New guy and ballistics

[4phw]

I am always seeking for truth and respect opinions of others that have more experience than me. I’ve read literally every page of the 223, 243, and 260 success threads. Listened to all forms podcasts on S2H/ Exo.

I’m wanting to buy my “forever” rifle in a sense.

Getting a tikka, and looking at these 3 cartridges. 6.5CM, 6CM, 243 win.

I want to make sure I understand certain aspects before I impulse buy anything. (Been researching the past 4 months haha). I’m comparing the cartridges after picking the most likely bullet I’ll be using. I do NOT reload (yet).

I’ve compared an ELDX (143gr, 90gr, and 103gr) at 0’ elevation, and 20” barrel as a baseline. I came up with 1800fps impact velocity at these yardages.

6CM: 750Y, 243: 600Y, 6.5CM: 650Y.

I really don’t have any business shooting elk that far anyway. I practice with 100 rounds or so a week.

It seems like the 6CM is the most optimal, but is it the most practical?

My question is:
-is a 90gr ELDX going to kill similarly as a 143gr at the same impact velocity? I think I recall hearing that anything over 1.5” in wound doesn’t really give you much for time to death. In my mind I really just want a “500 yard capable elk rifle”


Did I beat the dead horse enough? Hahah

 

[Chris in TN]

I bought my kids a 6.5CM last summer, for elk and whatever else. It's an absolute joy to shoot, for me, and the kids all do plenty well with it, but......

The next rifle I buy will be a 6cm. Yes, for elk, and anything else in North America. My oldest shoots the 6.5cm just fine (eta: at a low volume) but at a higher volume it would wear her down, and that goes double for my two younger kids. We can largely sidestep that being a big deal, by focusing on training more with a .223, but if we're speaking in terms of what is 'optimal' and not merely getting by with what we already have.....yeah, get the 6CM.

 

[nm.otter]

6.5mm Creedmoor if you don't reload. 6mm Creedmoor if you do reload (or plan to start soon).

 

[LongWayAround]

I'm kind of thinking through some of the same things myself. I have no concerns about killing with one or the other but I currently own .243 and 6.5cm. Other other hand, the 6cm is looking pretty attractive...


Re 90gr Eld-X:

I haven't killed anything with them, but I had my lady loaded with them a few years ago. This is a picture of a bull elk shoulder that was placed in a bag of Jell-O and shot at 300yd with a gallon water jug behind it. Super scientific testing here... Anyway, I hit the thick part of the scapula just above the knuckle. The bottle cap shows a piece of bone and the remainder of the bullet that I found in the jug. I don't recall the weight of what I recovered and some the bullet exited the jug.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

6.5 cm

 

[JPeters218]

Buy the 6 creed, a case of the same lot 108 eld-m’s and go kill stuff. It works great

 

[schmidty3]

I am always seeking for truth and respect opinions of others that have more experience than me. I’ve read literally every page of the 223, 243, and 260 success threads. Listened to all forms podcasts on S2H/ Exo.

I’m wanting to buy my “forever” rifle in a sense.

Getting a tikka, and looking at these 3 cartridges. 6.5CM, 6CM, 243 win.

I want to make sure I understand certain aspects before I impulse buy anything. (Been researching the past 4 months haha). I’m comparing the cartridges after picking the most likely bullet I’ll be using. I do NOT reload (yet).

I’ve compared an ELDX (143gr, 90gr, and 103gr) at 0’ elevation, and 20” barrel as a baseline. I came up with 1800fps impact velocity at these yardages.

6CM: 750Y, 243: 600Y, 6.5CM: 650Y.

I really don’t have any business shooting elk that far anyway. I practice with 100 rounds or so a week.

It seems like the 6CM is the most optimal, but is it the most practical?

My question is:
-is a 90gr ELDX going to kill similarly as a 143gr at the same impact velocity? I think I recall hearing that anything over 1.5” in wound doesn’t really give you much for time to death. In my mind I really just want a “500 yard capable elk rifle”


Did I beat the dead horse enough? Hahah

Whats the difference between "optimal" and "most practical"?


IF you actually plan on shooting this gun 100 rounds a week... you'll get about 18-20 weeks of barrel life from a 6 creed and 25-35 weeks from the 6.5. So about as soon as you buy the rifle, go ahead and start thinking about a new barrel.

IF you actually are shooting that much then get a 223 as well.

Theres plenty of 6 creed factory ammo out there. Order it online by the case. Ammoseek.com

The only reason id not go 6 creed is if I wanted to play in NRL (if you are shooting 100 rounds a week, pause that and save some money to go do a match)...But if you keep your rifle stock factory you can use 6 creed. A 243 vs a 6 creed and factory ammo is no contest. 6 creed wins with the heavier bullet options.

And if you've read everything rokslide has written on the subject (and believe it) then you should just go ahead and buy a 6 creed and shoot 108 Eldm's.

Im in the process of building an 18" 6 creed. After a heavy season on NRL's, id have no problems sending that 6mm bullet at 500 yards on an elk unless the winds are crazy/gusty. Ive got a 25 prc if i think my shot will be likely over 450 yards.

 

[43.6N]

Whats the difference between "optimal" and "most practical"?


IF you actually plan on shooting this gun 100 rounds a week... you'll get about 18-20 weeks of barrel life from a 6 creed and 25-35 weeks from the 6.5. So about as soon as you buy the rifle, go ahead and start thinking about a new barrel.

IF you actually are shooting that much then get a 223 as well.

Theres plenty of 6 creed factory ammo out there. Order it online by the case. Ammoseek.com

The only reason id not go 6 creed is if I wanted to play in NRL (if you are shooting 100 rounds a week, pause that and save some money to go do a match)...But if you keep your rifle stock factory you can use 6 creed. A 243 vs a 6 creed and factory ammo is no contest. 6 creed wins with the heavier bullet options.

And if you've read everything rokslide has written on the subject (and believe it) then you should just go ahead and buy a 6 creed and shoot 108 Eldm's.

Im in the process of building an 18" 6 creed. After a heavy season on NRL's, id have no problems sending that 6mm bullet at 500 yards on an elk unless the winds are crazy/gusty. Ive got a 25 prc if i think my shot will be likely over 450 yards.

Agree with everything @schmidty3 said.

Only two real choices of the list provided: 6 creed and 6.5 creed imo.

Try like hell to burn your new barrel out over the next year. That experience will inform a lot of the decisions you make when it comes time for a rebarrel.

My recommendation would be to stop the anylysis paralysis today. Go buy a 20” 6 creed tikka as soon as you can find one. If you can’t find one, well then go buy the next 20” 6.5creed you can find.
Put a 3-15 Swfa on it and a suppressor. Then to sign up for factory division in the next available NRL Hunter match. It probably won’t be until next spring, but that gives you 6-9 months of hunting and practice to learn your rifle in a way that paper chart comparisons just can’t provide.

 

[4phw]

Whats the difference between "optimal" and "most practical"?


IF you actually plan on shooting this gun 100 rounds a week... you'll get about 18-20 weeks of barrel life from a 6 creed and 25-35 weeks from the 6.5. So about as soon as you buy the rifle, go ahead and start thinking about a new barrel.

IF you actually are shooting that much then get a 223 as well.

Theres plenty of 6 creed factory ammo out there. Order it online by the case. Ammoseek.com

The only reason id not go 6 creed is if I wanted to play in NRL (if you are shooting 100 rounds a week, pause that and save some money to go do a match)...But if you keep your rifle stock factory you can use 6 creed. A 243 vs a 6 creed and factory ammo is no contest. 6 creed wins with the heavier bullet options.

And if you've read everything rokslide has written on the subject (and believe it) then you should just go ahead and buy a 6 creed and shoot 108 Eldm's.

Im in the process of building an 18" 6 creed. After a heavy season on NRL's, id have no problems sending that 6mm bullet at 500 yards on an elk unless the winds are crazy/gusty. Ive got a 25 prc if i think my shot will be likely over 450 yards.

I’ve actually been shooting the 50-100 rounds with a 223, just not in a tikka platform for practice. I live 5 mins from BLM so I’m able to shoot a lot of real life scenarios.

I see the “optimal” and most practical argument haha. 6 creed seems to beat the other 2 pretty good for my use case. I’m just able to find 20” threaded 6.5 creeds and 243. I’d hate getting the 22” 6 and chop it, but I may just do that. (16-18”).

After shooting an elk at 450 with a 6.5cm ELDM last fall, I have no hesitations with “smaller” cartridges.

 

[Stinky Coyote]

I’m wanting to buy my “forever” rifle

100% fake news

you're just getting started buying dozens of of these mythical 'forever' rifles lol, may as well just get real about it now, the rabbit hole is deep and long, and you're just at the entrance now

 

[4phw]

100% fake news

you're just getting started buying dozens of of these mythical 'forever' rifles lol, may as well just get real about it now

Hahaha no shite I want a rifle I can pass down to my child. That’s what I’ll say about it hahah

 

[Stinky Coyote]

Hahaha no shite I want a rifle I can pass down to my child. That’s what I’ll say about it hahah

I've got several of these in my safe, some unfired nib, and the collection is still growing...this is way too much fun going through the process of trying as much of every new koolaid that comes along as possible, you may get through 5-10 year stretches of not buying much new but the evolutionary levels in gear etc. will draw you back in time and time again.

 

[4phw]

I've got several of these in my safe, some unfired nib, and the collection is still growing...this is way too much fun going through the process of trying as much of every new koolaid that comes along as possible, you may get through 5-10 year stretches of not buying much new but the evolutionary levels in gear etc. will draw you back in time and time again.

I’m a sucker for the marketing too. I already know that will happen lol