Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 6.5 or 30

So here is the thing. I finally got drawn for bull elk after many years. I have a 6.5 pushing the 127gr lrx 2880fps. I did buy a new 300 wsm and spent a bunch of time effort and money trying to get 200 parts, 180 btip/accu and 180 parts to shoot. No go so I'm thinking it likes lighter bullets. So do I keep trying to get something like a 150/165 ttsx or part to shoot or do I go with the 6.5 127 lrx that is stupid accurate and ready to go?

You'd do well with the 6.5. It is plenty of gun and bullet, particularly if you can shoot it as well as you've indicated. I can't think of a situation within the normal scope of elk hunting I've seen where your 6.5 with the monometal bullet would be inferior to the 300 with a lighter-for-cal bullet. On par with, given good shooting with both, but not inferior to.

How many elk have you killed w/ the 6.5 LRX?

David

Absolutely zero. You?

Absolutely zero. I have a 6.5 Creedmoor that shoots the 127LRX exceptionally well, just a little faster and I too was curious as to the possible performance on elk.

I too speculate that the 6.5mm LRX would work well on elk. I wasn't dispensing advice, I was reading it. I was merely attempting to ascertain the value of that advice. You've answered that question for me.

David

I'd personally search for an adequate load in the .30 caliber rifle.

If per chance you're faced with a long quartering shot, you'll be happy for the extra energy and potential penetration.

Even My .264 magnum don't have 1000 ft-lb energy at the longer ranges.....however if the expected shooting distance is short it's a moot point.....

Hey....it's your hunt and your money.....do it your way!

An Elk can be quite a large animal...what 30 and 338 calibers are made for. Do the animal justice.

Seen this movie before.

It ends the same every time.

Well, I can extrapolate well enough, since all bullets obey the same laws of physics.

A monometal 6.5 shot very accurately and placed well on elk will kill it every time. Looks like a 500yd combo to me. I imagine the whole thing would be ho hum, free of drama, as far as gun and bullet go. Many small bullets will kill big animals if placed well. And since I've seen elk soak up shot after shot of 338 and act unphased, it's not a matter of knocking one down with something bigger. Elk die from holes, just like everything else that gets hunted.

All that said, I like 30 cals shooting heavy bullets for elk. If I had an accurate 6.5 handy, I'd not feel undergunned.

I'd say have the 6.5 ready but keep looking for a .300 WSM load. If you're going to try 165s/168s, give the 165 grain partition a try as well. It would address your gun not like flat based bullets and not liking longer bullets if that's the problem.

Uh, just how bad is it shooting with the 180s?

I have a 260 and a 300WSM both set up the same. Yeah I'd try the TTSX or another mono, those are still long bullets though.

What's your best WSM load so far? Factory loads won't shoot either? Bedded, good scope?

How long of a shot do you expect?

Shoots my hand loaded 165 speer deer loads .5 moa to 400. Also shoots factory cheap 150gr federal .75 moa. So I know the gun shoots and nothing else is amiss. It's just that I wouldn't want to use either on elk hunting. If it's a bullet length issue then the 165 mono won't worth either as they are as long or longer than the 180/200s I've tried.

Maybe try the 165 PT, AB or Northforks. Those three shot very well in my 300WSM with RL19 right around 3100FPS. I wouldn't be scared to run any of them into an elk either.

I have killed elk with a 300 WSM and a 260. I will happily carry the 260, however, I used the 139gr. Scenar out of my 260.

Oh yeah it'll work alright, just hate to see a guy buy a 30 mag that doesn't like elk bullets. If it just won't shoot anything long try the ugliest, shortest bullets like a 165/180 A Frame or a heavy RN. The 130 TSX is shorter than the 180 PT too.

You didn't say how accurate your loads are so I won't bug you about it but even a 2 MOA elk load is good out to that 400 yards.

If it was consistent 2 moa I could live with it but it's not.

I've used 120 gr TTSX 6.5mm out of a .264 on elk before. Worked out, not as well as 140 gr Partitions had before and after. If you don't like you .300 WSM don't use it, but if you do, go for it.

I can. When the monometal fails to open up, and it happens, especially at slower velocities.

oops! Did not read it was accurate with 165 grain bullets. Why wouldn't a 165 30 cal work for elk? I have harvested elk with them in a 30 06 & a 300 savage.

Have you shot game with the new LRX's ? Supposed to open a little better than the other X's at lower velocities, hard to find much find much first hand game performance information on them. They sure do shoot good in my rifle....

David