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So, you guys are saying that the 139 Scenar in a 6.5 Creedmoor has good results on elk? At what speed you able to push it and how far was the elk?
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OP
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Well folks. Since I have gotten to use the new 6.5 PRC I thought I would shoot out an update. I didn't change my ammo selection and continued shooting the Precision Hunter 143 gr. ELD-X bullets. I harvested 2 elk, 2 whitetails, 1 antelope and my wife also used this setup to kill her first whitetail. With 6 animals down from this setup this is what I have to say..... These bullets are incredibly soft. In fact I would probably classify them as explosive. The elk are obviously very tough and have thick hides, heavy bones and all-in-all they're a beast of an animal. However, on every animal I shot I discovered that the bullet pushed through the hide without opening up but as soon as the bullet gets past the hide it opens up and begins to expand very rapidly. Even the deer and antelope I killed had huge entry wounds. In fact the entry wounds were bigger than the exit wounds because I didn't really have any exit wounds. The bullets didn't exit either elk, only exited one deer and the antelope had a big chunk of shrapnel exit out the backstrap (which I had a downward angle shot that hit behind the shoulder but must have deflected on a rib and threw a chunk of bullet upward toward the backstrap). Now, before someone roasts me for putting this out on the air here I want to clarify something. I am not complaining here. I actually cannot complain at all. I didn't lose a single animal. I didn't have a miserable blood trail. The elk I shot were dead within 10 yards of where I shot them, both shot right behind the shoulder. The antelope dropped in his tracks. My wifes deer ran 40 yards and left a crazy bloodtrail. One deer I shot dropped in its tracks with a high shoulder shot and the other ran a total of about 30 yards. This isn't a pitty party about how terrible the bullets are. My concern is that these super soft bullets might not penetrate enough for me some day. I think an elk hit directly in the shoulder might not allow enough penetration for get into the vitals.
Now, the other thing I've taken into consideration is the speed at which these bullets hit the animals. The bull I killed was at 258, the cow was at 303, wifes deer was at 135, deer one was at 150, deer two was at 220, antelope was at 158. Not only are these bullets soft but they hit these animals at a speed well north of 2500 fps.
My reloading source I mentioned earlier in this thread is going to load me up some Barnes LRX 127 gr. bullets and dial in a load that shoots well for me. The guy is a 6.5 nut so he should be able to help me get this thing dialed and shooting a tougher bullet that I personally feel a bit more comfortable with.
Anyway, thought I would post my findings. For what its worth I figured it wouldnt hurt anything
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Joined: Oct 2004
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Well folks. Since I have gotten to use the new 6.5 PRC I thought I would shoot out an update. I didn't change my ammo selection and continued shooting the Precision Hunter 143 gr. ELD-X bullets. I harvested 2 elk, 2 whitetails, 1 antelope and my wife also used this setup to kill her first whitetail. With 6 animals down from this setup this is what I have to say..... These bullets are incredibly soft. In fact I would probably classify them as explosive. The elk are obviously very tough and have thick hides, heavy bones and all-in-all they're a beast of an animal. However, on every animal I shot I discovered that the bullet pushed through the hide without opening up but as soon as the bullet gets past the hide it opens up and begins to expand very rapidly. Even the deer and antelope I killed had huge entry wounds. In fact the entry wounds were bigger than the exit wounds because I didn't really have any exit wounds. The bullets didn't exit either elk, only exited one deer and the antelope had a big chunk of shrapnel exit out the backstrap (which I had a downward angle shot that hit behind the shoulder but must have deflected on a rib and threw a chunk of bullet upward toward the backstrap). Now, before someone roasts me for putting this out on the air here I want to clarify something. I am not complaining here. I actually cannot complain at all. I didn't lose a single animal. I didn't have a miserable blood trail. The elk I shot were dead within 10 yards of where I shot them, both shot right behind the shoulder. The antelope dropped in his tracks. My wifes deer ran 40 yards and left a crazy bloodtrail. One deer I shot dropped in its tracks with a high shoulder shot and the other ran a total of about 30 yards. This isn't a pitty party about how terrible the bullets are. My concern is that these super soft bullets might not penetrate enough for me some day. I think an elk hit directly in the shoulder might not allow enough penetration for get into the vitals.
Now, the other thing I've taken into consideration is the speed at which these bullets hit the animals. The bull I killed was at 258, the cow was at 303, wifes deer was at 135, deer one was at 150, deer two was at 220, antelope was at 158. Not only are these bullets soft but they hit these animals at a speed well north of 2500 fps.
My reloading source I mentioned earlier in this thread is going to load me up some Barnes LRX 127 gr. bullets and dial in a load that shoots well for me. The guy is a 6.5 nut so he should be able to help me get this thing dialed and shooting a tougher bullet that I personally feel a bit more comfortable with.
Anyway, thought I would post my findings. For what its worth I figured it wouldnt hurt anything
Thanks for the follow up. I just bought a CA Mesa in 6.5 PRC. It shipped yesterday. For these small southern Whitetail I am going to load ABs. If I ever get a chance to go for elk, the 140 Partition is the only bullet for me. Where did you do your elk hunt? Did you use a guide?
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Joined: Jan 2007
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Here are two 143 ELD-Xs we pulled out of TDNs bull this fall. Distance was 425ish, and chambering was a 6.5 PRC. I used the same bullet from a 6.5 SAUM last year and killed a bull a bit over 500. I also saw three bucks taken quite spectacularly at ranges from 10 yards to about 200 with the 143 ELD-X from a 6.5 Creedmoor this fall. Count me as a fan of the bullet. Dave
If you're not burning through batteries in your headlamp,...you're doing it wrong.
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Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 15
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OP
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Well folks. Since I have gotten to use the new 6.5 PRC I thought I would shoot out an update. I didn't change my ammo selection and continued shooting the Precision Hunter 143 gr. ELD-X bullets. I harvested 2 elk, 2 whitetails, 1 antelope and my wife also used this setup to kill her first whitetail. With 6 animals down from this setup this is what I have to say..... These bullets are incredibly soft. In fact I would probably classify them as explosive. The elk are obviously very tough and have thick hides, heavy bones and all-in-all they're a beast of an animal. However, on every animal I shot I discovered that the bullet pushed through the hide without opening up but as soon as the bullet gets past the hide it opens up and begins to expand very rapidly. Even the deer and antelope I killed had huge entry wounds. In fact the entry wounds were bigger than the exit wounds because I didn't really have any exit wounds. The bullets didn't exit either elk, only exited one deer and the antelope had a big chunk of shrapnel exit out the backstrap (which I had a downward angle shot that hit behind the shoulder but must have deflected on a rib and threw a chunk of bullet upward toward the backstrap). Now, before someone roasts me for putting this out on the air here I want to clarify something. I am not complaining here. I actually cannot complain at all. I didn't lose a single animal. I didn't have a miserable blood trail. The elk I shot were dead within 10 yards of where I shot them, both shot right behind the shoulder. The antelope dropped in his tracks. My wifes deer ran 40 yards and left a crazy bloodtrail. One deer I shot dropped in its tracks with a high shoulder shot and the other ran a total of about 30 yards. This isn't a pitty party about how terrible the bullets are. My concern is that these super soft bullets might not penetrate enough for me some day. I think an elk hit directly in the shoulder might not allow enough penetration for get into the vitals.
Now, the other thing I've taken into consideration is the speed at which these bullets hit the animals. The bull I killed was at 258, the cow was at 303, wifes deer was at 135, deer one was at 150, deer two was at 220, antelope was at 158. Not only are these bullets soft but they hit these animals at a speed well north of 2500 fps.
My reloading source I mentioned earlier in this thread is going to load me up some Barnes LRX 127 gr. bullets and dial in a load that shoots well for me. The guy is a 6.5 nut so he should be able to help me get this thing dialed and shooting a tougher bullet that I personally feel a bit more comfortable with.
Anyway, thought I would post my findings. For what its worth I figured it wouldnt hurt anything
Thanks for the follow up. I just bought a CA Mesa in 6.5 PRC. It shipped yesterday. For these small southern Whitetail I am going to load ABs. If I ever get a chance to go for elk, the 140 Partition is the only bullet for me. Where did you do your elk hunt? Did you use a guide? I did my elk hunt in the NW part of Colorado. All self guided. A buddy and I both went and had an absolute blast. I watched a documentary on a research project done on game meat to test lead contamination. I guess you could say it scared me away from lead core bullets lol. I have a buddy who has used nothing but Barnes Triple Shock bullets the past several years and has killed numerous elk, mule deer, whitetails and antelope with them. Even a 650 yard shot on an antelope, proving the "they don't open up at long distances on thin skinned game" theory out the window. At the end of the day its more about shot placement than anything. Again, I wont knock the ELD-X because they've killed several critters for me. However, I only found one bullet that looked like the ones @iddave posted. And I've watched numerous kill reels with the 6.5mm ELD-X bullets at 500+ yards on all kinds of game. I've seen the same type of carnage on a kill reel with Berger bullets of all kinds. Again, place the bullet where it should go and all else will take care of itself. The thing that personally keeps me a touch uneasy about the ELD-X is not the high shoulder or behind the shoulder shots. It's the shots that center-post a leg bone. The Barnes will blow through a leg bone and on the other hand will penetrate and destroy the lungs on a shot behind the shoulder. Also, I don't think any animal can with stand a high-shoulder shot with any bullet.
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Joined: Jan 2018
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If your hunting deer , large mature muley bucks, 200 lb + the Barnes 100gr TTSX or Hammer 110gr mono's will take them with ease. Virtually no blood shot meat even when shoulder bone is struck. . Mild recoil, fun to shoot. This bullet out of my 6.5x06 smacks my 522yd target with authority. Will most always give complete penetration on the largest deer.,. Has to be used to appreciate & understand it's capability. For elk same bullet in 120gr.
Last edited by Hesp; 12/20/19.
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kk alaska
Alaska 7 months of winter then 5 months of tourists
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I have killed a half-dozen animals with the bullet; mostly from my 6.5-284 at 2970 ish and one bull and a couple of deer from a Creed with the anemic Hornady factory ammo. I am pretty sure all have been exits. The first animal I shot was a 6x6 bull elk at 250ish with KRP. Bull tumbled forward at the shot and fell 20 yards down the hill. Bullet exited.
They expand very reliably for sure. Until I see a problem, I am a fan.
NRA Benefactor Member
Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.
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OP, you would be more pleased with the ELD-X if you were to take your animals at longer distances. All of the long range bullets on the market including the ELD-X perform best at slower impact velocities I.e “long range”. If your animals are typically taken at 250 yds or less you will like solids you mentioned or even a bonded bullet better. Those bullets will give you more of the results you are looking for at the distances you are shooting.
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I’ve seen almost all of the above mentioned bullets crashed into deer, elk, and antelope over the past couple of years.... from inside 50 yards, to outside 500. In cartridges ranging from 20” barreled .260 to .264 Win Mag.
The 139 Scenar is never a bad choice, always exits, and I have t seen a critter go very far after taking one.
I like the 127 LRX, they shoot good out of everything I’ve tried them in, and I never worry about shot angles.... I just aim for the exit with them. Nothing I’ve seen shot with them (including a cow elk at 500+) has taken a single step after impact. They’ve been quite impressive.
I’m still a bit dubious on the 143 ELD-X. Everything I’ve seen shot with them dies..... but performance has been a bit erratic.
You better pray to the God of Skinny Punks that this wind doesn't pick up......
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Well folks. Since I have gotten to use the new 6.5 PRC I thought I would shoot out an update. I didn't change my ammo selection and continued shooting the Precision Hunter 143 gr. ELD-X bullets. I harvested 2 elk, 2 whitetails, 1 antelope and my wife also used this setup to kill her first whitetail. With 6 animals down from this setup this is what I have to say..... These bullets are incredibly soft. In fact I would probably classify them as explosive. The elk are obviously very tough and have thick hides, heavy bones and all-in-all they're a beast of an animal. However, on every animal I shot I discovered that the bullet pushed through the hide without opening up but as soon as the bullet gets past the hide it opens up and begins to expand very rapidly. Even the deer and antelope I killed had huge entry wounds. In fact the entry wounds were bigger than the exit wounds because I didn't really have any exit wounds. The bullets didn't exit either elk, only exited one deer and the antelope had a big chunk of shrapnel exit out the backstrap (which I had a downward angle shot that hit behind the shoulder but must have deflected on a rib and threw a chunk of bullet upward toward the backstrap). Now, before someone roasts me for putting this out on the air here I want to clarify something. I am not complaining here. I actually cannot complain at all. I didn't lose a single animal. I didn't have a miserable blood trail. The elk I shot were dead within 10 yards of where I shot them, both shot right behind the shoulder. The antelope dropped in his tracks. My wifes deer ran 40 yards and left a crazy bloodtrail. One deer I shot dropped in its tracks with a high shoulder shot and the other ran a total of about 30 yards. This isn't a pitty party about how terrible the bullets are. My concern is that these super soft bullets might not penetrate enough for me some day. I think an elk hit directly in the shoulder might not allow enough penetration for get into the vitals.
Now, the other thing I've taken into consideration is the speed at which these bullets hit the animals. The bull I killed was at 258, the cow was at 303, wifes deer was at 135, deer one was at 150, deer two was at 220, antelope was at 158. Not only are these bullets soft but they hit these animals at a speed well north of 2500 fps.
My reloading source I mentioned earlier in this thread is going to load me up some Barnes LRX 127 gr. bullets and dial in a load that shoots well for me. The guy is a 6.5 nut so he should be able to help me get this thing dialed and shooting a tougher bullet that I personally feel a bit more comfortable with.
Anyway, thought I would post my findings. For what its worth I figured it wouldnt hurt anything
Thanks for the follow up. I just bought a CA Mesa in 6.5 PRC. It shipped yesterday. For these small southern Whitetail I am going to load ABs. If I ever get a chance to go for elk, the 140 Partition is the only bullet for me. Where did you do your elk hunt? Did you use a guide? Paul, What’s your thoughts on your PRC? Been considering the same rifle. Thanks Randall
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OP,
Nosler is coming out with 3 factory loads for the 6.5PRC soon. I saw this on their website recently. 140 AB’s, 142 LRAB and 120 E-tip.
I am interested in the same rifle but had the exact concerns as you but it looks like the PRC is gaining some traction. Fingers crossed.
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