6mm/6.5

[justin davis]

That’s Interesting

I've had 20 plus elk and deer bite the dirt with 140-142 6.5mm pills. One interesting thing I've seen is that when I get 600ish or beyond and the elk do not see or smell me, they tend to die damn near where they stood. Rarely do the other elk run. I get called a liar, but I have more bang flops with my 2900fps 140gr 6.5's than my 300rums.

 

[Formidilosus]

408y, 115gr DTAC Nosering 2,290fps impact-

Entrance-





Exit side-



Caught by skin-



In between, split the heart-

 

[Seeknelk]

What cartridge squirted that 115 ,Form?

 

[Formidilosus]

What cartridge squirted that 115 ,Form?

6XC

 

[ktmkaratechips]

408y, 115gr DTAC Nosering 2,290fps impact-

Entrance-
View attachment 499835

View attachment 499836


Exit side-
View attachment 499837


Caught by skin-
View attachment 499838


In between, split the heart-
View attachment 499840

View attachment 499841

View attachment 499842

That almost seems like a prohibitive amount of bloodshot. Is that a factor of the bullet construction to make it slap so hard?

 

[Formidilosus]

That almost seems like a prohibitive amount of bloodshot. Is that a factor of the bullet construction to make it slap so hard?

That bullet tumbles and fragments. That’s about normal for it.

 

[Yotekiller]

905 yard elk 6.5x284 140hvld 2924mv
Entrance front of shoulder exit behind shoulder. Went 10 yards and dropped dead.

 

[Yotekiller]

841 yard muledeer 6.5x284 140hvld 2924mv high shoulder dropped in his tracks.

Several others between 500-600 yards similar results.

 

[BjornF16]

That bullet tumbles and fragments. That’s about normal for it.

From 6XC or 6CM, do you prefer the 115 DTAC or 108 ELD-M? (or some other bullet?)

 

[Formidilosus]

From 6XC or 6CM, do you prefer the 115 DTAC or 108 ELD-M? (or some other bullet?)

Most will probably prefer the 108gr ELD-M.

 

[hiker270]

I didn't want to derail another thread. So I started this one.

Who has shot/witnessed a big game animal past 500 yards with a 6mm or 6.5? Many members here love to tell you their opinion about it, but I am figuring out that damn few have done it. So if you have, please tell me the chambering, distance, bullet, impact velocity, and outcome.

Stories abound on the animals killed at 500 yard plus. What you don't here about are the ones that are hit and not recovered. Nowadays with all the Ballistic Calculators available many are caught up with the perception that ( I sight my rifle in at 200 yds.) and check the Ballistic Calculator and I'm good to 500 +. The biggest pitfall is the wind. ( And yes your Ballistic Calculator even calculates the wind - good luck your still guessing). At long range wind plays a big factor in accurate shooting, let alone the fact your not shooting off a bench. Your out of breath, your hearts beating a mile a minute and your guide says hurry up - he's not gonna stand there much longer. ( I have heard this more than once). My rule is if I have to walk up to find an animal that I shot at long distance, I should walk/stalk or crawl to take a shot I am confident I can make.

 

[waldo9190]

Stories abound on the animals killed at 500 yard plus. What you don't here about are the ones that are hit and not recovered. Nowadays with all the Ballistic Calculators available many are caught up with the perception that ( I sight my rifle in at 200 yds.) and check the Ballistic Calculator and I'm good to 500 +. The biggest pitfall is the wind. ( And yes your Ballistic Calculator even calculates the wind - good luck your still guessing). At long range wind plays a big factor in accurate shooting, let alone the fact your not shooting off a bench. Your out of breath, your hearts beating a mile a minute and your guide says hurry up - he's not gonna stand there much longer. ( I have heard this more than once). My rule is if I have to walk up to find an animal that I shot at long distance, I should walk/stalk or crawl to take a shot I am confident I can make.

And I've seen deer shot like hell with a rifle from 50 yards.....not sure what your point is here.

Whether your capability is 50 yards or 750 yards, do your due diligence to minimize risk (you'll never remove error completely) then go forth and slay.

 

[Mountainrancher]

Stories abound on the animals killed at 500 yard plus. What you don't here about are the ones that are hit and not recovered. Nowadays with all the Ballistic Calculators available many are caught up with the perception that ( I sight my rifle in at 200 yds.) and check the Ballistic Calculator and I'm good to 500 +. The biggest pitfall is the wind. ( And yes your Ballistic Calculator even calculates the wind - good luck your still guessing). At long range wind plays a big factor in accurate shooting, let alone the fact your not shooting off a bench. Your out of breath, your hearts beating a mile a minute and your guide says hurry up - he's not gonna stand there much longer. ( I have heard this more than once). My rule is if I have to walk up to find an animal that I shot at long distance, I should walk/stalk or crawl to take a shot I am confident I can make.

This is a LONG RANGE HUNTING FORUM!

If you have a problem with long range hunting, don't post here. There are lots of other forums for you.

rokslide.com

 

[nobody]

Stories abound on the animals killed at 500 yard plus. What you don't here about are the ones that are hit and not recovered. Nowadays with all the Ballistic Calculators available many are caught up with the perception that ( I sight my rifle in at 200 yds.) and check the Ballistic Calculator and I'm good to 500 +. The biggest pitfall is the wind. ( And yes your Ballistic Calculator even calculates the wind - good luck your still guessing). At long range wind plays a big factor in accurate shooting, let alone the fact your not shooting off a bench. Your out of breath, your hearts beating a mile a minute and your guide says hurry up - he's not gonna stand there much longer. ( I have heard this more than once). My rule is if I have to walk up to find an animal that I shot at long distance, I should walk/stalk or crawl to take a shot I am confident I can make.

I've seen the same with guys who buy a bow with their sight set up and mounted from the manufacturer. Those bowhunters never purposefully omit the story of the elk they hit in no-man's-land, right? They're always perfectly ethical and never try to shoot too far or take stupid shots. So they're definitely exempted here.

Or the guy who buys a Savage Axis with a Bushnell el-cheapo optic on it and never sights it in, because "Savage did it at the factory, why else would they sell it with a scope?" Yeah, they're exempt too, because close up shooting is always easy.

Yup, bowhunters and "normal range" rifle hunters never wound animals, you're right. Their ballistics are always spot on too.

To be clear, the above statements are sarcastic, but oftentimes that's the attitude people have. I hunt with a rifle, muzzleloader, and a bow every year, so I see things from all sides and have no ill feelings to any one particular group of hunters when it comes to hunting style and weapon choice.

What you're describing above is not a long range hunting problem, it's a personal responsibility problem, independent of the season or weapon choice or distance to the animal. All of shooting is guessing, an educated guess. The more you practice, the more accurate your guesses get. But it's still a guess. Whether it's a rifle, muzzleloader, bow, or a wristrocket, doesn't matter. Same goes even if you "walk/stalk or crawl to take a shot [you are] confident [you] can make," to use your own words. Whether you're inside 100 with a rifle or close up with a bow or at 700 with your rifle, doesn't matter.

Every time you press the trigger to take the life of an animal, you're taking a calculated risk and accepting responsibility of the outcome, good or bad. There's always a chance for failure, and it's up to each person to determine their own risk tolerance and be honest with themselves and not overestimate their own abilities in field, but the distance doesn't matter. It's called the Dunning-Kruger effect.

I know guys who have no business even setting foot in the woods with how little they practice. Doesn't matter how close they get, I'd be worried they would make a bad hit. The distance is irrelevant, for some guys anything beyond 200 yards is long range, for other guys it's all a chip shot. Greater distance does not equate to a higher probability of a poor shot, but not practicing does. And the weapon system doesn't matter at that point, there's bigger problems at play.

 

[MThuntr]

From what I remember off hand from the last couple of years- I’m missing some, and there’s a bunch under 500y.


Elk, 860 yards, 6.5 CM 143gr ELD-X, 1,609fps impact, walked 20-30 yards and fell.

Elk, 970 yards, 6XC 115gr DTAC, one shot high lung, one shot through scapula, walked less than 20 yards, fell. This was finishing a previously wounded (300PRC) elk.

Elk, 560 yards, 6XC 115gr DTAC, center lungs, ran 20 yards and fell

Elk, 550 yards, 6XC 115gr DTAC, high lungs, dropped


Elk, 644 yards, 6XC 115gr DTAC, quartering away lungs, exit neck, ran 20 yards, facing away, second shot breaking spine in neck and collapsed.

Elk, 910 yards, 6.5 PRC 153gr A-TIP, first shot high lung, second through heart, ran 60’ish yards and fell.

Deer, 612 yards, 6.5 cm 130gr TMK, high shoulder and spine, dropped

Elk, 676 yards, 6.5 CM 130gr Terminal Ascent, fist shot through lungs and liver, turned and second shot through lungs, third shot (700’ish) in neck severing jugular. Fell and slide 20-30 yards.


Elk, 735 yards, 6.5 CM 143gr ELD-X, two shots to lungs, walked 20 yards and fell.

Deer, 606 yards, 6.5 CM 130gr Berger Hybrid OTM AR, 1,850fps impact, several shots all in lungs as it walked/trotted 70’ish years. One bullet expanded, the rest ice picked.

Elk, 801 yards, 6.5 cm Berger 130gr Hybrid OTM AR, 1,850’ish fps impact, several shots all in lungs- first standing, rest while walking 70’ish yards- one bullet expanded/fragmented


Elk, 666 yards, 6.5cm 130gr Berger Hybrid OTM AR, 2,100fps impact, bedded stood up at shot, three more in lungs, one broke scapula at “knuckle” and fell in tracks. All bullets performed correctly.

I need to start hunting with you with that kind of success.

 

[ktmkaratechips]

Stories abound on the animals killed at 500 yard plus. What you don't here about are the ones that are hit and not recovered. Nowadays with all the Ballistic Calculators available many are caught up with the perception that ( I sight my rifle in at 200 yds.) and check the Ballistic Calculator and I'm good to 500 +. The biggest pitfall is the wind. ( And yes your Ballistic Calculator even calculates the wind - good luck your still guessing). At long range wind plays a big factor in accurate shooting, let alone the fact your not shooting off a bench. Your out of breath, your hearts beating a mile a minute and your guide says hurry up - he's not gonna stand there much longer. ( I have heard this more than once). My rule is if I have to walk up to find an animal that I shot at long distance, I should walk/stalk or crawl to take a shot I am confident I can make.

The last line says it all. “To take a shot I am confident I can make”. Your capabilities do not define someone else’s and vice versa. I think it’s pretty silly to come onto a thread like this and try to imply that all these proficient shooters aren’t up to the task.

 

[Sako300]

I didn't want to derail another thread. So I started this one.

Who has shot/witnessed a big game animal past 500 yards with a 6mm or 6.5? Many members here love to tell you their opinion about it, but I am figuring out that damn few have done it. So if you have, please tell me the chambering, distance, bullet, impact velocity, and outcome.

 

[Sako300]

Man…. The outcomes of the 6.5 and 6s are really good.
Any NEGATIVE outcomes at long distance where a hit didn’t produce a recovery with all these skilled shooters.
I just want to get the honest truth.
It can’t be like on tv, where all these long range shows just show bang and flops?

 

[Jake Leibke]

Man…. The outcomes of the 6.5 and 6s are really good.
Any NEGATIVE outcomes at long distance where a hit didn’t produce a recovery with all these skilled shooters.
I just want to get the honest truth.
It can’t be like on tv, where all these long range shows just show bang and flops?

Personally I have not wounded any critters at long range and not recovered them. I have clean missed a few.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Yotekiller]

I have never witnessed a negative outcome on a big game animal with a 6.5 beyond 500 from a competent marksman. I couldn't even count the number of wounded animals I have witnessed from archery and muzzleloaders or from people taking running shots at closer ranges with a rifle.