Seekins Havak Element 6.5 PRC

[Norcalkarl]

Also looking to buy a new rifle. Great info thank you

 

[ermiller1016]

I have my newest rifle on order. I do not reload (yet) so those of you with a Seekins, tell me what factory ammo you use that shoots the best. I switched to copper bullets a few years ago, NOT for any hippy California Condor reasons as my buddies like to berate me for, but because the meat loss from blood shot when my aim is not perfect and creeps into the shoulder has been fantastic compared to lead core bullets I've used in the past. I bought some Nosler 120 gr E-tip, Barnes 127 gr LRX and Hornady 130 gr CX to test out when the rifle get here, but am open to others. Now is also the time to sell me on why the 143 ELD-X is the best thing to happen to the modern world as I am possibly open to trying that or others.

What round did you land on ? My 6.5prc Havak Element loves the Berger 156 (about 2800 fps suppressed) and throttles Deer.

 

[bergie]

What round did you land on ? My 6.5prc Havak Element loves the Berger 156 (about 2800 fps suppressed) and throttles Deer.

Had some self induced issues, mainly with my grip, that lead to large groups during testing. I got a little more in depth in this thread https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/seekins-precision-element-groups.368303/

I ended up using the 147ELD-M this year as it was coming up on bear season and I didn't have the time to go back and retest. I really wanted to use copper but the ELD-M shot so well I couldn't change.

Didn't shoot a bear but decided to run with the ELD-M this fall as a test run before committing fully and the results were what everyone says, terminally devastating, which to me is good and bad. I generally wait for high percentage broadside shots where I can aim about 4" from the shoulder (a spot that copper bullets do very well but don't come with massive bloodshot that I then have to deal with when I process)

Shot the rifle three times this year:
1. 80 yards, whitetail doe slightly quartering away. Shot was about as middle middle as could be. Hit diaphragm, part of the liver and exploded a lung. Full pass through, she made it about 80 yards with very little to no blood. No meat loss as it didn't hit the shoulder but ample bloodshot junk in the rib area to deal with on the table during processing.

2. 550 yards, wolf, broadside. Shot was about 2" behind shoulder, full pass through, assume double lung but I didn't peek in the cavity after skinning it out to be certain. He did a couple spins, ran 10 yards and was dead in sight in about 30 seconds. Decent blood but they have a thick coat this time of year that seemed to soak it up pretty well. Surprisingly not a ton of blood shot.

3. 300 yards, whitetail buck, broadside. Shot was about 4" behind the shoulder, full pass through. He mule kicked and ran as fast as he could for about 50 yards before piling up. Died in about 30 seconds. OK blood trail, but nothing special. Again no meat loss but lots of bloodshot to deal with.

With that performance I am going to stich with the ELD-M and probably only use it from now on when I plan on farther shots. Anytime I am expecting shotes to be 300 yards and in I will take my .308 that shoots the 150 grain e tip well and makes critters just as dead with similar placed shots. The difference is that when I mess up and smash into a shoulder, most of that meat is still salvageable where with the ELD-M I think it would be a different story.

 

[rileybassman]

I’m still a big fan of the 130 terminal ascent. Getting right around 2980-3k in the element and it has taken 2 antelope and 4 deer this year. Bullet has done great each time.

Here’s a 10 shot group.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[TheViking]

I’m still a big fan of the 130 terminal ascent. Getting right around 2980-3k in the element and it has taken 2 antelope and 4 deer this year. Bullet has done great each time.

Here’s a 10 shot group.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

What were entry/exit holes like? Would like to hear more about the performance of this bullet. I like the Bergers and eldm, but on smaller game I’m leaning towards more of a bonded type bullet for less meat damage.

 

[rileybassman]

What were entry/exit holes like? Would like to hear more about the performance of this bullet. I like the Bergers and eldm, but on smaller game I’m leaning towards more of a bonded type bullet for less meat damage.

This is the only pic of a carcass that I took with the bullet. I really like the performance of the bullet. Limited exposure so far, but in ~5 deer and 1 antelope, all bullets were pass through with more organ damage than equivalent accubonds or TTSXs I have used in the past but less meat damage then an ELDM/X. Longest shot was wife's antelope at 530 and bullet performed great. Dad's doe was shot a bit back on the first shot, she hunched big time and was able to hobble 40-50 yards before a better placed shot finished her. 2 of the 5 deer were bang, flop, 1 made it 15 yards, 1 was hit a bit back and required a second shot, and one had a hard quartering away shot.

It's been accurate and seems to hit hard with good penetration and reasonable meat damage. I carried ELD-X and Terminal Ascent bullets for my 7 PRC this year as well. My wife and I's mule deer both were taken with ELD-X. Neither of those bullets exited and internal damage was devastating. So was the damage to the off-shoulder on my deer (quartering away). I like both bullet types for different purposes/distances. If you want rapid expansion and fragmentation, the TA is not for you... but I do like it quite a bit better than the 6.5 accubonds I have used back in the day.

Entrance:

Exit:

 

[TheViking]

@rileybassman thank you for the detailed response. That’s actually a pretty solid exit hole! And I agree - I like both types of bullets and they each have their place. I’m leaning towards the terminal ascent, or the federal fusion tipped for smaller game inside 300. I’ve heard good things about both - great expansion, accurate, but doesn’t leave an absolute mess. I ruined an elk shoulder last year with a Berger and now I’m a little gun shy about using high frag bullets. Sure, they kill super effectively (she ran maybe 10 yards), but the internal damage and potential for meat loss is really high. Trying to find that perfect ‘happy medium’ bullet. Sierra Game Changers are on my list to try as well. Similar cup and core design as ELDX, but had a thicker copper jacket, so should grenade less.

 

[rileybassman]

@rileybassman thank you for the detailed response. That’s actually a pretty solid exit hole! And I agree - I like both types of bullets and they each have their place. I’m leaning towards the terminal ascent, or the federal fusion tipped for smaller game inside 300. I’ve heard good things about both - great expansion, accurate, but doesn’t leave an absolute mess. I ruined an elk shoulder last year with a Berger and now I’m a little gun shy about using high frag bullets. Sure, they kill super effectively (she ran maybe 10 yards), but the internal damage and potential for meat loss is really high. Trying to find that perfect ‘happy medium’ bullet. Sierra Game Changers are on my list to try as well. Similar cup and core design as ELDX, but had a thicker copper jacket, so should grenade less.

Agree with you - ELD/Berger bullets work great with broadside shots and I don't argue their lethality... but angles or less then perfect shots introduce a lot of meat damage sub 2-300 yards as you said. My wife's muley this year was shot with a 7 PRC ELDx at 720 yards and the bullet behaved quite well at that distance and it was a solid bang-flop with no unnecessary tissue damage. My muley was about 80 yards hard quartering away with the same eldx and I essentially lost the off shoulder. Deer died good tho.

There is a place for both IMO. My 6.5 PRC really digs the terminal ascent, and I shoot a 1k+ quite often with that bullet and really do enjoy it. Right now, it's my favorite 6.5 PRC bullet.