MV was 2760, impact velocity of the first shot was 2365. My post has been edited to correct that.

Cartridge/Platform: Tikka 243 in a rokstok, cut to 17" and suppressed, with a SWFA 10x

Nothing wrong with that at all!

General RE LEE · 2025-10-13T07:17:59-0600

WyoWild said:
The little Howa Mini 6 ARC strikes again. Badlands backpack mule deer hunt. 220 yard shot with approximate impact velocity of 2367. Shooting Berger 105gr VLD hunting bullets. Slight quatering shot, bullet entered mid ribcage on the onside and exited just in front of the off side shoulder. Lungs were shredded and buck dropped on impact.

Awesome buck and a testament to the efficacy of the little 6 ARC.

pods8 (Rugged Stitching) · 2025-10-13T12:51:03-0600

Felix40 said:
90gr eldx. MV somewhere around 2500fps. 75 yard frontal. Bang-flop.

I couldn't be happier with how that set up has been performing.
View attachment 949217 View attachment 949218

Congrats.

That soft shell looks familiar.

pods8 (Rugged Stitching) · 2025-10-13T14:51:53-0600

TxLite said:
That’s what I did. Kept the brass and handloaded. The only reason I even bothered to load was to get the velocity bump with my short barrel (~250fps increase). The factory ammo shot fantastic

They stamped laupa or berger? SRP I presume?

TxLite · 2025-10-13T15:11:43-0600

pods8 (Rugged Stitching) said:
They stamped laupa or berger? SRP I presume?

Lapua, and correct- SRP.

trickyrabbit · 2025-10-13T16:48:57-0600

I know when it comes to this topic, there is no such thing as a consensus, but what are the best commonly available factory loaded ammunition? Taking my 12 year-old daughter out for her first elk hunt and wondering what to put in her 243 win Savage Axis with 9.25/1 twist barrel. Seems like someone swears by every bullet ever produced! Most of the pages of this thread talk about hand loads and I don't do that yet. I'll keep going through the pages though.

bhylton · 2025-10-13T17:04:32-0600

trickyrabbit said:
I know when it comes to this topic, there is no such thing as a consensus, but what are the best commonly available factory loaded ammunition? Taking my 12 year-old daughter out for her first elk hunt and wondering what to put in her 243 win Savage Axis with 9.25/1 twist barrel. Seems like someone swears by every bullet ever produced! Most of the pages of this thread talk about hand loads and I don't do that yet. I'll keep going through the pages though.

Check for Herters brand ammo loaded with 95gr nosler ballistic tips at cabelas/bass pro
Hornady precision hunter with 90gr eldx would be another one to look for and try

24valve · 2025-10-13T17:15:50-0600

trickyrabbit said:
I know when it comes to this topic, there is no such thing as a consensus, but what are the best commonly available factory loaded ammunition? Taking my 12 year-old daughter out for her first elk hunt and wondering what to put in her 243 win Savage Axis with 9.25/1 twist barrel. Seems like someone swears by every bullet ever produced! Most of the pages of this thread talk about hand loads and I don't do that yet. I'll keep going through the pages though.

I have not shot anything with them personally, but have heard very good things about the terminal performance of 95 grain nosler ballistic tips, which is available in factory ammunition.

It's also worth knowing that Winchester ballistic silvertips are NBT's, just a different color.

Ajsomp · 2025-10-13T17:29:53-0600

LostWapiti said:
After shooting a 300 WSM for a few years I decided to get a 22” 1:8 Tikka 243 this year. Got some Lapua brass and handloaded 109 ELD-Ms. Got it shooting great at 2980 fps over H4350. On paper I was really impressed and excited as it carries great velocity out to distance with 2200 fps at 600 yards. My girlfriend and I used the rifle to take 2 elk (Cow and Spike) already this season and it was very effective. Each elk was shot twice at 300 yards(2500fps) but I don’t doubt that one shot would have been enough. She loves shooting it as there is next to no recoil and is very easy to stay on target.

I have a very big criticism though and it ties me back to why I started shooting the 300 WSM with 215 Bergers after coming from 7mm. When you shoot them with the 6mm, they do not act hit, they don’t hunch up and there is no ripple across their body. The “thwack” noise you get is much less as well. This makes it hard to be sure you hit them good and leaves me with a bit of unease right after the shot. I would say it does also have an advantage which is the elk also does not seem to know it’s hit and wants to run less.

Anybody else experience this issue I am complaining about less report from the impact and signs of a successful shot?

All of this is a long way of saying it absolutely does work well and I trust this bullet to take down big game.
View attachment 949081
View attachment 949085

The biggest “meat slap” I’ve heard on an animal came from shoulder shooting a doe last season at 184 yards with a 77gr TMK - bang flop. I had guys 400 yards away in another stand who heard it.

I’ve also seen an elk soak up two 300 PRC shots in the boiler room before falling down without hunching.

Obviously the bullets did their job in the end but where it hits likely has something to do with it. I believe what most guys consider “high shoulder” ends up producing more audible impacts than behind the crease due to meeting more resistance on impact. just my theory on it.

trickyrabbit said:
I know when it comes to this topic, there is no such thing as a consensus, but what are the best commonly available factory loaded ammunition? Taking my 12 year-old daughter out for her first elk hunt and wondering what to put in her 243 win Savage Axis with 9.25/1 twist barrel. Seems like someone swears by every bullet ever produced! Most of the pages of this thread talk about hand loads and I don't do that yet. I'll keep going through the pages though.

Winchester 95 grain ballistic silver tip or hornady 90 grain eldx.

Kimber7man · 2025-10-13T21:25:47-0600

Not a bad price here:

6mm Creedmoor 95gr Ballistic Tip Hunting Ammunition

6mm Creedmoor 95gr Ballistic Tip® Hunting Ammunition

www.nosler.com

tall · 2025-10-13T21:44:59-0600

Kimber7man said:
Not a bad price here:

6mm Creedmoor 95gr Ballistic Tip Hunting Ammunition

6mm Creedmoor 95gr Ballistic Tip® Hunting Ammunition

www.nosler.com

Thanks for the tip. Order placed.

Ajsomp · 2025-10-14T05:37:19-0600

Kimber7man said:
Not a bad price here:

6mm Creedmoor 95gr Ballistic Tip Hunting Ammunition

6mm Creedmoor 95gr Ballistic Tip® Hunting Ammunition

www.nosler.com

15% off first order and free shipping if you order enough - that’s a good price.

danrobles1987 · 2025-10-14T06:24:52-0600

trickyrabbit said:
I know when it comes to this topic, there is no such thing as a consensus, but what are the best commonly available factory loaded ammunition? Taking my 12 year-old daughter out for her first elk hunt and wondering what to put in her 243 win Savage Axis with 9.25/1 twist barrel. Seems like someone swears by every bullet ever produced! Most of the pages of this thread talk about hand loads and I don't do that yet. I'll keep going through the pages though.

Found these on sale at Cabela’s for 33 dollars this past weekend as my 12 yr old son was sighting in his rifle. He really liked them and recoil was minimal compared to REM core-lokts and Hornady Precision hunters.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

CJ_BG · 2025-10-14T08:52:33-0600

trickyrabbit said:
I know when it comes to this topic, there is no such thing as a consensus, but what are the best commonly available factory loaded ammunition? Taking my 12 year-old daughter out for her first elk hunt and wondering what to put in her 243 win Savage Axis with 9.25/1 twist barrel. Seems like someone swears by every bullet ever produced! Most of the pages of this thread talk about hand loads and I don't do that yet. I'll keep going through the pages though.