Elk with a 6.5 Creedmoor
- Thread starter Toddmack
- Start date
Anyone missing the obvious two points:
1. He's not going to want to carry that heavy of a gun in the back country.
2. RPR's come with factory muzzle brakes and recoil will be negligible.
1. He's not going to want to carry that heavy of a gun in the back country.
2. RPR's come with factory muzzle brakes and recoil will be negligible.
His middle finger is the problem, he can flip me off and that's about all its good for, he can't curl it. But, it's the only middle finger he's got because the other one got cut off... In the OP it said "self abusing work", he's the poster-child for that comment. Insert whatever emoji you want here because i despise emojis, but i was laughing as I typed this.
I've killed a poo ton of elk myself and have seen them killed w/lots of different calibers, even suppressed subsonic 22lr. Hit em right, they die as will anything. Some creatures seem to have a tendency to fall over dead without a lot of effort, almost like they know they're a prey animal so just go along w/the program, bunnies are prime examples. Some just have an insane desire to live, like a cat.
From my perspective elk are in the later camp, tenacious beasts that will fight to the end. I hunt Rosie's exclusively and I know there is a difference between them and Rockies. I also hunt coastal timber which is more often than not very rugged terrain. I started out shooting .308, then went to 300 Win Mag and now shoot 338 RUM. My personal opinion, you can't go too big on a mature bull elk, within reason. After slogging 5 miles through the nasties my goal is to anchor that bad boy where he's standing. I'm prepared for the worse case, a monster bull in the timber with maybe only 1 chance to get a shot off before he's gone into a black hole. Gimme some minutes on a broadside bull in a field and I'll put a little pill in his head and call it a day, I've done that off my deck. But if I'm chasing Mr Big out back I've got the RUM in my hands. I've seen too many bones and carcasses in the woods, chased bleeding elk for days, watched elk take hit after hit without going down, killed them w/scarred over bullets and broadheads in them and heard many, many tales of killed, wounded and lost animals from friends, neighbors and locals to ever think about being undergunned. I've was scolded by older locals in the woods for carrying the 308 when I was younger. If you've lived in elk country long enough you'll encounter attitudes, lots of them, don't ever try and tell a local a thing about elk, they'll show you the stack of racks in the barn to prove they're right and your wrong.
Every situation is different but I've learned to prepare for that once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm going to do my darndest to make sure it works out in my favor. I chased a herd for a couple hours one morning in the timber, finally got onto them w/out them knowing I was around. They started coming up a hill single file at about 50 yds in front of my. One stopped with it's head behind a bush but I could see the antlers above it. I waited, he finally took a couple steps and stopped broadside at 50 yds between trees. I put a 200 gn through the lungs/heart w/my 300 win mag BAR, saw the hole, he turned and ran about 10 steps and stopped and looked back at me. I put another hole in him about 2" away from the 1st, he turned and ran back down that steep, nasty hillside and died 75 yds away wedged into some deadfall. That was a day. If he would have died where he was standing it would have saved us about 3-4 hours work.
I've taken 2 6x6 dark timber bulls, the last one I had about 2 seconds to make the shot at him quartering away at about 70 yds through the timber. He kept going but dropped w/in another 50, I'll keep shooting the RUM until I can't.
Those old timers used what they had and did kill a lot of elk but they didn't kill every one they put a hole in, I'll pretty much guarantee you that.
From my perspective elk are in the later camp, tenacious beasts that will fight to the end. I hunt Rosie's exclusively and I know there is a difference between them and Rockies. I also hunt coastal timber which is more often than not very rugged terrain. I started out shooting .308, then went to 300 Win Mag and now shoot 338 RUM. My personal opinion, you can't go too big on a mature bull elk, within reason. After slogging 5 miles through the nasties my goal is to anchor that bad boy where he's standing. I'm prepared for the worse case, a monster bull in the timber with maybe only 1 chance to get a shot off before he's gone into a black hole. Gimme some minutes on a broadside bull in a field and I'll put a little pill in his head and call it a day, I've done that off my deck. But if I'm chasing Mr Big out back I've got the RUM in my hands. I've seen too many bones and carcasses in the woods, chased bleeding elk for days, watched elk take hit after hit without going down, killed them w/scarred over bullets and broadheads in them and heard many, many tales of killed, wounded and lost animals from friends, neighbors and locals to ever think about being undergunned. I've was scolded by older locals in the woods for carrying the 308 when I was younger. If you've lived in elk country long enough you'll encounter attitudes, lots of them, don't ever try and tell a local a thing about elk, they'll show you the stack of racks in the barn to prove they're right and your wrong.
Every situation is different but I've learned to prepare for that once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm going to do my darndest to make sure it works out in my favor. I chased a herd for a couple hours one morning in the timber, finally got onto them w/out them knowing I was around. They started coming up a hill single file at about 50 yds in front of my. One stopped with it's head behind a bush but I could see the antlers above it. I waited, he finally took a couple steps and stopped broadside at 50 yds between trees. I put a 200 gn through the lungs/heart w/my 300 win mag BAR, saw the hole, he turned and ran about 10 steps and stopped and looked back at me. I put another hole in him about 2" away from the 1st, he turned and ran back down that steep, nasty hillside and died 75 yds away wedged into some deadfall. That was a day. If he would have died where he was standing it would have saved us about 3-4 hours work.
I've taken 2 6x6 dark timber bulls, the last one I had about 2 seconds to make the shot at him quartering away at about 70 yds through the timber. He kept going but dropped w/in another 50, I'll keep shooting the RUM until I can't.
Those old timers used what they had and did kill a lot of elk but they didn't kill every one they put a hole in, I'll pretty much guarantee you that.
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Plenty of elk have been killed with a 270 (6.8 mm) with 150 grain bullets. Probably only a few less than the 06 or the big magnums. In Scandinavia lots of “moose” are killed with the 6.5 Swedish
That said, the 6.5 Creedmoor loaded as hot that will shoot accurately (2750 fps or so) with a 127 Barnes or a 130 Barnes WILL do the job out to 300 yards or so. Bullet placement here will be key.
That said, the 6.5 Creedmoor loaded as hot that will shoot accurately (2750 fps or so) with a 127 Barnes or a 130 Barnes WILL do the job out to 300 yards or so. Bullet placement here will be key.
One thing big heavy 6.5mm bullets have is sectional density, and lots of it. A 140gn 6.5 is in the same class as a 200gn 30 cal. That 140 class hunting bullet humming along at 2800fps has plenty of firepower for anything in North America. As mentioned, the 6.5x55 Swed has a long and illustrious career of killing large tough things all over the world. The 6.5 Creedmoor has the same ballistics.
Speer Grand Slam, Hornady Interbond, Nosler Accubond or Partitions in the 140 class will serve.
If you want that thug life: Norma Alaska or the Norma Oryx (156gn) will break bone with impunity.
Whoops. I can't read. Factory rounds limit the choices but here's my thoughts:
- Federal Premium Vital-Shock 140gn Accubond
- Nosler Trophy Grade 140gn Accubond
- Federal Fusion 140gn
- Swift High Grade 140gn A-Frame
Speer Grand Slam, Hornady Interbond, Nosler Accubond or Partitions in the 140 class will serve.
If you want that thug life: Norma Alaska or the Norma Oryx (156gn) will break bone with impunity.
Whoops. I can't read. Factory rounds limit the choices but here's my thoughts:
- Federal Premium Vital-Shock 140gn Accubond
- Nosler Trophy Grade 140gn Accubond
- Federal Fusion 140gn
- Swift High Grade 140gn A-Frame
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Is "Beef and Beer" night at the local hotel an option? Easy peasy lemon squeezy...
Most of the time where I hunt you don't get a second shot. Heavy brush and trees. Nothing less than a 06 will do for me. Been using a 300 WBY and 338 Win Mag for the last 50 years.
AckleymanII
Gold $$ Contributor
I killed a few cow elk with a 243 using 100g Partitions with 41.5g of IMR 4350, ranges was not over 200 yards, none moved over 40 yards, lung shot. We rode either horses or mules and rode in amongst them.
I would get him to shoot a Barnes LRX or TSX or maybe a Nos AB or ABLR.
It's not really a question of " Can a 6.5 CM kill an elk?" It's more can your buddy kill an elk with the 6.5 CM in his physical condition. His condition doesn't sound bad enough that he can't shoot enough to conquer his handicap shooting a mild 6.5 with lots of practice. Most people can't find a range to shoot 600 yards and shoot often. That's what necessary and deserving to the animal hunted. Killing by perfect shot placement is the number one requirement. The 6.5 is up to the task therefore the hunter needs to be.
jds holler
Gold $$ Contributor
Almost any centerfire rifle from 243 on up is adequate to kill elks at a reasonable range. -- say 200 yards or so. And we know that there are plenty of cartridges that will kill them at very extreme ranges -- with a good hit.
Here's the deal though. Many of the cartridges that are an absolute elk hammer at around 200 yards, often don't exit the critter at that range and especially farther. I have shot several elk with a good boiler room shot, and they took off as if they weren't even nicked. They left little and sometimes no blood trail, and it was a matter of finding the right tracks and following them until they ended at a dead elk.
Now-- extend that range out to 400 or 600 yards, and after your elk runs into the timber, or down in the canyon, hump your ass over to where you THINK he was. In broken, steep terrain, thick timber, maybe low light, in elk country that is often covered with hundreds or thousands of elk tracks, and find the right track. -- well let's just say it can be a real bitch.
I've been there before and I'm ALMOST certain I've never lost an elk. I've never shot one at more than three hundred yards either. And I doubt I'll ever shoot one further than 200 in the future. I highly recommend a conservative range when it comes to killing critters. It will open up a world of possibilities for rifles that are easy and accurate to shoot, and plenty adequate for killing anything within a couple hunnert yards. jd
Here's the deal though. Many of the cartridges that are an absolute elk hammer at around 200 yards, often don't exit the critter at that range and especially farther. I have shot several elk with a good boiler room shot, and they took off as if they weren't even nicked. They left little and sometimes no blood trail, and it was a matter of finding the right tracks and following them until they ended at a dead elk.
Now-- extend that range out to 400 or 600 yards, and after your elk runs into the timber, or down in the canyon, hump your ass over to where you THINK he was. In broken, steep terrain, thick timber, maybe low light, in elk country that is often covered with hundreds or thousands of elk tracks, and find the right track. -- well let's just say it can be a real bitch.
I've been there before and I'm ALMOST certain I've never lost an elk. I've never shot one at more than three hundred yards either. And I doubt I'll ever shoot one further than 200 in the future. I highly recommend a conservative range when it comes to killing critters. It will open up a world of possibilities for rifles that are easy and accurate to shoot, and plenty adequate for killing anything within a couple hunnert yards. jd
So just to add a little more context to this.
Yes a lot of Moose are killed in Scandinavia. However, I talked to a friend from Norway, and one of the things they do over there is that the use of a tracking dog is mandatory. I think that makes a pretty big difference. Hunting in snow also probably makes a difference as well.
I know some people that kill elk with 6.5mm Creedmoor, and one person who is very successful in Wyoming.
One of the biggest factors to consider is the available cover for the Elk to run into, as well as the weather. For instance, I might feel comfortable shooting an Elk with a 6.5mm in Wyoming where it's wide open...but extremely uncomfortable shooting one in Western Washington where it's going to be overcast, rainy, and with plenty of thick brush. In Western Washington, I want a caliber that is going to anchor the animal right there, or leave a massive blood trail that even Ray Charles could follow.
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