6mm/6.5

[Ryan Avery]

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.

 

[Reburn]

Ill play.
My brother shot is last antelope at 491 yards. so very close to 500 even. 6.5 creed. 143 eld-x hornady factory ammo. About 2000 fps impact. double lung. dropped where he stood. Lungs were shredded exit was golf ball sized with what appeared to be lots of fragmentation. I was there and called the range and wind hold.
I shot mine at 400 that morning so not as far as you wanted.

 

[svivian]

was able to take part in 2 Bulls this year with a 6.5PRC with 147 ELDM. one at 450 with a bad shot placement and another at 617 with great shot placement.

Have video of the one at 450

Both ended up dead

 

[elkguide]

I spotted and ranged for a friend who shot a mule deer @ 718 yards with his 6.5-300 using 140 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips and it dropped at the shot.

 

[fisherman983]

This year
6.5 prc
156 berger
2930 fps at barrel.
Black bear, 503 yards. Bang flop 1 shot.
Same gun, used by my friend, whitetail deer, first shot was guts, his fault, second was the neck, bang flop.
Some blacktaild inside 500 yds, all 1 shot kills

264 win mag
147 eld m
Black bear, 425 yds
1 shot, 2 lunges and done, maybe 10 yds

Last several years
264 win mag
147 eld m
3180 fps
Multiple animals. Bear deer and cougar all were 1 shot kills bang flops.

Took 2 elk with said rifle, different barrel.
140 berger, neck shot on spike Roosevelt, bang flop

1 350 class bull, 143 eldx. First round behind the shoulder, vitals but bull still on feet, ran downhill, sent another hit high and back. 3rd round was neck dropped him and another through both shoulders just for good measure.

Different 264 win mag.
140 sst several blacktails out to 650.

Different 264 with factory 130 nosler accubombs. Killed 5 animals in 4 days on Wyoming solo trip. 4 antelope and 1 mule deer, all 1 shot kills.

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

 

[willfrye027]

Does .257 count?

This year mule deer at 535 yards, 25 creed 135 Berger impact velocity 2400fps. shoulder blade, bang flop no exit.

Last year antelope at 500, same combo above, 2300 impact velocity, heart shot did a 20 yard circle and died.

This one is painful, last year mule deer 670. Same combo 2200fps impact velocity. First shot low through upper arm/brisket, second shot last rib/stomach and liver, was still alive when I made it up to him and required a neck shot to finish. Bullet performance seemed fine, the shooter was clearly the issue on that one.

6-7 more from 300-480 in the last 2 years with the same bullet, can’t say I noticed much different in how dead they were compared to the farther shots. Generally through the ribs gave an exit and through shoulder did not regardless of distance.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Killed more than a handful of Coues with a 6.5 (6.5 CM, 6.5x284, 6.5 PRC) past 500 and seen friends and others do the same with other 6.5s (6.5x284, 6.5-RPM, 6.5-300).

Do note that these shots were from a stable shooting position, had great spotters on most, and on a few I had a wind calling wizard with me. Things are a lot easier when you have help; going solo complicates the entire shooting process. More importantly is passing on many shots due to unfavorable conditions (sometimes easier said than done).

Here is some info but not complete (most of my Coues shots occur from 325-550 yards).

6.5 PRC - 147 gr ELD-M @ 3050 fps
1) 750 yard high shoulder shot and impact velocity would have been around 2096 fps. Bucked dropped in his tracks.
2) ~850 yard high shoulder shot and impact velocity would have been around 1983 fps. Bucked dropped in his tracks.
3) ~650 yard high shoulder shot and impact velocity would have been around 2211 fps. This buck was shot minutes after #2. Bucked dropped in his tracks.
4) 550 yard lung shot and impact velocity would have been around 2331 fps. This buck needed a second shot to the chest. This one had a strong will to live.
5) ~625 yard lung shot and impact velocity would have been around 2240 fps. He dropped and that was that.

6.5 CM - 129 gr ABLR @ 2900 fps
1) 500 yard high shoulder and impact velocity would have been around 2124 fps. Bucked dropped in his tracks.
2) 550 yard lung shot and impact velocity would have been around 2055 fps. He dropped, stood up, dropped, his head dropped, and that was that.

6.5x284 (no longer own and do not have the ballistic info other than 140 gr Accubond)
1) 550 yard lung shot. Buck dropped and passed away in short order.
2) ~500 yard lung shot and the buck took off. A long game of "hide and go seek" ensued. Found him hiding and shot him again. Found out that the buck was more quartered than I thought so I only partially took out one lung and front of the chest. He had a strong will to live.

Seen other animals killed with 6.5s and the main key of success: shot placement. Another key is the individual animal's will to live.

 

[id_jon]

Mule deer, 535 yards, 6 creedmoor, 95gr berger classic hunter, impact velocity ~2,200. Impacted high, just below the backstrap, golf ball sized exit, he dropped right away and slid downhill and rested against a tree.

 

[Colby]

First buck I killed with my 6.5 creed 147 eld m, maybe 4 or 5 years ago. 525 yards, hit a bit high broke his back and dropped him out of sight, he was still alive when I got close enough to see him again and finished him up with another shot.
I’ve killed several other critters with mine but the 525 is my farthest with the 6.5.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Tikka .243 at 525 yards with the 95 grain Berger Classic Hunter. Very hard quartering away shot. Dylan hit it at what I figured was the perfect spot for the angle but I don't think the bullet traveled far enough to smash the lungs. Buck went down on the spot but was alive when we walked up and required a neck shot to finish him off quickly.

 

[Ryan Avery]

Does .257 count?

This year mule deer at 535 yards, 25 creed 135 Berger impact velocity 2400fps. shoulder blade, bang flop no exit.

Last year antelope at 500, same combo above, 2300 impact velocity, heart shot did a 20 yard circle and died.

This one is painful, last year mule deer 670. Same combo 2200fps impact velocity. First shot low through upper arm/brisket, second shot last rib/stomach and liver, was still alive when I made it up to him and required a neck shot to finish. Bullet performance seemed fine, the shooter was clearly the issue on that one.

6-7 more from 300-480 in the last 2 years with the same bullet, can’t say I noticed much different in how dead they were compared to the farther shots. Generally through the ribs gave an exit and through shoulder did not regardless of distance.

Yes!

 

[Formidilosus]

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.

 

[2five7]

658 yards. 264 win mag, 140 berger hvld. 3100mv.

Impact was base of the neck/shoulder junction. Had enough "energy" to not only drop him, but kill him.

 

[Mountainrancher]

I wasn’t behind the gun but one of my hunters shot a cow elk at 531 a couple years ago. Slight quartering away hit was behind the shoulder. Walked 4 or 5 steps then tipped over. We drug her off the mountain with a snowmobile to gut so some of the damage inside could be from that but it was plenty soupy in there. Factory 143 eldx from a 6.5 cm not sure of impact velocity but it’s hard to argue with dead.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Nice to see a variety of bullets being used.

 

[Wolf_trapper]

6.5x47 143 eld-x

Elk at 515 high shoulder drt

Elk at 589 impact behind shoulder ran 75yds and died.
Both shots were on dead calm days. I've killed a pile in the 400yd range.

 

[6.5Express]

I think there were a few more and a bunch right around 480 but i think they were mostly with a 280 ackley and 145 lrx. And, my family keeps shooting as long as their head is up.

260 ackley improved, 127 barnes lrx, 2990 at the muzzle- my sons first bull - 440 yards mature six pt bull, soaked up two through the shoulders, third hit high (spine) but died within 20 yards of first shot rolling downhill.
505 yards, wifes bull - aged bull (tooth wear) first shot through shoulders he goes down immediately but head is up. Second shot quartering hard away in right behind last rib, ran clear through him, jumped up and rolled diwn the hill.

264 winmag, 140 hunting vld, ~3100 at the muzzle - 536 mule deer buck, bang flop.

264 winmag, 127 barnes lrx, cant recall velocity - 536 yards whitetail buck. First shot, lung, ran 50 yards, follow up, thru shoulders fell over.

 

[justinspicher]

I want to shoot an animal over 500yds with my 65, does that count?

 

[cali_hornhunter]

2018 AZ mule deer

rem 260 127gr barnes TTSX 602 yards Double lung ran about 40 yards and went over not much of an exit if any copper bullets……




coues Deer this year used my buddies cooper open country lr.

6.5 PRC 147 ELD-M folded him at 661 yards shoulder shot. Wind call was just a touch off

 

[Juan_ID]

2020 bull elk with 6.5creed 147 eldm 600 yards ~2150fps impact velocity. Bull was hit in the neck/shoulder junction and dropped, dead instantly

2022 Mule deer buck with same 6.5creed cut to 20” 147 eldm 500 yards ~2025fps impact velocity, quartered away shot entered about mid rib and exit behind shoulder. Shot again but buck was dead on his feet, only traveled maybe 30 yards and down within about 40 seconds.