Taking a 6.5 CM as my 2025 moose rifle

[burborg]

Have a blast. 6.5 wouldn’t be my first choice but it’s what you have. It will kill a moose! Looking forward to pics!

I have several rifles. This is just the one I have dialed in right now.

 

[burborg]

I’ve only killed one deer with the 140 GD propelled by RL26 in a 6.5 creed. It was a quartering-to shot and I got at least 28” of penetration and he died on the spot. I think it will work on moose, but I would practice getting multiple shots off quickly. I really like the bonded Speer bullets.
Gold Dot
Deep Curl
Unicore
I think the fusion is actually shared tech
I’ve killed animals with all of them, always good performance

I asked a Federal employee about Fusion vs Gold Dot. This was his response:

"Fusion is an electrochemically plated and bonded projectile, just like Gold Dot. Gold Dot is the LE line, so you won't find 7mm in that, but they are identically built and will perform the same."

 

[burborg]

Energy doesn't mean squat to a moose. Best to drill both lungs or heart shoot.
I have hit them with a 375 H&H at distances under 50 yards and they don't even flinch.

Sorry, but I'm not tracking your argument anymore. If energy doesn't mean squat to a moose, then why should I keep my shots inside 200 yards? The bullet should have the same effect at a mile as it does at the muzzle.

 

[Jimss]

It took me around an hour to dial in my 300 win mag a couple years ago. There is no doubt in my mind if I shoot a giant bodied bull with my 300 that it’s going to hit the ground hard after pulling the trigger with one shell.

The fact that you started this post means that you are unsure and questioning your confidence in your 6.5 on a species that can take a bit of punishment before falling.

Wet weather is a reality in Alaska and can wash blood within minutes after a shot if raining. You may feel incredibly bad if a bull you shoot with a 6.5 runs a ways, blood disappears, and you can’t find him in a 10 to 15’ tall alder jungle. Tall, thick tangled alder are also a reality to deal with in most Alaska moose units.

I wouldn’t exactly say a 6.5 would be my weapon of choice to anchor a bull in his tracks. You definitely don’t want to try shooting him through the shoulders trying to anchor him.

I have a Colo moose tag and if I end up rifle hunting I know which rifle I will grab…no questions asked!

 

[Snowwolfe]

Sorry, but I'm not tracking your argument anymore. If energy doesn't mean squat to a moose, then why should I keep my shots inside 200 yards? The bullet should have the same effect at a mile as it does at the muzzle.

Bullet penetration. Better chance at damaging both lungs at a shorter range due to the increased velocity and hopefully, deeper penetration. A bull with only one lung damaged may end up unrecovered.
Double lung a bull and often times he will continue to stand there and gaze, or even eat, for a minute or two before he tips over.

 

[Robobiss]

Bullet penetration. Better chance at damaging both lungs at a shorter range due to the increased velocity and hopefully, deeper penetration. A bull with only one lung damaged may end up unrecovered.
Double lung a bull and often times he will continue to stand there and gaze, or even eat, for a minute or two before he tips over.

You have it backwards.

With projectiles that upset, the higher the impact velocity is, the wider but shallower the wound is. As impact velocity decreases with distance, the wound gets narrower and narrower but penetrates deeper. That is, until the impact velocity is so slow that the bullet doesn’t upset. From there on down in impact velocity penetration decreases.

 

[hiker270]

Looking in my gun safe there is a 6.5 Cm, 6.5 PRC, 7mm-08, 270, 30-06, 7mag, 7 PRC, 300 mag, 35 whelen and various others. If I am reaching for a moose rifle it starts at 30-06 and above. But that's just me. Good Luck.

 

[Snowwolfe]

You have i

You have it backwards.

With projectiles that upset, the higher the impact velocity is, the wider but shallower the wound is. As impact velocity decreases with distance, the wound gets narrower and narrower but penetrates deeper. That is, until the impact velocity is so slow that the bullet doesn’t upset. From there on down in impact velocity penetration decreases.

Since I have it backwards please tell me the ideal velocity to obtain deep penetration on a bull moose using your 6.5 CM and the bullet you choose to shoot out of it.

 

[199p]

Thanks for all the encouragement. I'll be plastering the internet with photos if I get one. Don't hold your breath waiting though. My luck is pretty awful.

post up a bunch of pics regardless if you manage to get one bro.

 

[Flymost]

Our group has two big moose with the 6.5 creedmoor. Longest at 450 with no drama. Excuse was the same as yours. It just shot the best. Good luck and wish I was going with you!

 

[burborg]

It took me around an hour to dial in my 300 win mag a couple years ago. There is no doubt in my mind if I shoot a giant bodied bull with my 300 that it’s going to hit the ground hard after pulling the trigger with one shell.

The fact that you started this post means that you are unsure and questioning your confidence in your 6.5 on a species that can take a bit of punishment before falling.

Wet weather is a reality in Alaska and can wash blood within minutes after a shot if raining. You may feel incredibly bad if a bull you shoot with a 6.5 runs a ways, blood disappears, and you can’t find him in a 10 to 15’ tall alder jungle. Tall, thick tangled alder are also a reality to deal with in most Alaska moose units.

I wouldn’t exactly say a 6.5 would be my weapon of choice to anchor a bull in his tracks. You definitely don’t want to try shooting him through the shoulders trying to anchor him.

I have a Colo moose tag and if I end up rifle hunting I know which rifle I will grab…no questions asked!

Sighting in a rifle is easy. Dialing in a good handload takes me time.

I have the 300 WM because of legal requirements for taking buffalo, and I apply for the drawing every year. I didn't win again this year, so loading for it wasn't a priority.

Plenty of moose have died to 6.5x55 factory loads. I'm shooting a bonded bullet with good sectional density at a decent MV. I think shot placement is going to be the most important factor, and my 6.5 outshoots all my other rifles.

 

[Robobiss]

Since I have it backwards please tell me the ideal velocity to obtain deep penetration on a bull moose using your 6.5 CM using the bullet you choose to shoot out of it.

Whatever bullet anyone would want to use, as long as it penetrates 14-16” and damages adequately between point A and point B will kill the moose quickly. For a lot of projectiles there is a fairly large (1,000 FPS) range in impact velocity that would be acceptable.

I would have no reservations shooting a moose with a .264 bullet, but I’m not even trying to argue OP’s point, or not. All I’m saying is, if you shot 100 moose at 5 yards, and 100 at 300 yards, the ones shot at 300 would average deeper penetration and the ones at 5 yards would average wider wounds.

Limiting shot distance for various reasons may not be a bad idea. But doing it on the basis of penetration is working against yourself. The least it will ever penetrate is when you are shooting the moose that is so close you could hit it with a rubber band.

I caught a 180 grain corelokt from a 30-06 in a buck that was so close I could spit on him. The impact velocity was so high that the recovered bullet was nearing half dollar diameter. The same deer shot at 200 yards with the exact same placement would have had two holes to leak out of. To be fair, the deer was deader than a doornail.

 

[Mike D Texas]

The Gold Dot is a highly underrated bullet. You’ll do fine.

Good luck and show us pics of your moose!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[HairyScandinavian]

I asked a Federal employee about Fusion vs Gold Dot. This was his response:

"Fusion is an electrochemically plated and bonded projectile, just like Gold Dot. Gold Dot is the LE line, so you won't find 7mm in that, but they are identically built and will perform the same."

That's what I've been told as well, same projectiles just different markets.

You have i

You have it backwards.

With projectiles that upset, the higher the impact velocity is, the wider but shallower the wound is. As impact velocity decreases with distance, the wound gets narrower and narrower but penetrates deeper. That is, until the impact velocity is so slow that the bullet doesn’t upset. From there on down in impact velocity penetration decreases.

You explained it well, thanks for taking the time. Makes sense.

 

[WMR]

My Alaskan moose rifle is also a bear rifle. Whether it gets used on one is really up to the bear. So far so good. I always consider the possibility of needing to put a bullet in the front end of a big bear at close range, and choose accordingly. So far I’ve been carrying a 30/06 loaded with premium bullets. I’m leaning towards going a little bigger next time. And not because of the moose.

 

[Maverick1]

That won’t work. You are going to need more wallop.

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

The black bear and the moose were both harvested with a 6.5cm. 80-100yds for the black bear (6’5”) and the moose was taken between 235-250yds. The brown bear measured 9’ and that’s a 6.5grendel.

You will be fine.

 

[burborg]

That won’t work. You are going to need more wallop.

Dang. My rpg is getting a trigger job and I just dropped the 20 mm off this morning for cerakote.

The black bear and the moose were both harvested with a 6.5cm. 80-100yds for the black bear (6’5”) and the moose was taken between 235-250yds. The brown bear measured 9’ and that’s a 6.5grendel.

You will be fine.

I didn't know the Grendel had enough velocity to penetrate the force field and pierce the armor plating. You must have dipped that bullet in holy water.

 

[Jim1187]

While I wouldn't expect the gold dot to exit. I've been involved in enough moose dying due to a well placed fusion from other cartridges I'd be more concerned about having a sharp knife then if your load will kill a moose.

 

[Chris in TN]

Tagged for the inevitable dead moose pictures.