6mm /.243 hunting success on Big Game

[Te Hopo]

Barrel life question for you high volume shooters. If I load a 6mm Creedmoor to 6mm GT levels would it extend barrel life appreciable amounts or is this just wasted potential? I know guys shooting prs with GTs seeing upwards of 2500 rounds on thier barrels. It has me thinking maybe be better off with a GT next barrel. I was hoping to change a barrel every other year or so. I can shoot a fair amount and I only shoot to 600 yards max. What are your thoughts?

I'm currently getting a 6 Creedmoor built, my plan is to run it at whatever its sweet spot is and just use it.
The reality is it will still last me a fair few years as I'll continue using my .223 for bulk practice/hunting.

Can't deny how efficient the 6GT is though, for a one and done gun that'd be a hard round to beat.

 

[24valve]

95 TMK on an elk, slightly quartering towards. Entered just behind the front left shoulder and was found in the offside hide midway on the right side of the elk. MV 2800, impact velocity 2500.

Was with a herd of 75, they spooked more at the sound of the impact that the shot from the rifle (or at least had trouble pinpointing where it came from) and moved 50 yards, the bull went with them and was on his feet for another 30-60 seconds before going down. There were enough other elk moving around and in front of/behind him that additional shots were not made.

 

[Ajsomp]

Couple of photos I remembered to grab this week.
Tikka 243 20” shooting 95 TMK 3080 MV

White tail doe - 101 yards - broadside/slight quartering to. Entry left side neck. Exited middle of the right shoulder. DRT. Right shoulder was completely destroyed. Fist sized hole in the chest cavity.

White tail buck - 115 yards. Frontal shot through the neck at a downward angle, no exit. Massive internal damage, DRT.

300+ lb hog 184 yards- broadside, no exit. Ran 100 yards into the swamp. No blood trail.

White tail doe 75 yards- broadside shot behind the shoulder. Ran 80ish yards.

These 95 TMKs are nasty. After the first doe and throwing out the shoulder, I was trying to save meat on the second doe. In hindsight I should have shoulder or neck shot and had a DRT as opposed to the ridiculous walk through the briars to get this doe out. I believe if shooting at close range I would opt to neck or shoulder shot and deal with the damage. They seem to zip through and especially on white tail don’t meet enough resistance to open up enough.

 

[24valve]

Thanks. Is it destroying a ton of meat?

We lost some shoulder meat to a TMK shot through the shoulder blade on an elk two weeks ago, but lost almost no meat to the last elk with TMK's where the bullet did not go through either shoulder.

So would the 108 be better than if you are looking for meat or just keep it in the lungs?

Thank you so much!

Not form and I haven't shot anything with the 108, but I from what I understand I would expect it would have similar destruction if it hits bone.

To put things in a different perspective, mark or steve on the exo podcast framed it as losing 1-2 lbs of meat with a more destructive bullet or risk losing 100-200 lbs of meat with a lost animal.

 

[Clark33]

Antlerless elk tag, took a calf at 509yds, 6creed 108eldm, no wind, bedded elk, prone position, base of neck bang flop.

 

[General RE LEE]

Antlerless elk tag, took a calf at 509yds, 6creed 108eldm, no wind, bedded elk, prone position, base of neck bang flop.


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Sharp rig right there. Congrats.

 

[gman82001]

Sharp rig right there. Congrats.

Agreed, could we get build info?

 

[Matt5266]

Could be wrong but I don't think its a "build". Looks like a factory Seekins

 

[Kegstand]

Alaska grizz, it did take 5 shots to get it done tho, not recommended. 100 grain core lokts. Skeleton stock Ruger M77 MKII

Those M77 MK II’s are some of the best rifles I’ve ever shot. Still got one with the OG boat paddle stocks.

 

[Unclecroc]

You get around to this? I loaded a bunch of these up for my wife’s 243win this year. I’m sure it’ll kill out to 150yds just fine, but curious of your results.

Years back I loaded 95 partitions in a buddies 243 wssm. It did great on deer.
I’ve shot the 100gr partition out of a 240 weatherby and had stellar success with that on deer as well.
Shoot with confidence the partition is one of the finest hunting bullets out there.

 

[littlebigtine]

Mature mule deer buck, quartering away,~2200 fps impact velocity, 108 Eldm, one entrance back rib, tumbled 100 yards downhill dead in 25 seconds.

Mature bull elk, quartering away,~2100 fps impact velocity, 108 Eldm, 2 entrance back rib, ran 50 yards fell, tried to get back up, unable, dead in 45 seconds

 

[Brap01]

95 TMK on an elk, slightly quartering towards. Entered just behind the front left shoulder and was found in the offside hide midway on the right side of the elk. MV 2800, impact velocity 2500.

Was with a herd of 75, they spooked more at the sound of the impact that the shot from the rifle (or at least had trouble pinpointing where it came from) and moved 50 yards, the bull went with them and was on his feet for another 30-60 seconds before going down. There were enough other elk moving around and in front of/behind him that additional shots were not made.

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Dude, excellent pics and report. Thanks for posting.

 

[Clark33]

Agreed, could we get build info?

It's the gen1 Seekins Havak Element with NF NXS 2.5-10x42 Mil-R, ARC rings, TBAC Ultra 7 suppressor.

 

[solarshooter]

95 TMK on an elk, slightly quartering towards. Entered just behind the front left shoulder and was found in the offside hide midway on the right side of the elk. MV 2800, impact velocity 2500.

Was with a herd of 75, they spooked more at the sound of the impact that the shot from the rifle (or at least had trouble pinpointing where it came from) and moved 50 yards, the bull went with them and was on his feet for another 30-60 seconds before going down. There were enough other elk moving around and in front of/behind him that additional shots were not made.

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Great report. That's way less fragmentation/greater weight retention than I would've expected.

 

[MT_Fin]

Whitetail doe
Approx 2630fps at impact
90gr ELDX

Entry


Exit


Exit side




Exit hole


Effective is an understatement. Will give a bit more safety margin behind the shoulder in the future.

Tikka T3X 243 with SWFA 3-9 & DA Nomad TIXC. Liking this combo so far.

 

[Blueman75]

Tikka .243 1:8 twist, shooting 108 eldm’s from Unknown Munitions. Barrel chopped to 16.5 inches with a suppressor. Shot this buck at 125 yards just in front of the shoulder and had an exit wound out the offside neck. Massive internal damage. Buck dropped instantly.

 

[Tx270WT]

First deer of the year. Tikka 243 1:10 95gr NBT doing 3111. WT doe at 75 yards did very well. It was destructive as one would guess at such a short range but not explosively so. Unfortunately it was dark so no pictures. Got Full pass through so no bullet recovery. Deer position was nearly directly broadside. Entry was slightly posterior to the left front leg as it was in the forward position relative to the right. The right foreleg did take some damage with the exit being approximately golfball sized. The bullet Took the top portion of the heart off at the level of the great vessels and shredded the bottom 1/3 of both lungs.
. She went less than 10 yards and half that distance was rolling. Overall I was impressed with that ballistic tip. It definitely acted more on par with what I typically see out of an accubond rather than a ballistic tip.

 

[Car Ramrod]

So a 6GT is preferred over a 6 creedmoor ? With factory ammo?

 

[BLJ]

Tikka .243 1:8 twist, shooting 108 eldm’s from Unknown Munitions. Barrel chopped to 16.5 inches with a suppressor. Shot this buck at 125 yards just in front of the shoulder and had an exit wound out the offside neck. Massive internal damage. Buck dropped instantly.

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Any idea on muzzle velocity with that bullet from the short barrel?

 

[Blueman75]

Any idea on muzzle velocity with that bullet from the short barrel?

My chrono showed 2870 fps, but I’ve only shot out to 300 and haven’t verified beyond that.