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Would you guys consider either caliber suitable for hunting elk sized animals up to 800 yards? If so which one would you prefer? If not and your next pick was between the 6.5 PRC and 300 Win mag,which one would you choose?
It is doubtful that I will ever shoot at animals that far but I do want to work on my long range skills with my next rifle purchase. I'm trying to find a good compromise between low recoil for lots of practice and performance on big game at long range. The rifle will likely be the Seekins Havak. Right now,I am in the 6.5 PRC camp in my thinking but would like to hear any other opinions and advice since I have never been a long range hunter.
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I think it would be very, very hard to beat a 6.5 PRC shooting 140-150s at those distances.
All will work, though. The Creedmoor and .308 will be cheapest to practice with and the Creedmoor will be the most comfortable to shoot for longer periods of time.
My 6.5 Creedmoor absolutely loves the 142 ABLR. I would use this combination without hesitation for your intended purpose if I were regularly able to practice out to 1,000 yards.
Last edited by seattlesetters; 04/15/18.
What could be a sadder way to end a life than to die having never hunted with great dogs, good friends and your family?
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Put a suppressor on that 6.5 PRC Havak and you'll be shooting a quiet pussycat...
“There are some who can live without wild things and some who cannot.”
ALDO LEOPOLD
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If you want to shoot elk at 800 yards, you need slippery bullets, and enough speed so they expand. The creed or a 308 won't push those fast enough for reliable expansion at that distance. Time to step up to a magnum cartridge, unless you want to wound and lose animals....
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If you want to shoot elk at 800 yards, you need slippery bullets, and enough speed so they expand. The creed or a 308 won't push those fast enough for reliable expansion at that distance. Time to step up to a magnum cartridge, unless you want to wound and lose animals.... as qwk has posted both of those cartridges are not 800 yard killers of elk , do what I have done get a much bigger magnum rifle, I had a 338 Lapua built. good luck,Pete53
LIFE NRA , we vote Red up here, Norseman
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If you want to shoot elk at 800 yards, you need slippery bullets, and enough speed so they expand. The creed or a 308 won't push those fast enough for reliable expansion at that distance. Time to step up to a magnum cartridge, unless you want to wound and lose animals.... Does that mean you don't consider the 6.5 PRC enough but would consider the 300 Win Mag enough?
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I'd be happy with the Creed or the PRC.
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If you want to shoot elk at 800 yards, you need slippery bullets, and enough speed so they expand. The creed or a 308 won't push those fast enough for reliable expansion at that distance. Time to step up to a magnum cartridge, unless you want to wound and lose animals.... Agreed, you'll want atleast 1800 fps impact velocity at 800 yards with whatever bullet you select. The 6.5 CM can do it, 308 not so much. 6.5 PRC would be even mo better for that. Whatever you choose make sure its cheap to feed so you can afford to shoot it a lot.
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If you want to shoot elk at 800 yards, you need slippery bullets, and enough speed so they expand. The creed or a 308 won't push those fast enough for reliable expansion at that distance. Time to step up to a magnum cartridge, unless you want to wound and lose animals.... Agreed, you'll want atleast 1800 fps impact velocity at 800 yards with whatever bullet you select. The 6.5 CM can do it, 308 not so much. 6.5 PRC would be even mo better for that. Whatever you choose make sure its cheap to feed so you can afford to shoot it a lot. The AM and I assume the ELD-M expand well to quite a bit lower than 1800 fps, so the minimum expansion velocity is dependent on the bullet being used.
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If you want to shoot elk at 800 yards, you need slippery bullets, and enough speed so they expand. The creed or a 308 won't push those fast enough for reliable expansion at that distance. Time to step up to a magnum cartridge, unless you want to wound and lose animals.... Does that mean you don't consider the 6.5 PRC enough but would consider the 300 Win Mag enough? You asked about 6.5 creed/308. PRC might work, depending on the bullet used. No way I would use the two you asked about.
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If you want to shoot elk at 800 yards, you need slippery bullets, and enough speed so they expand. The creed or a 308 won't push those fast enough for reliable expansion at that distance. Time to step up to a magnum cartridge, unless you want to wound and lose animals.... Agreed, you'll want atleast 1800 fps impact velocity at 800 yards with whatever bullet you select. The 6.5 CM can do it, 308 not so much. 6.5 PRC would be even mo better for that. Whatever you choose make sure its cheap to feed so you can afford to shoot it a lot. The AM and I assume the ELD-M expand well to quite a bit lower than 1800 fps, so the minimum expansion velocity is dependent on the bullet being used. Define expansion. Just because the manufacturer says something, does not make it so. Some of you guys watch too much TV.
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If you want to shoot elk at 800 yards, you need slippery bullets, and enough speed so they expand. The creed or a 308 won't push those fast enough for reliable expansion at that distance. Time to step up to a magnum cartridge, unless you want to wound and lose animals.... Does that mean you don't consider the 6.5 PRC enough but would consider the 300 Win Mag enough? You asked about 6.5 creed/308. PRC might work, depending on the bullet used. No way I would use the two you asked about. I figured no on the 308 but wasn't sure about the Creed. I was more strongly considering the PRC and 300 win but all are offered in the rifle I'm looking at and I figured to get more debate on the cartridges right at the edge of capable.
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If you want to shoot elk at 800 yards, you need slippery bullets, and enough speed so they expand. The creed or a 308 won't push those fast enough for reliable expansion at that distance. Time to step up to a magnum cartridge, unless you want to wound and lose animals.... Agreed, you'll want atleast 1800 fps impact velocity at 800 yards with whatever bullet you select. The 6.5 CM can do it, 308 not so much. 6.5 PRC would be even mo better for that. Whatever you choose make sure its cheap to feed so you can afford to shoot it a lot. The AM and I assume the ELD-M expand well to quite a bit lower than 1800 fps, so the minimum expansion velocity is dependent on the bullet being used. Yeah I don't have much experience with the ELDM on game. The ELDX I have seen used on 20+ critters now and can say the Hornady claim of 1600 fps impact velocity doesn't hold much weight for me....143 ELDX impacting at 1650 most certainly did not expand....so just figured I would roll with what Berger says for the Hornady as well and go with 1800 fps just to be safe. 
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There isn't really "an edge of being capable". You want the most gun you can handle without developing a serious flinch, then shoot it a lot to become proficient at those distances.
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If you want to shoot elk at 800 yards, you need slippery bullets, and enough speed so they expand. The creed or a 308 won't push those fast enough for reliable expansion at that distance. Time to step up to a magnum cartridge, unless you want to wound and lose animals.... Agreed, you'll want atleast 1800 fps impact velocity at 800 yards with whatever bullet you select. The 6.5 CM can do it, 308 not so much. 6.5 PRC would be even mo better for that. Whatever you choose make sure its cheap to feed so you can afford to shoot it a lot. The AM and I assume the ELD-M expand well to quite a bit lower than 1800 fps, so the minimum expansion velocity is dependent on the bullet being used. Define expansion. Just because the manufacturer says something, does not make it so. Some of you guys watch too much TV. The manufacturer does not make any expansion velocity claims for the AM and ELD-M. I know how the AM (and the ELD-M is an exact design copy, save for the tip) expands at low velocities because I've shot them into flesh at long distance. Do you have experience that says I'm wrong about the AM, or are you basing your opinion on "watching too much TV" and the internet?
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If you want to shoot elk at 800 yards, you need slippery bullets, and enough speed so they expand. The creed or a 308 won't push those fast enough for reliable expansion at that distance. Time to step up to a magnum cartridge, unless you want to wound and lose animals.... Agreed, you'll want atleast 1800 fps impact velocity at 800 yards with whatever bullet you select. The 6.5 CM can do it, 308 not so much. 6.5 PRC would be even mo better for that. Whatever you choose make sure its cheap to feed so you can afford to shoot it a lot. The AM and I assume the ELD-M expand well to quite a bit lower than 1800 fps, so the minimum expansion velocity is dependent on the bullet being used. Yeah I don't have much experience with the ELDM on game. The ELDX I have seen used on 20+ critters now and can say the Hornady claim of 1600 fps impact velocity doesn't hold much weight for me....143 ELDX impacting at 1650 most certainly did not expand....so just figured I would roll with what Berger says for the Hornady as well and go with 1800 fps just to be safe. I can't speak to the ELD-X, and figure it likely expands a lot like other traditional C&C bullets, so 1800 is probably a good limit. The AM in various models expands easier and at quite a bit lower impact velocity than many other C&C's I've used.
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I disagree on the use of smaller cartridges.
You can't kill an animal too dead.
Either would kill an elk.
But if you really want to kill at that distance,
there are many better choices.
Heck thats at the end of what military snipers consider the 308 as good.
And they are just as happy wounding as killing
Last edited by Dillonbuck; 04/15/18.
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There isn't really "an edge of being capable". You want the most gun you can handle without developing a serious flinch, then shoot it a lot to become proficient at those distances.
There are a lot of experienced guys that would beg to differ...
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My bad the correct answer is 300 WM, 215 Berger.........
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I don’t have a dog in this fight, I mean discussion...But, I do have 6 one shot bang flops between 725 and 847 yards on elk with my Sendero 300 RUM....No flinch. No trigger jerk...Just nice solid holds across the top of my hunting pack.
I would assume a shooter with solid skills BTS would be successful in producing a one shot kill with 1625-1800 FPS with penetrating and expanding bullets. 180gr NAB’s work fantastic in my RUM...I can’t judge abilities via my keyboard...
But, I would know it in a heartbeat, in the field, if a guy was capable of making an 800 yard, one shot stop, just by how he was going about setting up for the shot, using calibers being discussed... 😎
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