We have officially come full circle!

[BjornF16]

I just picked up a seekins havak element in 6 Creed to be my do anything rifle now.
Thanks to Rokslide!

If I could just find some 95 TMKs…

 

[BBarnett13]

Not much of an emotional person, but if I had a “favorite” cartridge it is the 243 with 95gr ballistic tips. Or 300WM with 178gr Amax’s/ELD-M’s.

Form, forgive me if you have mentioned it previously as it's easy to get lost in all of the info you share. What 95gr ballistic tip bullet do you prefer for the 243? I'm looking to develop loads for a 243 (1:9.25 twist) & 6mm Rem (1:9 twist) and was exclusively looking at 95gr projectiles. I had it narrowed down to 95gr Nosler ballistic tip hunting bullets (if my research is accurate, this bullet was designed specifically for 6mm's) but I haven't heard much real life experience with them.

 

[Goatie]

If there’s anything I hate more than 6.5 caliber rifles… it’s animals that are too dead due to too much caliber.

 

[Unckebob]

Dammit....I must be doing something wrong then. It has been consistently off more in wind than my 300 has been. More time at the range for me in the future!!!

Using factory loads and Hornady's ballistic calculator. Assumed a 10mph, 90 degree wind. Range 400 yards

143G ELD-X Precision Hunter 6.5CM = 8.63" Wind Correction Time of Flight = .499 seconds.

178G ELD-X Precision Hunter 300WM = 9.02" Time of flight = .461 seconds

The difference in wind deflection on a given shot between the two cartridges is essentially zero,

If you are missing left or right more with one cartridge than the other, it is because of scope issues, or one rifle fits you better leading to better accuracy.

Good luck.

 

[Formidilosus]

Form, forgive me if you have mentioned it previously as it's easy to get lost in all of the info you share. What 95gr ballistic tip bullet do you prefer for the 243? I'm looking to develop loads for a 243 (1:9.25 twist) & 6mm Rem (1:9 twist) and was exclusively looking at 95gr projectiles. I had it narrowed down to 95gr Nosler ballistic tip hunting bullets (if my research is accurate, this bullet was designed specifically for 6mm's) but I haven't heard much real life experience with them.

The Nosler 95gr Ballistic Tip.

 

[BjornF16]

The Nosler 95gr Ballistic Tip.

Is that because of .243 Win twist rates or do you really prefer 95 BT over 108 ELD-M (6CM or 6XC)?

 

[Formidilosus]

Is that because of .243 Win twist rates or do you really prefer 95 BT over 108 ELD-M (6CM or 6XC)?

That is because it is a great performer terminally, for the 1-9” plus twist rates. The guy who designed it, did so specifically for the 243win and for shooting elk with it.

With faster twists the 108gr ELD-M is a better choice if one will be taking animals past 450’ish yards.

 

[bsnedeker]

Using factory loads and Hornady's ballistic calculator. Assumed a 10mph, 90 degree wind. Range 400 yards

143G ELD-X Precision Hunter 6.5CM = 8.63" Wind Correction Time of Flight = .499 seconds.

178G ELD-X Precision Hunter 300WM = 9.02" Time of flight = .461 seconds

The difference in wind deflection on a given shot between the two cartridges is essentially.

If you are missing left or right more with one cartridge than the other, it is because of scope issues, or one rifle fits you better leading to better accuracy.

Good luck.

Yeah, good info to have. I was just assuming the smaller bullet was pushed more due to wind.

I'll take a look at the scope and see if I can figure out what the issue is.

Sent from my SM-G998U1 using Tapatalk

 

[billoo349]

The hind quarter shots were anchor shots after the first.

You shoot them in the ass to anchor them?

Sent from my motorola one 5G UW ace using Tapatalk

 

[Formidilosus]

You shoot them in the ass to anchor them?

Sent from my motorola one 5G UW ace using Tapatalk

When an animal has been shot and is running straight away from you and you need to stop it, where do you aim?

 

[MeatMissile]

I’m actually quite fond of the 300 Weatherby and 150gr TTSX. Start them at 3400fps and zero at 300 yards. You can hold on hair on a deer out to 450 yards. Makes for very little guess work.

 

[Thebigbaby]

I was at the range Sunday and the guy next to me was getting ready for an elk hunt in Utah. He had a 300 win mag with a brake. That thing blew my cap off.

His groups were scattered all over 12" when shooting at the 200 yard line. I think a lot of guys should learn to shoot with a smaller gun. Its not manly if you can't hit anything. I hope he limits himself to about 250 yards.

My son's 6.5 put them into 1.35inches at the same line. The guy said, yeah but you can't use that on elk!

Sounds like the guy with the .300 win mag can’t use his on elk either.

 

[billoo349]

When an animal has been shot and is running straight away from you and you need to stop it, where do you aim?

The context helps. Those are some nasty wounds

Sent from my motorola one 5G UW ace using Tapatalk

 

[bsnedeker]

The context helps. Those are some nasty wounds

Sent from my motorola one 5G UW ace using Tapatalk

I can confirm these results! I hit the hip bone on an antelope with this bullet on a follow up shot and when I got down there there was a wound you could put a football in, just like you see in those pictures. I was bummed about the meat loss, but very impressed with the performance of the bullet.

Sent from my SM-G998U1 using Tapatalk

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I can confirm these results! I hit the hip bone on an antelope with this bullet on a follow up shot and when I got down there there was a wound you could put a football in, just like you see in those pictures. I was bummed about the meat loss, but very impressed with the performance of the bullet.

Sent from my SM-G998U1 using Tapatalk

Seems incredibly wasteful. Why would you use a bullet that causes that sort of meat loss? A football off of a pronghorn is significant.

 

[bsnedeker]

Seems incredibly wasteful. Why would you use a bullet that causes that sort of meat loss? A football off of a pronghorn is significant.

I can't blame the bullet for going where I told it to go. Every other critter I've killed with this bullet I dropped them in their tracks with 1 shot directly in the engine compartment and virtually zero meat loss.

Yeah, it sucked to lose this much of an antelope but I'll take the trade-off. If I do my job correctly the bullet does what it's supposed to better than any other bullet I've used.

Sent from my SM-G998U1 using Tapatalk

 

[svivian]

i guess that is where my confusion is.... We speak about different bullets and criticize one versus the other. Then we are told that some bullets will cause major damage and will kill an elk as good if not better than a larger caliber yet there is still a need for an "anchoring shot" in the hips.

This is where you lose me. I have killed a lot of big game animals with a rifle and never felt the need to anchor an elk. I just follow the blood.

 

[Formidilosus]

i guess that is where my confusion is.... We speak about different bullets and criticize one versus the other. Then we are told that some bullets will cause major damage and will kill an elk as good if not better than a larger caliber yet there is still a need for an "anchoring shot" in the hips.

Your statement/question above, has its own answer inside of it. First, those shots were from a magnum with a bullet that is maximized for tissue damage. No matter what round you use, unless the spine is effected, animals do not drop instantly. Second, what you are proposing (like most) is “well I shot the elk with “insert caliber” and it still ran 100-150 yards; if I would have shot the elk with a 6.5 it would have ran 300 yards or not been recovered”. And that’s not how it works. Once sufficient damage has been done to the vital organs of an animal, more damage does not really result in faster death*; in other words, the results are mostly indistinguishable from each other. There are bullets that pass that “sufficient” threshold in elk, from 22 caliber on up. They are not deep penetrating, bonded or monolithic bullets.


* yes, there are bullet that can be used in large 30 and 338’s that create enough damage to show a difference in some situations. However, almost no one will use those bullets after seeing what they do to meat.

This is where you lose me. I have killed a lot of big game animals with a rifle and never felt the need to anchor an elk. I just follow the blood.

Will you please clarify what “a lot of big game animals” means to you? How many?

Why is it that you believe your experience “hunting” is all people experience hunting? And, will you please point out where I, or anyone said that you need to, or should anchor elk? Yes, there are times that it is required, but I do not think anyone here has said so.

 

[Hoodie]

His groups were scattered all over 12" when shooting at the 200 yard line. I think a lot of guys should learn to shoot with a smaller gun. Its not manly if you can't hit anything. I hope he limits himself to about 250 yards.

Jesus.

If the dude is shooting a 12 inch group at 200 under controlled conditions from the prone at the range, he really needs to limit himself to about 150.

In my experience people don't generally get better under pressure or with hastily built field positions.

 

[svivian]

Second, what you are proposing (like most) is “well I shot the elk with “insert caliber” and it still ran 100-150 yards; if I would have shot the elk with a 6.5 it would have ran 300 yards or not been recovered”

I never said anything like that, if so please show me specifically where. I do not believe any caliber will magically drop an elk while another wont. I've seen elk dropped with a 22-250

Will you please clarify what “a lot of big game animals” means to you? How many?

Why is it that you believe your experience “hunting” is all people experience hunting? And, will you please point out where I, or anyone said that you need to, or should anchor elk? Yes, there are times that it is required, but I do not think anyone here has said so.

I find it contradictory that you will commonly quote your experience in the amount of animals killed yet when anyone else does you feel the need to attack and question. I'm merely posting my observations the same as you are based on personal experience. Im not here to get in a dick measuring contest, i know you killed many more animals. Im asking you questions in regards to it because of your experience.

In regards to the anchor shot here is your quote below. and again above you said at times that it is required. Im simply stating I have never been in a situation that required it. Seeing your photos where it was clearly done raised the question

When an animal has been shot and is running straight away from you and you need to stop it, where do you aim?

Just going to point this out and state it. You dont need to beat everyone to death who has questions or differing opinions. You can educate people without belittling them, in fact you would probably gain a lot more from it. Just my .02

Edit because i missed this

In regards to the "Why is it that you believe your experience “hunting” is all people experience hunting?" Again i never said everyones experience would be like mine... simply stating my OWN and that i personally never had needed to anchor an elk, deer, bear, antelope etc... How others peoples hunts go is theirs to explain just like you do.