Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Deer bullet for 6.5 creedmoor

Having just purchased a creed and needing to start developing loads, what are your preferred bullets. Actual experience is much appreciated. I realize there are quite a few options that would dispatch a deer. I will not likely shoot further than 400 yards max, and I like quick kills if that helps you answer. I will use the same load for antelope as well

One thing about a Creed. I'll shoot about anything, It's an extremely flexible round, very easy to work up loads.

I had mine set up to shoot VLD's.

I haven't had it long enough for a critter count. The 140 VLD is a quick killer in my 6.5-284, should be in the CM. The 135 Berger Classic is reported to be a good one, as is the 130 VLD. Those and the Scenars will expand fast, kill fast. Mine goes less than 1/2" with the 123 Scenar and Varget.

DF

140 Nosler Partition

120 NBTs for smalish bodids deer, 130 AB's for the rest.

But there are oooohh... so many good ones out there!!!

I load 120 Barnes TTSX. Works very well.

120 Barnes TSX, 40 grains Varget

I used a 120 grain Nosler BT.............

Hard to beat a plain, old accurate 129 Interlock in the cm. I loaded some to about 2800 fps and they absolutely smuck deer. I also used the 147 ELDM on deer, loaded to 2745. It was impressive also. There are very few bullets that will not work on deer. Just find one that shoots well in your rifle and go kill stuff. Premium bullets are not needed at the moderate velocity of a cm, unless you just like to spend money. It is a great, fun rifle to load for and shoot.

120 Ballistic tips would be good also!

Any of these will work: 120 grain BT, 125 grain Partition, any style of 129 grain Hornady, and the 130 grain AB.

I practice with the 129 grain SST and hunt with the 130 grain AB.

I'm loving the 139 gr. Scenar.

120 Grain Nosler BT. Might be the perfect Whitetail bullet

I bought a couple of boxes of Hornady 143 gr ELD-X cartridges to shoot for the brass when I bought the rifle. They shot so well that is the only bullet I've bought to hand load. I don't see the point of trying anything else. It might be a bigger bullet than needed for whitetails, but I don't see any downside and the whole point of the 6.5 Creedmoor is to be able to shoot the heavier high BC bullets.

Partition 120 or 140 grain, depends on twist rate of the barrel. Heavier bullets seem to work best with a fast twist like 8 to 1.

I guess I need to start hand loading. I just bought a 6.5 Creedmoor last month. I have been target shooting with Hornady American Whitetail ammo. I bought a few boxes of the ammo with 142 Accubond Long Range. I got them for deer and bear but haven't tried them yet. I went with them not for long range but because I wasn't able to find factory loaded Accubonds and I thought the softer bullet might expand better at the relative low speed of a 6.5 Creedmoor. I also figured they might hold the core better than a Ballistic Tip since they are bonded. We'll see.

I've only hunted 4 different bullets in the 260/6.5Creed/6.5x47L, but I think it is hard to top the 130gr Accubond for a general purpose medium game bullet. I've had great results on game and have not found it hard to get to shoot. Velocities can be 2,850-2,900fps, which makes for a rather useful hunting trajectory with the decent BC.

Mine shoots everything well. I’ve tried bullets from 120-147 grains and it just doesn’t seem to matter. It likes the 142 Nosler ABLR a little bit better than anything else I’ve tried, and that particular bullets takes pretty good advantage of the Creedmoor’s “advantages” so I’ll probably use it.

Based on previous experience with other 6.5s I’ve owned, if I was starting at ground zero and I wanted a deer bullet, I’d load up some 120 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips or Barnes TTSX and rock on.

125 Nosler partition or 130 NAB. My Tikka 260 loves 125 NPTs. 700 8 twist likes the 130NABs. Deer, elk, black bears all have died quickly.

You already have one of the best. That Whitetail with 129s is perfect for deer. Holding together on a deer is not a big issue at cm speeds, but the Interlock does great.

Hard to go wrong with the 6.5 Creed.

I just ordered 135 gr. Berger Classic Hunter. I've read that 130 gr. may be close to optimal for that round. The 135 Classic has great reviews. Shooting friable bullets at Creed speed should work. For hyper-velocity, I use tougher bullets. My CM was set up for high ogive bullets. I have to set std. bullets back a bit. So the 135 Hybrid may be optimal.

I'm a firm believer in finding balance between bullet design and velocity. My Swede has a very long throat, I'm shooting the 147 ELD-M, loaded long. We'll see how those work.

DF