6mm /.243 hunting success on Big Game

[slatebuilder]

Did someone ask about traditional soft points a few pages back? We did not take many pictures of the break down. A storm blew up as we started working, so we worked quickly. My daughter shot this cow with her 240 Weatherby mag using Weatherby 100 grain interlock factory ammo. Her first elk, the elk dropped in its tracks. Shoulder/neck junction shot at 250 yards.

 

[huntnful]

My wife is doing her very first hunt this year. She has also never shot a real rifle before (just some 22 LR and 17 HMR).

She drew an ID cow elk tag.

I’m planning to have her shoot my 6 PRC and 108 ELDM’s, and keep it under 300 yards.

The first range trip was a good success and she learn the function of the rifle fairly quickly. Loading her own mags and always shooting a mag full to get used to cycling the bolt after the shot.

She shot 5 shots at 300 yards and 3 shots at 600 yards to finish up the day.

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View attachment 927690

My 7-300 NMI with a 195 Berger at 3180fps, and the 6 PRC with a 108 ELDM at 3170fps.

I have full confidence they’ll both work fine! But the 6mm is great for women, children & infants though …. Kiddinggggg haha. I’ll have a good update after she hopefully kills in mid October!

Had to come and give an update. I ended up having my wife shoot my 6.5-7 with the 156 Berger on her hunt. She shot it well and I wanted to see more performance data for that bullet. She made a single perfect shot at 430 yards, and the lead cow tipped over 21 seconds after the hit. Bullet was fragmented perfectly and stuck in the offside hide.

 

[24valve]

95 TMk on an elk. First shot was 300 yards in the lungs, 2760 MV, 2365 impact velocity. It continued to follow the small herd it was with for 40 yards before stopping, so another shot was fired at 340 into the neck which dropped it.

The remnants of the first round was found in the offside hide, the jacket and lead together weighed 28 grains. The second shot passed through the neck.

(Edited to clarify velocities)

After letting the quarters hang for a bit, we started butchering and got better photos of the shoulder damage.

The first bullet shattered and punched right through the onside shoulder blade before continuing on into the lungs. (Photos are all of the same shoulder as we cut away bloodshot meat)

 

[Ajsomp]

Loaded up and ready to put these to work. I will get to the range to zero and chrono and then head to sc for a week of white tail hunting. I’ll also use these in Colorado for my mule deer hunt

 

[eric1115]

Smallish data point here (no necropsy photos, I'm just not that guy). We've killed 3 animals so far this fall with 109 ELDM's and so far they seem to upset more violently than the 108. A few small fragments have exited, but no large exits on 2 mule deer does and one good sized pronghorn. Everything has died very quickly, at impact velocity from 2175 to 2450. 108s for me have more often than not produced exit wounds in that velocity range.

 

[justin davis]

Smallish data point here (no necropsy photos, I'm just not that guy). We've killed 3 animals so far this fall with 109 ELDM's and so far they seem to upset more violently than the 108. A few small fragments have exited, but no large exits on 2 mule deer does and one good sized pronghorn. Everything has died very quickly, at impact velocity from 2175 to 2450. 108s for me have more often than not produced exit wounds in that velocity range.

That’s interesting.

 

[CO_MTN_GUY]

6 ARC Ruger American Ranch shooting the 103 ELD-X over a max charge of Varget at 2620 fps MV. 270 yd shot right in the crease and he took 10 steps and fell over. Estimated impact velocity at 2190 fps. Golf ball sized hole entry hole and wound channel through the lungs. Jacket and core separated and the jacket was found under offside hide.

 

[eric1115]

That’s interesting.

I thought so. It's only 3, so take it with a large grain of salt, but I was surprised. The pronghorn was slight quartering to and shot was a little forward of where I'd prefer, shattered onside shoulder ball and socket and fragments broke offside humerus in multiple places and shredded significant portions of both shoulders, so I'm not too fussed about that one (or really any of them, total distance traveled for the 3 combined was under 50 yards I think).

 

[Ajsomp]

That’s interesting.

I’d be interested in reports from guys using the 103 eldx this season. Anecdotally I’ve seen pretty violent upset from the 103s.

And as I type that I see a bull taken above

 

[General RE LEE]

6 ARC Ruger American Ranch shooting the 103 ELD-X over a max charge of Varget at 2620 fps MV. 270 yd shot right in the crease and he took 10 steps and fell over. Estimated impact velocity at 2190 fps. Golf ball sized hole entry hole and wound channel through the lungs. Jacket and core separated and the jacket was found under offside hide.View attachment 953472View attachment 953473View attachment 953474View attachment 953476

Hell Yes!

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Smallish data point here (no necropsy photos, I'm just not that guy). We've killed 3 animals so far this fall with 109 ELDM's and so far they seem to upset more violently than the 108. A few small fragments have exited, but no large exits on 2 mule deer does and one good sized pronghorn. Everything has died very quickly, at impact velocity from 2175 to 2450. 108s for me have more often than not produced exit wounds in that velocity range.

I suppose that isn't too odd, the 109s have a larger hollow in them, maybe they upset more violently.

Apples/oranges but somewhat relevant since its a ELDM, I've shot a couple critters with the 7mm 162eldm, 2300+ fps impact and haven't gotten exits from those. Small sample set and everything died quickly so there is that. No experience with slower impacts on those yet.

 

[justin davis]

I’d be interested in reports from guys using the 103 eldx this season. Anecdotally I’ve seen pretty violent upset from the 103s.

And as I type that I see a bull taken above

Yea from what I have seen out of a family members shooting an 6 arc the 103’s are more violent than the 108’s

 

[Lawnboi]

Yea from what I have seen out of a family members shooting an 6 arc the 103’s are more violent than the 108’s

There wasn’t much left of a 108 on the off side hide of my bull. That said damage was pretty impressive. Part of me is thinking of using something like a 143eldx next time but that 108 worked just fine.

Grabbed a box of 108 Berger EH to try as well. I’ll hopefully zip them through some deer soon.

 

[turbo406]

There wasn’t much left of a 108 on the off side hide of my bull. That said damage was pretty impressive. Part of me is thinking of using something like a 143eldx next time but that 108 worked just fine.

Grabbed a box of 108 Berger EH to try as well. I’ll hopefully zip them through some deer soon.

Curios why jumping to a 143 eldx, trying to decide now whether I want a tikka ctr 6.5 for an everything gun of build one of my others into a 6 dasher or 6 gt

 

[General RE LEE]

Curios why jumping to a 143 eldx, trying to decide now whether I want a tikka ctr 6.5 for an everything gun of build one of my others into a 6 dasher or 6 gt

I’m a big fan of the 6.5 Creedmoor for an across the board cartridge here east of the Mississippi. I love my 6 ARC bolt action, but for most people, especially those that don’t reload…6.5 Creedmoor. The high BC of the 6.5mms are great in the wind.

 

[turbo406]

I’m a big fan of the 6.5 Creedmoor for an across the board cartridge here east of the Mississippi. I love my 6 ARC bolt action, but for most people, especially those that don’t reload…6.5 Creedmoor. The high BC of the 6.5mms are great in the wind.

I have a 6 arc bolt and an ar and reload for a buddies bolt gun. Im a huge fan of the arcs they are awesome. Wanting to extend my reach this year for coyote derbies to pick up those 700 yard hang ups that woulda put us in the money a few times last year

 

[Lawnboi]

Curios why jumping to a 143 eldx, trying to decide now whether I want a tikka ctr 6.5 for an everything gun of build one of my others into a 6 dasher or 6 gt

Honestly for a little more range for me. I could do a longer 6 creed too and get there but I am pushing what I want with the dasher for elk, mainly because it’s a much bigger target than a deer. I havnt shot a boat load of animals with 6mm, but have quite a few now with 22,6 and 6.5. As a whole it just seems as if the 6.5 flavors get a little more penetration and have a slightly larger wound. Nothing scientific.

 

[justin davis]

There wasn’t much left of a 108 on the off side hide of my bull. That said damage was pretty impressive. Part of me is thinking of using something like a 143eldx next time but that 108 worked just fine.

Grabbed a box of 108 Berger EH to try as well. I’ll hopefully zip them through some deer soon.

Cool. Yea can’t beat the accuracy of the Bergers. I have some 108 EH loaded up ready for mule deer this fall.