The deer applications for this round are settled - but what about the bigger stuff. Is it reasonable to build a load that could solidly cover the bigger stuff under 300yd? What bullet would you load.

Don’t hold back.

Consider what's said of the Swede.
The Creed is a modern thing, that's just a bit behind a
round that was 24 ysars old, the year my Grandpa was born.

It's inferior with the bullets that made the Swede.
But they aren't necessary anymore.

125 or 140 Partition. or 129 or 140 Hornady SP, or Remington, Speer 140 SP. Barnes X of your choice.

130 Accubond out of a 260 works on cow elk.

127LRX has worked extremely well for me on large ungulates.

PintsofCraft,

A lot of bullets would work. One of the virtues of the 6.5 Creedmoor--and 6.5x55, 6.5x57 Mauser, .260 Remington, which are peas in the same ballistic pod--is that many cup-and-core bullets will work on game larger than deer due to their moderate velocity. But from personal experience I would tend toward the 120 Barnes TSX and 127 LRX, 125 and 140 Nosler Partitions, and 156 Norma Oryx, but other controlled-expansion bullets would work as well.

The one bullet I would NOT recommend is the Hornady 160-grain round-nose soft-point. Have seen it break both shoulders of deer and exit--and fail to reach the opposite ribs on broadside lung shots, when started at 2200 fps from the 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schoenauer. (Phil Shoemaker had the same sort of experience.)

Elk are much tougher than Moose to kill. Any bullet good enough for Elk is all you need. Any bonded, partition or expanding solid bullet will work.

Not too many take long shots at Moose. Usually find them in the timber. 100 yards is more likely than 200 yards.

I have 156 gr. Oryx and and 160 gr. Weldcore that are intended for bull Elk and for the lower 48 Moose tag I'll likely never draw.

For cow elk the last few seasons I've used the 143 gr. ELD-X out of necessity as that was all I could get my hands on in the current unpleasantness.

I’ve taken several Roosevelt cow elk with 129 Innerlock, 140 Fusion and just recently 140 Sierra BTSP out of my .260 Rem and 6.5CM. Never more than one shot. Longest just over 250 yards (129IL).

Just about any reasonable bullet will work if placed well....

130 grain AB or 140 grain Partition, leaning toward the Partition.

A .22 rim fire could work....

Why take a hyped up pip squeak of a cartridge Elk or Moose hunting....

Take a bigger gun.

127 LRX would be my choice.

I dunno, the Swedes are killing moose regularly with a 6.5x55. Maybe them Oly mooses don't know they're being kilt with inferior firepower? eh?

The 160gr Weldcore would work well, but with the Woodleigh factory fire may be unobtainable. The X bullets seem like a horrible idea in such a small diameter gun - their typical failure is no expansion at all in lower velocity guns, and a .264 pencil hole isn't going to leave much to work with. The 156gr Norma would be a good choice.

140 grain Nosler Partition or Swift A-Frame would be my choice.

Never had a ttsx not expand. Not in any gun. Not in 6.5 Creedmoor. Anyone says any different is nuts. Now I'm talking average ranges. I do switch bullets past 300 or 400 on deer due to BC.

But a barnes not opening? Awful rare since not many have seen it. Its all I rely on when it counts. And for my moose hunting clients every barnes has done better than anything else including partitions.

I've seen them fail to expand several times. There's a reason Barnes is on on the 4th attempt to find a geometry that reliably expands (X, TSX, TTSX, LRX) and it's not because they've worked great. It's because the design is severely challenged in that regard.

You must not have shot any. Last one that was iffy was in the 90s an X.

I've shot so much game with TTSX its not even funny. Probably on the order of 250 plus game animals so far. Thats way more impressive a list to have zero fails with those bullets than any other I've tried so far. Lehigh are not far behind.

Of course most folks have no clue what expansion looks like on animals shot with barnes. You won't get a bit exit hole usually. but it will certainly be larger than caliber and thats expansion.

Last deer shot was a few weeks ago. 127 lrx. Due to angle had to shoot further back than I wanted. Ran towards us about 30 yards and fell over. The bullet hit and exited about liver area... shot was close to 200 yards.

Like I said they are the best performing single bullet I've ever seen while guiding big game.

I have seen all versions except the LRX fail to expand. Nice try though I'm sure now that people are starting to use them I'll see LRX failures too.

They're not the worst bullets, but to pretend they don't have a problem is stupid. They do have a problem, and they've been trying to fix it for years with limited success.

Please elaborate with your experience how you deem a bullet did not expand?

Also, can you give more detail with specific examples of what bullets did not expand and what they were shot into.

When you eventually find the animal with a pencil hole through the chest/shoulders after being shot with a Barnes product, that's called not expanding. It's really not that complicated. The bullets of course are long gone but the bore diameter exit wound tells the story.

The animals were all elk with the exception of one mule deer.

Partition is never the wrong answer unless they aren't accurate enough for the intended range, but I seriously doubt they wouldn't be accurate enough for 300 yard shots.

I thought the LRX was built to expand at slower velocities when shooting long range. Maybe I'm mistaken but in my experience it does exactly that. Even close in at higher velocity, I have yet to see it or any of the TSX, TTSX or LRX not expand. Since I have yet to catch a bullet, since I started loading them in the early 2000's, I base my experience on what the wound channel looks like and not the entrance/exit hole.

Will say my son had a LRX react differently in a deer this year - a 127gr LRX out of his 6.5/300 Wby, MV 3300+ had a petal that stayed in the deer on the offside hide. The rest of the bullet exited. The shot was ranged at 160 yards and broadside shoulder to shoulder. The would channel was still significant with the deer immediately down. I sure don't consider that a bullet failure. Just not seeing all the problems you are describing.

Probably have to go thousands more animals before I see it.

Simply cannot see you having seen many and me having seen none. I"ve guided lots of folks. Seen literally over 1000 dead animals. The one thing that we never saw fail were the ttsx. Even the Tsx I never saw a fail on though I have seen photos of one.

They kill quickly. And I've been happier with them by far than any of the hunters running even partitions.

I suppose there may be a weird thing about elk not opening them up as I have never shot an elk. I'll give you that. But on animals from small pigs up to large moose and bison, and from very close, like less than 10 steps on out to the other side of 500 I've not seen an issue.

If I were going to pick just one bullet to hunt with in my 6.5cm for elk and moose, that is the bullet I'd choose.

You speak in very general terms. Can you say how many elk you have experienced failure to expand? How far did each elk run from where they were shot? What specific bullets were they shot with? What was the shot distance? Was the damage inside the vitals examined to see if there was evidence of expansion. Is it possible the bullet expanded perfectly, but the petals broke off prior to exiting, hence the small exit hole? Etc.

All I am gathering from your posts is that you have seen dead elk shot through the shoulders with two holes in them made by Barnes bullets. That doesn't sound like failure to me.

Thanks, MD!

My daughter is planning to buy a 6.5 Creedmoor to pair with her 7-08. She doesn’t mind that they are similar in capability - her interest in the 6.5 was hedged only on its ability to be used on bigger game and I could reload for it.

Sounding like a 127gr LRX is the way to go with both you & several others supporting it.

Sounds like “replace” is more appropriate than “pair”! Once she shoots the 6.5, the 7-08 will likely just collect dust - especially if Dad can load for the CM, and not the 7-08!!

LB, I have seen the old 160 TSX fail to expand myself from a 7 STW on a rib shot bull at 425. We recovered that bull and bullet (nose was bent a scosh and one petal just started to open) after a follow up and elk wandering around a bit. But haven't seen anything but good stuff from the TTSX's.

Any and all results you've seen would be excellent to hear, just to know which bullets were being used and what you saw. Not an infallible bullet out there, but man, you don't hear much bad about the TTSX's and now the LRX's either.

I'd be in the 127 LRX camp myself for elk, from the 6.5 CM to the 6.5-300 Wby. So far it seems incredibly accurate and has a decent BC onto it.

Llama Bob is the poster child for ODD. Oppositional Defiancy Disorder. Lol

Both cartridges are like peas in a pod. Having both, I opted to use the 7mm08 on elk this year. It did a great job, using the 140gr TTSX. Being that they are so similar, I believe I would have had the same results with the 6.5cm. However, I chose the 7mm instead. The only thing I notice with my CM vs the 7mm is the CM is more accurate and there are a lot of good ammo choices out there for the cm. If you are a handloader, that is a moot point. As you will probably not shoot factory ammo anyway... I bought a box of 127gr LRX to experiment with in my Tikka Superlite Creedmoor. I'm thinking that bullet should do the trick on just about anything I hunt.

I used a 160 grain Sierra SMP out of the 6.5x55 on a bull elk before the internet told me such things couldn’t be done. Went down like someone flipped a switch. Can’t imagine the creedmore not doing the same.

I know everyone’s experiences and interpretations differ.

The few moose that I have shot with 338 Winchester and 375 Ruger using the Barnes TSX have had substantial internal damage.
But, if I only viewed the exit holes in their hides, one might think the dreaded “pencil through”. The hole under the hide has usually been quite larger than the hide exit and as stated substantial internal damage.

Not exactly. The wound channel tells the story, but the exit wound is not a reliable indicator of bullet expansion.

Jordan,

But Llama Bob knows all!

Apparently he's had the opportunity to kill hundreds (or perhaps thousands) of big game animals, enough to test the virtues and faults of every big game bullet.

Unfortunately, he apparently can't figure out how to post photos on the internet as evidence of his vast experience.

That, and the simple fact that he always has been a stupidasss, and always will be.

Yep, he's right up there with bsahunter, Old Toot, Bob Brown, and ElkSlayer in that particular category.

You are a fuc king idiot. I've asked you to post up of shut the fu ck up a time or 2. You add nothing to a good thread.

Post 'em up Elkslayer Jr! I know you know how, since we see those redundant, regurgitated target photos every day.

You can't shoot for chidt, so you don't like my posts. Boo hoo.. You are about as dumb as your buddy SLM. You ever see a picture of that meth addict? Is he your brother?


Are you mad because the rifle I shot this cow with shoots like this:


Why when I ask you to post up results in the moa all day long challenge, you can't produce chidt?

Want to see a pic of one of my last bulls?


You jealous of my rifle? This is how it shoots:


Just a light pre 64 model 70 in a Brown PoundR...


Try posting something of value dumb fu ck.. The thread is about the 6.5 creedmoor. You have one and you can't shoot to save your life.. ha ha..

Nope, but I get to see what happens in the biggest (and arguably most accessible) elk herd in the world. And I get to see all the animals that weren't recovered at the end of November lying around on the ground. Some are too eaten to learn anything from. Some are not. There are three basic patterns in those animals:

1) Blowups that didn't reach enough vitals from Bergers, Scenars, SMKs, and the like leaving the heart and far lung intact (or very close). Usually this is the result of a rib impact. Sometimes you see this pattern with for example a core lokt or SGK on the shoulder too, but less. Most of those seem to get recovered, probably because elk with broken shoulders don't go as far.
2) Pencil throughs
3) Shots not in the chest, but this is rarer than you'd think - maybe 10-15% of failures to recover.

So the first thing to learn is that those who harp on shot placement are dead wrong. The vast majority of failures to recover follow a shot in the chest.

Now, with pencil throughs often times you don't know what happened - it could be some idiot ignoring hunting regs and using FMJ or small bore solids. But often times it's known what outfitter/client a given elk is associated with,and the outfitters are supposed to weed out the FMJ. In those cases it's..... Barnes.

Maybe Barnes has fixed the problem with the LRX, but given that this is their 4th attempt I stopped trusting them a LONG time ago.

bsa, hijacked pics of dead animals off the 'net, by themselves is just as valid as posting nothing. Good try though, keep at it.

Sooo…this is the Gunwriter forum. Can we dial it back fellas? I really enjoy the shared experiences from all viewpoints and find that arguing about something we all care a ton about is pointless - especially given what this particular forum is all about.

Maybe it’s my bad - I asked for nothing held back lol

A 130 Accubond works well on cow elk.


You poor dumb ass, you’ve been posting that same cow and target pic for 10+ years. I guess when you suck as bad as you do, it’s your only move. I notice none of the below are a Creedmoor, so run along until you have something of value. I understand guessing is what you’re best at, but it adds no value. See, pics are easy, even when you’re solo. In between cooking and smoking, I packed out another 6.5 130 victom. So in your words, put up, or shut the fu ck up.

Please explain exactly how you determined all this from "animals that weren't recovered at the end of November lying around on the ground":

1) What bullet was used. Did you dig around and find the bullet? If so, some photos would (again) help.
2) Did you necropsy the elk to determine if the bullet "penciled through" or was a "blowup"?

More than one of us would like to know how many animals have you shot--or even seen shot--with Barnes bullets. I ask this because of considerable experience with them in calibers from .224 to .375, in several countries, on animals up to 1500 pounds. Once again, your credibility would increase if you could provide actual data and photos, instead of blanket-statement generalities, especially when they conflict with the long field experience of many other hunters.

Soooo many questions....

The part about "shot placement does not count" reminds me of Ron White's famous 'you cant fix stupid "

Forgot to mention. Cute back pack.

^
This.

Interesting thread. I would just add the 155 Lapua Mega to the list. Mega has a really well designed mechanical lock to keep it together.

*Taken with a Kodak disposable camera, circa 1996




Last bull LOL

Got anything from this millennium?

Are you serious? This has been going on for decades. The X bullet has been out since the late 80s or early 90s but it really got going in the mid to late 90s when the Californians became more numerous.

Some animals were on family land. Some were on neighbors. Some were recovered by what was then DOW, now P&W. Depending on where they are we leave them or get then with the front end loader. If we pick them up or the wound is on the up side and shallow it's easy to see what happened. Got a 3" deep wound on a rib? That's a Berger or SMK. Got a .309 entry and exit and an outfitter calling you from across the road? That's a Barnes. It's really not that hard to figure out.

The bullets that have consistently performed the best are the A-Frame, TBBC series, and Northfork. All three have reliable expansion with a soft lead nose, and a mechanical structure that stops expasion, plus bonding to ensure weight is retained. The second tier is the Partition, Accubond, and Weldcore. They shed more weight than is desirable but generally work OK especially if you go heavy.

It's interesting how many people have a stick up their ass about the facts of which bullets do and don't work well on elk. Meanwhile those of us who see the carnage every year just shake our heads

Oh, and since you ask I will never, ever use a Barnes mono bullet for hunting. Why use a [bleep] bullet when I can use a good one? I just watch them ruin other people's hunts.

Wow, just wow.

When everyone is wrong and you are the only one right, you might pause and ask yourself why….

There's plenty of other people who use the correct bullets. And a few clowns who use Barnes and frangible target bullets. Although the number of clowns is rising due to Barnes' effective marketing/lobying strategy of using the California legislature to outlaw their superior competition. That right there is a good reason never to buy their products.

The nice thing about facts is that they don't change because of who does or doesn't believe them. They remain facts, and people who know those facts are right, and those who do not are wrong. That's the way it works.

One might ask why supposed professionals are so ignorant of the facts, but in this case one would hope it's because being a whore pays. If this is honest ignorance, well, that's a different animal.

Yep, just as long as one has enough gumption to recognize fact from opinion, things will go right….

What bullets do when they hit an animal is fact. It doesn't change because of what you want, or what manufacturer provided the bullets for today's magazine entertainment. It's just what happened.

This really isn't hard, but some people who have an attachment to [bleep] bullets try to make it hard. That's their problem.

Yes, but judging by your last few posts, your description of what bullets do is not fact. It’s a guess, and based on very shaky ground, at that.

Your guessing game of identifying bullets based on a set of assumptions is an inherently flawed method of assessing bullet performance, in the first place. I would have expected much more respect for the scientific method from an engineer. You must see that testing the performance of a given bullet is not equivalent to testing the type of bullet based on given performance. Especially when most of your performance assessments are based on external appearance alone, rather than full post-mortem analyses.

Interesting post on an interesting bullet.... I'm looking for something other than the Hornady 160 round nose for some shorter range hunting that needs penetration from hard angles. Thanks for bringing this one to my attention!

Pints, seems like you've gotten good advice here from those that have actually used the 6.5CM/6.5x55 on elk and moose.

Of course, the Campfire being what it is, you've also gotten a fair chair of surmising (aka guessing), egoism/narcissism, and plain stupidity.

I often marvel that just because someone owns a 6.5 CM (or any cartridge) they somehow believe that gives them the authority to give advice on a game animal they've never taken with the round. I equate 6.5x55 experience as same/same. However, a 9.3x62/338 WM/ 300 Mag, etc., are not the same. Crazy concept, right?

I've owned sever 6.5 CM's, and have loaded and shot a variety of bullets into paper from it, but I've never taken one head of game with the round. Guess what? I don't have an opinion based on experience, and therefore have refrained from commenting.

What I've done instead is waded through the BS, noted the opinions of those with experience, and tucked away the info for the future. Am I special because of that? No, just endeavored to act like an adult... sigh.

Nope, it's facts and that's what has the clowns all upset, because they can't opine against facts. Animals were shot. Barnes and target bullets failed. Those are the facts. Now, if you decide you want to shoot one of the bullets that failed, that's your opinion, and your choice. Lots of people are born losers and love to do whatever doesn't work. You may be one of those people. That's the way some people are. Have at it

Well, speaking of facts…..

I have shot exactly one large bodied mule deer with a Barnes TSX bullet. He fell over dead in his tracks and had a small entry hole and a much larger exit wound. Unscientific at best with a sample size of 1.

However, the last 5 elk and 2 mule deer that I shot with 7mm and .300 Wby using Barnes TTSX’s went right down DRT or traveled distances measured in a few feet. Hunting partners using the same bullets have had similar results.
Before I used TTSX’s, Trophy Bonded Bear Claws did the heavy lifting until they turned to unobtainium.

Them there’s the facts, bud.

I guess I just wonder in what world a well built bullet from the CM wouldn’t be okay for moose or elk out to 300 yards. But as Brad said, I haven’t shot either with a CM, only deer.


When my daughter or young son draw their first elk tag I’m betting they’ll have a 6.5 or 7mm of some sort and I’d bet they’ll do okay. Just like my older son did with his 7x57 and 150 Partitions.

Exactly!

Nice small sample. While he's generally an idiot, Mule Deer is right that many hunters don't understand statistics. You're one of them. I've seen 10+ bullet failures a year for decades. It's pretty obvious what's failing, and it is a statistically valid sample although collected as a natural experiment rather than a controlled one, And Barnes monos are one of the frequent failures. Match bullets are the other. You'd be better off with a Core Lokt than either probably, but since it's an expensive hunt don't be a clown and buy some TBBC/Terminal Ascents or A-Frames or Northforks.

Ah. Argue with a gun writer doing this for years. Makes sense.

And the SMK are crap now too? Granted they aren't 100% same results every last shot but they have been much more reliable than SGK.

Re: 7 Mag vs 270 Win [Re: Seafire] #12056628 05/27/17 05:55 AM
Online Content
Llama_Bob
Campfire Regular
L
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,243
We're talking about two very similar cartridges. .0.007" difference in bore diameter and both long action. There are a few differences. The most notable is twist rate - 1:10" for .270 vs. 1:9.5" for 7mm mag typically. That may not seem like much, but it does mean the heaviest flat base bullet that is all-altitude/temp stable in .270 is the 150gr, whereas in the 7mm mag it's the 175gr. Elk are pretty good sized critters (400 to 750 lbs generally, up to more than 1000 for Roosevelt elk). You'd really like pass through bullet performance on side and quartering shots. That means sectional density is a good thing, and that gives a small but noticeable edge to the 7mm mag.

While both cartridges have similar velocities for similar weights when loaded to SAAMI max, .270 is generally not loaded to max in commercial ammo. That's because .270 relies on higher pressure, while 7RM relies on case capacity. Manufacturers are leery of pushing the pressure envelope in the .270 and load it down.

For your friend, my take is you would see very little difference between the 160 7mm partition and the 150 .270 partition as they have very similar sectional densities. But you might see some improvement moving up to the 175 class in 7mm. I would also look at using the A-frame instead of the partition. The partition shines in situations where impact velocity may be low - the soft lead tip will open up well below 2000 ft/s. But at higher velocities it sheds a lot of mass which reduces penetration. The A-frame is bonded and has a harder front section. It needs an impact velocity of at least 2100 ft/s, but won't shed much mass no matter how fast your drive it and pretty much guarantees an exit wound (and thus something to track if need be) on elk. For that reason I like A-Frames. I shoot the 175 A-Frame in a 7RM on elk and have had excellent results. I used to use the 175 partition, and had good results but not as good.

I haven't used the Barnes and can't speak to them, but they're well thought of. A 150gr barnes in .270 is probably not all-altitude/temp stable - too long.

Either will work, but if the 7RM doesn't beat him up I would definitely have a preference that way.

Last edited by Llama_Bob; 05/27/17 05:56 AM.




In 2017 you posted you haven't used the Barnes and can't speak to them.... But now you have seen examples of all models of Barnes bullets fail to expand and pencil through..... And you claim to have extensive knowledge of barnes failures by examining shot and lost elk that you found....

Use whatever makes you happy but the information you spew as fact is simply not accurate and unbelievable.

I believe bullets know if the shooter is big or small and they act accordingly. Cause they work fine for the smaller folks and like [bleep] for full grown barrel Chested, freedom loving men. At least that’s what I hear.

Bob, I would cheerfully pay the tuition required to attend your 500 level course -
Forensic Identification of Unrecovered Projectiles.
And am sure the FBI would be interested in sending techs to further their education.

I already said I don't use them. You have a reading comprehension problem?

Also, I never said I've seen "all models" more crap you made up. When you see a pencil wound yeah it's a Barnes and sometime you find out from the outfitter which one. But sometimes all you know is it's yet another Barnes failure, not whether it's a X or TSX or TTSX or LRX.

Here's another clown with a reading comprehension problem. I already explained that often you find out what outfitter is missing an elk and what bullet was used. Their guys aren't shooting FMJ, so when you see a pencil wound it's Barnes. This really isn't that complicated.

A truism in life is when everyone - and I DO mean everyone - thinks you're a fool, it might be time for some self-assessment...

You think whatever the hell you like. I'll keep laughing at your sorry ass and watching you dance and we'll go from there

Things I have learned from Llama Bob in the past few weeks:

All Barnes bullets typically fail to expand
Nosler Accubonds and Partions are tier 2 bullets
The 30-06 is an inferior hunting cartridge
The 6.5x55 is slightly less inferior than the 30-06
NULA rifles are a terrible design
Mule Deer is generally an idiot
Simulation and load to velocity is a better way of load development than using manuals

I can't wait for today's lesson.

🤣

LB, off topic but where the hell are you finding this stash of Terminal Ascents and TLR’s cause I think they’re great bullets as well but I haven’t seen any for sale in quite awhile now.

And I’d wonder how doing an examination of an elk shot in October shows much of anything after rotting for a solid month in the mountains that’s really identifiable let alone being able to stand close enough to one really dig and lift on them.

6 of those 7 are obviously correct. One you failed at reading comprehension. Good to hear you're learning though.

I haven't seen any TLRs in a while - my understanding is they're discontinued. I have a large stash though. The TAs, I just have an alert at every vendor and occasionally search gunbroker. They pop up from time to time.

Llama_Bob suffers from Dunning-Kruger effect.

This always baffles me with cartridges as well.

A 6.5 , .243, etc. is sufficient for women and kids, but a full grown man should use nothing short of a .338, etc.

I'm no elk or moose expert, but, if you want to not worry about "hard angle" shots, why not use a caliber where you don't have to worry about "hard angle" shots?

I have more than one 6.5 man-bun. Love the caliber. But it isn't on my list to use for shooting through a bull elk's shoulder.

Based on?

I'm done with his lessons. Another candidate for the Ignore Button!

I always baffled by why would anyone intentionally shoot an elk (or deer) through the shoulders. Completely wastes the meat of the front end. Is all we are worried about anymore the antlers?

Anyway back to the OP, IF I ever draw another elk tag I plan on using my 6.5 CM with Hornady 140gr SST's. They zip right though deer, don't see why they would not work just fine on an elk.

Thanks for the laugh

Right on Brad. Textbook example of Dunning-Kruger.

Depends on how cold it was in October, and if the magpies or coyotes ate the bullet…..😊

I have done “bullet necropsies” on two, dead, unrecovered elk when they were a a day or so old ( on average I find a unrecovered elk once a year up at our high country place). Both occasions the bullets were armpit shots, both times the bullet didn’t make it past the first lung. A one lung elk can run a fair ways.

I’ve seen this bullet performance while guiding, with friends, and myself a long time ago. Which is why I continue to preach stout, premium type bullets.

Dunning-Kruger nails Ole Bob perfectly

At least on the elk myself and the other folks I hunt with I’d bet that we usually pin at least one front leg on about every elk we take. The meat loss from everything from Partitions, Accubonds, heavy ELDs, Bitterroots, Sciroccos, TTSX, etc has been pretty small.

On deer I’d agree that hammering front legs is bad overall but on the mountain it’s nice to hike over and find them where they were hit or at least in close proximity.

Posts like this remind me of Formidilosus..

Thanks for the Dunning-Kruger reference. I wasn't aware of it, but looked it up. I found a good distillation of its main ideas: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/dunning-kruger-effect

I will also point out that our rifle seasons end at the end of November, not October. Last day you could legally shoot an elk with a rifle this year was Nov. 28. We're not super high up, so we see more action 2nd through 4th season (all November) than in 1st.

And alpinecrick you're exactly right, a one lung elk can run a LONG ways, and it's very easy for that to happen with a perfect shot if you use an imperfect bullet. The idea that it's somehow about shot placement is absurd. Shot placement matters, but bullet performance is usually where the failure occurs.

Yeah I get the feeling alot of people here have little or no clue about hunting elk. Given the choice of breaking the shoulder and losing a couple pounds of meat (on an animal that will yield 200+) but being able to recover the animal where you shot it, vs having them run up or down whatever crazy crap for 300 yards is a no brainer.

No, based on your posts the facts are that you have no clue what bullet was used in many, if not all, cases, or what the wound channel inside the elk looked like.

Here’s an actual fact (so you can see what an actual fact looks like): I have witnessed slightly under 150 BG animals killed with various X/TSX/TTSX/LRX Barnes bullets - and yes, I knew which specific bullet was being used before each animal was shot - and I haven’t seen a single case in which the post-mortem evidence and/or the animal’s reaction after the shot indicated a failure to expand by the bullet.

LB is your basic bullshitter. Run into them all the time.

Y'all really are very amusing.

There's a reason Barnes keeps redesigning the X bullet, and it's because word gets out about the previous design.

Now, if you want to use them be my guest. They probably work right about 95% of the time and can be good when the twist rate on a gun won't allow heavy bullets but you still need deep penetration or the bullet you want isn't available. They work better in high velocity guns than in slow ones.

But don't pretend they don't fail, because not only have I seen 10s of failures, but it's been pretty well documented across the industry.

I'd guess over 50% of the elk I've taken were shot through the shoulders. I prefer it, or tight behind the shoulder. Of course, when we say "shoulders" that encompasses a lot of real estate. Sometimes it's the only spot available, but it's the perfect spot to break-down locomotion and bust the lungs. I like a scapula/lung hit, or breaking a leg bone w/ lungs. Meat loss? meh...

Is Llamabob perhaps ElkSlayer’s sock puppet?

They are both overly confident in there pronouncements, and are both generally FOS.

Yes, clearly I'm all the people who've made y'all look like morons over the years. In fact I'm all of them at once. You've figured it out

LB, Old Toot, ElkSlayer.....likely all the same.

Nope, but keep trying It's highly amusing when you clowns dance!

Light Barnes are as long as some heavy lead bullets.

Has nothing to do with twist not allowing a heavy bullet. If it won't stabilize a heavy cup n core/lead bullet it may not stabilize a long mono bullet.

Only seen em "redesign" the X bullet twice.

TSX then TTSX.

Same could be said for other manufacturers when they bring out a different line of bullets.

As far as "failures" go. Unrecoverable animals don't count because who knows if or how they were hit and if removed the bullet may not have performed as expected but a dead animal is hard to argue with, sometimes schitt just happens.

You forgot the LRX that everyone is convinced will somehow fix all the problems with the other 3 designs.

Try to keep up here

That's a long range bullet.

Long Range X.

Same with Long Range Accubond, ELD bullets and so forth.

Enhanced B.C. is what all of these have in common.

You try to keep up.

It's their 4th attempt to create a bullet that opens reliably. Even Barnes admits that in their marketing. Keep dancing clown

FWIW they have not redesigned the X in years

Sure they did - the latest attempt was in 2011 with the LRX.

I have shot a lot of moose. I have only seen a couple instances where an 'X' bullet penciled through (a 150gn 270 Win and a 225gn 338 Win mag, neither were mine but hunting partners. This was in the early to mid 1990's.

We attributed this to pinched nose cavity due to handling , especially if the ammo was dropped on the ground.

Our group has probably shot ~70 moose and a few elk over the decades.

In the last 8 years we generally switched to Accubonds, seem to make more positive kills.

In the 6.5 CM my 1st choice would be the 127 LRX or 2nd 130gn Accubond.

The 'X' bullet really shines in the smaller calibers and higher velocities.

Shhh... the X bullets never fail! They don't have a well known failure mechanism that the company has been trying to correct for 30 years. You'll get the clowns dancing if you keep saying stuff like that

I figure the 'X' bullet , with only 2 known pencil throughs, and no loss of an animal in approximately 30 years with them, not too bad in performance.

As the bore size goes down and the velocity goes up , the 'X' bullet is hard to beat, accurate too! Can't say that with some others.

Anyway get used to the mono's for hunting, as many jurisdictions have or contemplating banning lead.

We have different expectations then. I expect a bullet to be designed correctly and not fail. What you're describing is basically the 5% failure rate I estimated based on what I've seen.

Based on me having "bigger" rifles that I shoot well.

😉

I was looking at it for deer. I understand it's an Elk & Moose thread. The specific bullet mentioned grabbed my interest as it fits something that was on my mind....but not the mind of the thread, sorry for the derail.

How are no lost animals a failure?

Penciling through is a failure. Whether the animal is then lost depends on a lot of other factors. But it's a bullet failure at that point.

If you want to use bullets that fail, you know what to buy. Get on it.

So what bullet/bullets do you recommend for elk or any other game animals?

For elk sized animals, I would recommend the A-Frame, TBBC/TA line, or Northfork softs. Pick one with a SD of 0.3 ideally, at least 0.27.

Personally for my .375 WSM I use the 300gr A-Frame. For my .300 WSM I use the 200gr TA.

Can't be.

Elkslayer "is far from stupid."

I've killed and guided a LOT of elk hunts. I've seen pretty much every bullet used except maybe some of the new fangled long range stuff.

I have see "X" bullets in 25-06 and 270 Win fail to expand. I've recover 2 of the 25s and one 270. Never any large ones. They are easier on meat than many other bullets.

For the most part they work as advertised. They don't kill as quickly as many other bullet because they don't upset as much. Simple physics.

Back to the OP question. I would use a 140 Partition or 140 Sierra game king. Both have served me well elk hunting with a 260 Remington which is the ballistic twin of the CM.

Thank you fellas - I’ve definitely got some good advice to act on. Today I ordered a few boxes of Hornady 129gr IL & 127gr LRX - and yeah, I’ve never shot anything larger than 1 single deer with my 6.5 which hardly qualifies me to talk about things.

Minutiae - I know I’m new here & personally enjoy some BS among general small talk but for some, but when the line gets crossed too often I have a difficult time connecting with their opinions - probably like everyone at some level. Maybe they wish they had more experience than they do so they talk something up beyond what so many knowledgeable folks have obviously seen - BTDT rule - I don’t know. Personally, some of my life experiences, I wish I didn’t have and others I’m grateful for - often they are intertwined.

On here or pretty much everywhere, when I don’t know something I’ll ask as I did here. For me, I’m personally looking & hoping some for real-life experience and hopeful that the comments can add solid facts that we can all can grow from and perhaps drive our game to a new level.

I sincerely appreciate all of the responses even if I don’t understand some of them because they are not what I’ve experienced or can imagine experiencing. Just me probably.

The gun writer forum is my favorite & I really appreciate JB and others for their fact filled comments.

Big Green Egg is lit - I’m BBQ’ing for the family tonight with this weird, warm Vermont weather.

Be well all!

Wait, that NEVER happens. Mule Deer, WAM and Smokepole are going to have to put on their clown shoes and dance around and pretend you didn't see what you saw because otherwise they'd have to admit
a) they're wrong
b) I'm right
c) they're stupid

Dead elk.



Dead elk



Including my daughter's 375 yard one taken with a single shot from her 20" .308.

Dead elk




Dead elk



Dead elk





To be continued....

Dead elk


Dead elk




Dead elk




Dead elk



Dead elk



All taken in the last 10 years with .308 Win, 300 WM or 6.5 CM.

None with a premium bullet. Sierra Matchkings, Sierra Game Kings, Hornady ELD-X and Lapua Scenars were used.

None of these elk managed to escape.

Nice Mackay. Great stuff.

Gotchya. You seemed to have a strong opinion so I thought it was based on actual experience with elk shoulders and the CM.

300 plus pound Caribou bull couldn’t stop a 140 NP from my Creed. Great bullet performance. There’s no need for high BC bullets at that range.

I intend to hunt a cow elk this month or next with a Kimber Hunter in 6.5 CM. The rifle weighs less than 6 lbs. with sling & 1.5-5 Leupold & shoots very well. Will probably use Federal Fusion 140 gr. factory ammunition.

I consider this to be absolute proof of the adequacy of this round due simply & irrefutably to the fact that a man of my esteem is planning to use it.

Humm, I used a 243 win with 100g partitions for cow elk....you will do very well!

6.5 Creed, 140g Speer gold dots are as premium as you will ever need!

I AM indeed, quite a big deal!

Nice Elk & Daughter Mackay Sagebrush!
Shows fine hunting & parenting.

Wondered why you redacted your face. Assume you’re working undercover amongst the elk?

Heard he's actually Chuck Norris.

At least you have the balls to be so honest!

Man, you're setting the bar pretty low....

DF

Yes and so did a 143gr ELD-X for my caribou in AK back in 2018 - at 375 yards.

He doesn't realize that Mule Deer has reported a failure to expand with the original X bullet. He's a Woodleigh homer, like Varmint Guy and LFC with Leupold.

Could've stopped right there.

I’m thinking Skane is correct.

Any chance you and BSA’ are related?

Lol

Funny you mention it SLM.....I made the same connection based on common idiocy between them....BSA/ElkSlayer/Bob Brown/Old Toot/LlamaBob

I am now retired, but I used to work around democrats and would not want to embarrass my family. I told them I was a piano player in a house of ill repute.

Llama Bob,

I just posted up 10 years and 10 dead elk, plus a bonus 11th elk of the kids.

Not one was shot with a premium bullet. All were shot with the exact bullets that you say fail. Lapua Scenars, Sierras, etc.

This is called "Backing what you say" aka credibility.

Speaking of credibility..

Where are the pics of all these dead elk laying all over the ground for as you say decades? In the age of cell phones, surely you, someone in your family, your neighbor would have taken pics.

A camera shy bunch.

There’s a few here that claim to be tripping over lost/dead elk every year around here.

Dam sure couldn’t tell much on the few I’ve found through the years.

Based on my findings, this was a target bullet that blew up on a rib.😆

I’d have to agree with SLM on this one...It’s a clear case of a Berger rib grenade.

Hold into the partitions

😝🦫

Looks like a pencil-through to me.....I'd say a .270 Ruger M77 with Hornady Interlock. 3 x 9 Leupold which could have caused the problem.

---

It may be rare but it happens. If I can get my image that's currently being held hostage by photobucket, I'll post another of a 120 grain TTSX in 7mm that penetrated the entire length of a large hog and very nearly exited. Impact speed, if memory serves, would have been just shy of 2300 fps. The bullet almost looks pristine enough to reuse LOL. A few others have behaved similarly in media, but then again, I was starting them in the 2650 fps range. And for the record,in my usage,the TSX 7mm 120 always opened wider than the 120 grain TTSX.

Then there's another from a different hog that expanded but most minimally. I tried hard to like that 7mm 120 grain TTSX as it was incredibly accurate in a 7mm Bullberry rifle, but too many times terminal performance -- at the modest speeds I was using them at -- fell short or what I require of hunting bullets. (And yes, I examine every single wound channel.;) Now for my applications, the 110 and 120 grain TAC-TX Blackout bullets are another story altogether and -- launched from a 24" 30-30 at 2859 and 2603 fps, respectively -- have served me well and impressed the heck out of me with massive wound channels and excellent penetration. They open wide and quickly, and most of the specimens recovered from game are expanded to 0.6" or more. After around three dozen kills, I prefer them over c&c bullets for this specific usage and velocity range.




Taken from the hog below, this one expanded to over .68" and very nearly exited this massive boar.





----

SKANE for the win. That was pretty funny 😁

That's some funny stuff right there SLM!

PS, enjoyed your photos. Good stuff.

Leave the forensics to those of us in the know.

The clinched jaw is a dead give away it was a target bullet that blew up on a rib and sent small shrapnel high in one lung.

MS, they must not allow photos at the meat processing plant...

Must of been eating pine cones and the gut-shot blew them all over the place.

No way, look at the exit hole!!!

I suppose you are right, I've only killed 17 Bulls with bows and rifles, so a small sample compared to most here on the Campfire. I've yet to have a bull hit behind the shoulder travel more than 100 yards and most drop within half of that.

You'll have better luck pole vaulting 19' in the next Summer Olympics that that loser posting up a photo, just sayin'.

That's freaking funny right there! Pretty sure you nailed the forensics SLM. Nice work.

Credibility??

What dat is....??

Keyboard Ninjas just keyboard....

Gotta consider the source...

DF

He hasn’t awoken from sleeping off his drunken stupor yet. He’ll be around shortly I’m sure. 🤣

I see an Outdoor show - cold case files for long dead Elk. Except without the forensics. And bullet. And shell casing. And data. Be more like a seance - we get a Ouija board and ask the dead Elk what bullet caused their ultimate demise.

Hahaha too funny

Like ^^^

I know it’s a sample size of one and not exactly a 6.5 CM but I was I was impressed with with the 143gr ELDX from my daughter’s 6.5 PRC.

She shot this falls spike bull at 220 yds. The bullet broke both shoulders and took out the lungs. He was standing on the edge of a clearing with a steep canyon filled with nasty blowdown behind him. He tipped over and tumbled about 15yds down the canyon and ended up wedged under a log.

Big smile and good eating.

Congrats to you both.

DF

I've had good luck with the 143 ELD-X out of my 6.5-284. My 260 is wrong twist to try them but seeing as how the 140 SGK work so well, no n eed to try

Mossy,

Good deal--and great photo!

I've had excellent luck so far with the 143 ELD-X as well.

That’s what it’s all about Mossy, good stuff. Congrats.

Yeah, they could call it the Forensic Fire 🔥 with Alpaca Bob as the host.

🦫

Great job, Mossy’s kid !

🦫

Way to go to you and your daughter, Mossy!

For you folks who have stuck a lot of big critters with a 6.5CM how would you say the internal damage has measured up to your bigger rifles?

Have yet to see any difference in "killing power" or internal damage between the 6.5 CM and .270 Winchester when using similar-weight bullets at ranges out to 400 yards. But then I had never seen any difference on the same stuff between the 6.x55/.260 Remington and .270 for many years before that.

The major reason is that 6.5 bullets, of the same make and weight, catch up to .270 bullets around 300 yards--and at closer ranges they have sufficient energy and penetration to not matter.

Reckon you've seen the insides of a couple animals, JB! Thanks for the answer.

And considering what you've said about some 270 kills, that's no small thing.

My input isn’t very constructive I’m afraid. When I see an elk hunter with a shiny Creedmoor & big scope I usually say something like “nice your wife let you borrow her rifle?” Children & women excepted from the ridicule of course. If you planned to shoot them in the head anything works I just prefer fewer limitations.

Good Job Dad! She looks like a great young lady too.

That's Awesome Mossy, Congrats to you and your daughter. Shot placement is everything with any caliber.

That is some mAgic chit right there.....

Another thread which proves there is more controversy surrounding elk cartridges/bullets than any other species. After 21 elk kills and observing double that from other hunters, Mule Deer's latest statement rings true. Carry on............

In real life hunting the 6.5 has no advantage over a 7mm 08.

The pics are of a .338 Win mag.....I thought you said this thread was about the 6.5 creedmore.....ha ha

Ps...that's an Elk Rifle right there.

You guys meeting at the OK Coral at high noon....

Pretty cocky for an Out'e door writer man.

David Allen Coe needs to write a song about girly guns and manly guns.

Dont be afraid the kick will only hurt for a little while.....

Ok..


You Creedmore girls are about as sensitive as the idgits that shoot turkeys with Tss size #9 fairy dust sized shot....

Naw, it’s simple Newtonian mechanics.

Don't think I ever ran across anyone as concerned about hypermasculinity and homosexuality as two groups. Anti gun folk and Creedmoor haters. It probably says something about them but I don't really care what. Or who this guy is lol.

Asking mule deer to expound on the 160 Hornady rn bullet please. I have shot a couple of whitetail and had good expansion pass through on both
This with 260 rem at 2550 fps or so.
Thank you sir.

Fury,

I have seen the 160 do that, including both shoulders--and also seen it not reach the far ribs on a broadside lung shot. Phil Shoemaker, the Alaskan bear guide/outfitter, has also seen it do similar things.

The rifle I used was a Mannlicher-Schoenauer carbine, with the bullet loaded to a muzzle velocity of around 2200 fps.

Thank you sir. So it is erring on the too soft side at times yes?
Maybe the 260 has just enough speed to push all that expansion on through in my case.
We’re you shooting the 264 or the 268 version in your Mannlicher?

Its Newtonian alright....

https://youtu.be/YgftpXlD3DI

I dont hate the.Creedmore I just didn't fall for the Hornady pushed hype.

Holy smokes. That made my ribs hurt I laughed so hard.

LFC,

Well, gee. I happened to have killed hundreds of big game animals, and been next to family members and hunting partners who killed a bunch more. The total is now close to 1000, and I didn't just look at the exit hole (if there was one), or poke something into the entrance hole, to judge how they worked. Accomplished this while hunting in 14 different countries, often on culls. One in Africa lasted a month, and a total of 12 other guys took part, killing animals from pronghorn-size to eland and Cape buffalo weighing around 1500 pounds. That was the 3rd cull I went on in Africa, and since the other guys who went were mostly rifle loonies, a bunch of different bullets and cartridges were tested--including the Barnes TSX, which was pretty new then, and a bullet LB claims fails to open quite often. They were used in sizes from 140-grain .270 to 270-grain .375. One guy killed 24 animals with his .270 WSM and the 140, and gee, every one expanded--which I could tell by spending time in the skinning shack every evening to observe animals being taken apart. In fact none of the TSXs failed to expand.

But have also taken part in such hunts from New Zealand to Europe, as well as several U.S. states, probably 8-10 in Texas alone. Did this most frequently from around 2000 to 2010, when I spent close $100,000 on travel and hunting, in large part to find out how various bullets worked. This can be tested to a certain extent in various kinds of media, which I also have done considerably. But the best way to determine how big game bullets work is to shoot a lot of big game, then take the animals apart to find out exactly what happened.

Factually I agree with the humor and most of the criticism anent the attack on Barnes x bullets. However it is not good that we eat our own so willingly. Both directions by the way. Save that ammo for those after the whole of us.
Some facts to add: shot a lot of game withe original 180 x 30 caliber bullet in a 30-06. Perfect performance every time. Bragged on it to my buddy a lot. He was a 165 grain fan so I bought two boxes of those and loaded him up a very accurate load in his rifle for Christmas gift. That original 165x was very streamlined and we had several act like jmj’s on white tails. That means land where they were aimed, tip and tumble a percentage of the time and exit in a caliber sized hole When they tumbled we usually recovered the deer. When they, we presume, didn’t expand and didn’t tumble, we last a couple. Having used fmj, a lot in 223 caliber I recognize the issue. Wasn’t long before Barnes changed that bullet to a blunter profile and opened up the tip. My 35 Whelen 225 x original was as good a bullet as ever made. Hammer of Thor. I would not hesitate to use the current Barnes tsx or ttsx in any of my hunting rifles from 264 to the 450 grain tsx in the 458wm. The 500 grain tsx eh, not so much.

Did you take the hyped up 6.5 Creedmore

If you’re going to whine, at least spell it right.

THIS is what some folks need to understand. Looking at an entry or exit tells you squat. A bullet can perform beautifully, expand as designed and -- due to a variety of factors -- leave a small exit hole in the hide.

Also, I'll add that one example of bullet performance is virtually meaningless. Odd things can happen when high velocity metal strikes flesh and bone. Far too many will see what they think is poor bullet performance, stop using them and then condemn them evermore to anyone who'll listen. Or they'll get a dead-in-the-tracks results and declare that bullet the best thing since sliced bread...

If you're not using a Nosler Partition for anything bigger than deer-sized game, you're using the wrong bullet.

Pretty sure we got it right, but waiting on confirmation from LB.

120+ monos
130-140 bonded cup/core

If you can find any, 156gr SP Oryx Bonded Bullets

I've wondered about those, Steve, and would like to give them a try someday.

I've used Oryx bullets in 6.5mm, 7mm, .30 and 9.3mm. They work very well on game, and although the BC isn't high enough for some hunters, out to 300 yards that won't matter.

Must have read this a couple dozen times online. Still never heard of this hype.

Looks like people talking about what 6.5 to 7mm bullets of 140 or so grains have always done, since the 6.5x54 MS. If 6.5mm bullets have stopped killing big game, thats absolutely news.

The passion with which people need to insist its "hyped" or "overhyped" is bizarre.

Mule Deer,

The reactions I see you getting here sometimes really remind me of the ones I get sometimes when other actual experts comment.

Those who don't know better sometimes take it extremely personally and overcompensate, going to insults and trying to degrade with the "Oh, don't you just know everything" approach.

It says a lot about them.

Igloo,

Thanks!

By the way, I also never saw the early, massive publicity campaign that Hornady supposedly gave the 6.5 Creedmoor--and I'm in the business. Saw a few press releases, and an article or two in magazines, probably it was designed and introduced as a target round, not a hunting cartridge.

Finally started getting interested three years after it was introduced, in 2010, when a local gun store stocked a few Ruger Hawkeyes--hunting rifles in walnut stocks--and the word got out that they shot very well. Bought one and a few boxes of ammo, and mine did shoot very well, and eventually I wrote an article about it for HANDLOADER magazine, after hunting with it some.

At that time it still wasn't getting much publicity in the hunting sector, and in fact guys were warning others they might not want to buy one, because it might flop and brass would be hard to find. So as part of my article I described how to fire-form 6.5 Creedmoor cases from .22-250 brass, using the "Cream of Wheat" method.

Eventually word of mouth got around enough that so many magazines ran articles on the 6.5 Creedmoor that there did appear to be a massive PR campaign--but from what I could see that occurred at least 5 years after the cartridge was introduced. At that point some magazine editors started refusing to run articles that even mentioned the 6.5 Creedmoor because so many appeared in various places. One of those included the editor who bought my article in 2010. In fact I phoned him from the store, asking if he'd be interested, because otherwise I wasn't that interested in buying the rifle.

But Hornady certainly never asked me to wrote anything on the 6.5 Creedmoor, and I was well-acquainted with those folks--and was writing for far more magazines back then. I started "semi-retiring" a few years ago, dropping some magazines I'd been appearing in regularly for a long time.

Personally experienced not that long ago an old time gun counter guy in a small town sporting good store get physically agitated, red faced, and hyperventilating over the fact I'd been wacking cow elk with a CM. It wasn't even his conversation, he just decided to interject his opinions into the conversation I was having with another hanging around the barrel of used stocks.

Thought I was gonna have to call the medics when I replied not only was I using the evil CM, but I was using cup-n-core bullets to boot.

The coup de gras was when I suggested that as the gun counter guy he needed to get out more...

It's CDS, CBHS, sometimes both.

One of the local guys I know who started using the 6.5 CM is a big, burly young man, who'd been using the .300 RUM for a few years. Then his wife decided to start hunting, and he bought her a 6.5 Creedmoor, since obviously "girls" can't tolerate recoil. When he sighted it in (I was there) he liked both the accuracy (with factory ammo yet) and the lack of recoil. One thing led to another and....

I own a 6.5 creedmor & with cheap factory loads & Zeiss phone app I’ve hit targets at 1100 yards so I’m fine with accuracy claims but it doesn’t out shoot either of my elk rifles a 7mm RM & 300 Weatherby that don’t wear target scopes.

Not being able to handle recoil is more common today than ever before. Younger hunters have laser rangefinders & better bullets so super flat shooting rifles aren’t really necessary. The difference is that less than perfect angles & distances are often part of elk hunting. If you have the discipline to pass the smaller cartridges are fine. I want to kill elk without waiting for the perfect shot so no 6.5CM for me.

I remember when the .260 Remington came out. Few complained and belly-ached about that cartridge. But a ballistic twin comes out with a 1:8" twist rate and a little more room to seat long bullets, and its the most hated thing around. Some people just cannot accept technological changes.

Yep.

I was afflicted early on with this but it was bourne from my lack of study. Glad I put in the effort. Selling many magnums these days.

i was enjoying reading this thread, until i came across your post and blew coffee outta my nose!

I laughed out loud at this.

One must remember however, that when the 260 came out there was not the same amount of internet "experts "out there!
The Creedmoor itself has always had a pretty good following with the crowd that uses it in the competitive discipline it was designed for, , but I am a bit surprised that it has taken off the way it did.
I have a friend who flattened a nice bull moose up north here a few weeks back at 212 yards, using ELDX bullets, 143's I think.
We see a lot of them at our range now, possibly more than the 308 even.
Cat

I'm inclined to believe that some people resent (subconsciously maybe) the "easy button" nature of the 6.5 Creedmoor.

Possibly, yes.
I found it easy to load for in my match rifle, and factory ammo is very readily available in our stores up here.
There seem to be a large number of shooters at our club shooting factory CM ammo, expounding on how much better it shoots at long range than other cartridges. Many of these same people have never shot past 400 yards however, and have rarely shot many of the "other" cartridges they talk about! LOL
But one cannot refute that it is easy on the shoulder and easy to load for as well.
Cat

I'd say there's a lot to like about easy accuracy and low recoil, especially when it comes with good performance. That's one of the reasons I like the 6.5 CM. So far I've only used it on medium game like deer and antelope, but I have no doubt it would be effective on elk when used with good bullets. However, at this point I see no reason to abandon my .30-06 for use on larger game.

If your 30-06 is working well for you there is no reason to quit using it.

130 grain accubond from the swede worked well on a mature cow moose a couple years ago

It’s been a while, just checking in to see if you’all had reached a consensus of whether or not a target bullet will cleve a rib cage clean off an elk?


🦫

In 2018 one of my hunting companions put a 130 AB through the ribs of a pretty big 6x6 elk--at 50 yards in timber, while the hunter was hiking up to his "glassing" location. The bull went about 50 yards and keeled over--and the bullet exited.

Have seen some pretty strange things happen with bullets and big game over the years, and that was not nearly as strange as some others....

I bet

Beav’, the evidence is indisputable.

Isn’t that the truth - glad SLM pointed it out. I might have missed it.

Probably, but there are a boat load of ignorant idiots out there these days.

Are you implying that some post on the Campfire?

Well, I'm no lawyer but the evidence is, as they say, overwhelming.

Barnes 127gr LRX.

I was thinking it was a Partition that exploded but I’m still a rookie in the CSI.

I wish it wasn't hard to post a pic here anymore. I have one of those non expanded ttsx exits from Friday. Pathetically slow moving barnes 120 out of a Grendel......and actually I know more than a few that would call the exit caliber and non expanded... but they are far from experts

Here ya go! :>)
Cat

To me that hole looks bigger than .264

I've shot a few animals with Barnes X, and several with TTSX out of my 7-08 and 6.5CM and am far from an expert on these bullets. Here is all anyone who's wondering about them need to know...Mule Deer, mucho experience, hundreds upon hundreds of dead animals, many with TTSX. He likes them and says they are reliable expanders. Then we have dumbassss LlamaBob who claims otherwise. THAT is all the evidence you need on the subject of Barnes anything.

Trust me it is.....

About what diameter would you say?

Leave the forensics to the professionals. It was clearly a target bullet.

Stay in your lane.

Finger nail is 5/8 inch wide. I'd say its close to if not half inch.

Rgr that.. taking a knee and drinking water.