Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting What’s the best weight bullet for 6.5 Creedmoor on whitetails ?

What’s the general consensus on a good weight bullet in the 6.5 Creedmoor for average size whitetails?

From experience with the 260 Remington I can tell you the 120 grain Ballistic Tip, the 125 grain Partition and 129 grain Interlock are very good deer bullets.

The 147 gr. ELDM seemed to be OK this morning, at 849 yards.....

Looks like plenty of red carpet around that critter!

Nice buck, Damn good shot, good job Don. Rio7

That's because I pulled a Safariman on 'im.....

I like the 130 grain AB.

If shooting factory ammo the 125 grain Winchester/Olin Deer Season XP, 129 grain Hornady American Whitetail, and 140 grain Federal Non-Typical have all worked for me.

I'm not shooting anything that is over a quarter-mile or so away, so don't need to shoot VLD bullets.

Sounds like a lot of work pulling out half mile a winch line...or did the ranch Foreman let you retrieve with a vehicle? Mb

Bet the ranch manager let him use a truck!

Ass shot?

Nice buck regardless! Those 147s weren't working in my 6.5x284. I wish they would.

I must have missed that.....what's the story with Safariman? Nice buck BTW!

Nice, congrats.

Nice buck, great shooting. Congrats.

Nice buck Don!

Yessir. I can do it just as well as the Safariman....



Unlike Safariman, I don't have a personal JJHack OR a uberlanche with a mile of winch cable.

I do, however, have a come-along with 20 foot of cable. Wrap some twine around his horns, hook up the comealong and pump the handle. It wasn't too bad to crank him in after driving right to him....



Correct-O-mundo.... Since "I" AM the ranch manager, I let myself use the truck. But had to use my personal come-along.....

130 Accubond

Jiminy Christmas Don what happen to that bullet? What did the insides look like?

Lots of 6.5 experience here. If you’re shooting under 400 yards all the time or even 90% of the time, the 120 NBT rules. I also know the 129 SST is a straight up merciless killer of deer. My buddy has 14 deer down with that bullet from 27 - 454 yards. Fully 13 of them were bang/flop and the other was a DRT death spin. Zero tracking.

If you’re shooting factory ammo, the above-mentioned 125 Winchester Deer Season XP is The Grim Reaper of deer. Devastating DRTs.

Going longer than that, go with whatever shoots best for you at 800 yards. For me, that’s the 142 ABLR. I’ve only killed elk with it, but dramatic bang/flop was the order of the day. I also get great groups from the 140 ELD-M, 140 SST, 143 ELD-X, 147 ELD-M and 153 A-Tip. All go sub-MOA in my 6.5 Creedmoor.

I feel that the 142 ABLR is more bullet than I need for deer. After seeing it smash big elk shoulder bones and exit a 600 lb animal, and seeing said animal flipped off its feet, I’d try something different on deer.

If I EXPECTED shots from 400 - 800 yards, I’d run the 147 ELD-M or 153 A-Tip. The velocity I get with both is within 30 fps, and both are stupid accurate at 300 yards, which is the longest range I’ve been able to test them. Their BCs are excellent and they buck wind better than anything.

So, for deer, what I’d want to shoot for a bunch of different scenarios:

Factory ammo from 0-400 yards: 125 Winchester Deer Season XP

Factory ammo from 0-600 yards: 129 SST Hornady Superformance

Factory ammo 0-1000 yards: 143 ELD-X Hornady Precision Hunter

Factory ammo 300-1000 yards: 147 ELD-M Hornady Match

Handloads 0-400 yards: 120 NBT

Handloads 0-600 yards: 129 SST

Handloads 0-1000 yards: 147 ELD-M

Handloads 400-1000 yards: 153 A-Tip

Best all-around bullet (deer and elk) 0-600 yards: 129 ABLR

Best all-around bullet (deer and elk) 0-1000 yards: 142 ABLR

Best all-around bullet (deer and elk) 400-1000 yards: 153 A-Tip

There are a bunch of bullets that will work. Try some out in your rifle and find one that inspires confidence.

I’d actually love to try the 130 Gamechanger but I can’t find any during the current panic.

Nice work Huntsman!

Ron

I am very interested in the path the bullet took and what damage it did on the inside. Congrats on a very nice deer.

I've had excellent results on whitetails from the 129 ABLR in handloads from up close to 400 yards. Haven't caught one yet, including shoulder shots, and a few of the bucks were pretty big for around here. I'm probably leaving a few fps on the table but it's shot and performed so well in multiple rifles I haven't chased the velocity.

Seems to me that cartridge lends itself to a single bullet in the 140-grain class for all 'round use. The possible exception might be a specialty fur load, designed for use in a reduced-velocity round. Not the first choice for that task, obviously.

I have a box of 139 Scenars and will get a box of 143 ELDXs Hornies when I can find them. No doubt in my mind that any bullet stuffed in this case will take whitetails cleanly at sane ranges.

Talus, You will like the Scenar's Rio7

I like the 120 Barnes, kills deer and pigs dead

Don, what jacket you got there? Looks like a wind blocker and the wrist area looks like it has some room. Nice deer. You need a hydro bale bed for easy extraction, lol

Carhartt.....it has inner knit wrist thingies. Don't think it is windblocking as it's probably cotton.

https://www.carhartt.com/products/carhartt-men-outerwear/Full-Swing-Cryder-Jacket-102207

Thanks. Must be your ability to model but looks better than the ones they have pictured for sale. Still bet it’s a pretty warm jacket. I grew up in Carhartt stuff and it generally works. Tried a few of the new high dollar made for hunting brands and not really impressed so far.

the pants in that pic are my new high dollah kuiu's, tho.....

My hunting pard has run the 129 Interbond out of both of his 260s with stellar results so I loaded the same bullet for my kids 6.5 Creed. 6.5 hole in, quarter to half dollar sized hole out. We have yet to catch one with 10+ deer down.

I’ve yet to catch a 140 ELD-M in the 6 I’ve shot with those, from 30’, to 364 yards....all broadsides, and a couple of shoulders. They did far more damage and killed faster than same placement with Hornady 129s. 142 ABLRs have done very well, and ELD-Xs are in between. Nothing has survived any of them, though.

Just put most any current medium game bullet behind the front leg.

In my 6.5 x 55's had more drt with 120 nbt, and 120 gr sierra's, never loaded anything heavier.

130 gr Accubonds for me also

same

I don't have a lot of experience with game performance using the 6.5 CM. That being said I've had great performance on 2 WT deer using the Sierra 130 Gamechanger and I was very pleased with the results. Accuracy was better in my rifle than any of the many other bullets I tried too.

Loaded 130 NAB's for my bud's Creed. He loves them, DRT or very short travel. He's got four WT's this year with four rounds.

Good internal damage, exits all.

It would be hard to convince him those weren't the best choice for his Creed.

I was sighting with 140 Winchester target ammo. Showed some pressure, not so with Hornady 140 and 147 factory ammo. I just pulled those 140 Win bullets, seated 130 NAB's and had a MOA load. Those are what he's using. So, I don't know the load data, whatever Win puts in their 140 target load. It works. No pressure with 130's.

DF.

I used the Gamechanger 165 .308 and found terminal behavior similar to GameKing HP or Nosler BT.

125 nosler out of my 260. only shoot speed goats with the 120 bt.

Been shooting various 129-130 grain bullets in my 6.5x55 and they all work. The Creedmoor should be even easier to find a load it likes and at CM velocity practically all hunting bullets will perform well. The trick will be finding some and then hopefully enough to stock up on the same lot of bullets.

123 scenars have worked good for me out to 500

How did they perform on WT’s and such?

My Creed loves the 123, my Swede prefers the 139.

DF

I know many animals have fallen to Scenars and SMK-HP, but I'd prefer a Barnes if I wanted to use a match type bullet for hunting. The 130 VLD is a known Deer hammer.....

That said, TOO many good hunting bullets from 120-130 which I feel is a sweet spot for the mid-sized 6.5s. The 130 AB is my Go to, even in the Swede. IF I hunted Really LR shots like over 500 yds, then I would lean on the 143 like H22 above.

120BT is an old bullet that does it's thing, just like the 129 SP. Hard to find a bad 6.5 bullet, but me personally, I just can't find a reason to want to use a pure target type bullet for hunting. I know they tend to often work, but I'd not personally take a chance on a pure target designed bullet on a game animal. Just my .02

For all around, it's nice to know 1) chosen bullet expands near and far 2) weight retention via jacket integrity ensures penetration and exits for the situation you might want a blood trail.

The 130 AB for me, blows thru both shoulders of a WT if so desired, did so at 100 yds on an 8pt WT broadside. Also, will expand and dump deer DRT at 300 yds, (for me) and likely a good deal further. Again, so many good 'hunting' bullets to use......

DF, I had some custom 260s that loved the 123s, used Scenars and Nosler. That said, I'd practice with those, confirm POA/POI with 120 BTs and roll with them if I wanted a mild recoiling flat shooting load.

FWIW, I would use 120-130s as a mainstay in the Grendel, 47 Lapua, Creed, 260, and Swede - based on how I hunt in my area.

Good hunting folks.

Hornady 129gr Interlock out of a 6.5x55 @ 2850fps. Distance was maybe a whole 70 yards. Typical Hornady performance, it worked.

I've shot nothing but 143 ELDX through all of my CM's, including my current CTR. 14 whitetails can attest that they work!

I just recently bought a Kimber Hunter in 6.5, and it really likes the 120 NBT. So, now I'm on the hunt for a couple of boxes of bullets to reload. Good to read that the 120 does the job well!

longshot3,
How has the bloodshot meat damage been with the ELD-X? I shot an antelope and another deer with the 145 out of my 270 this past fall. While I like the range and steel performance, they damage a lot of meat. I really liked the 143 out of my Creedmoor, but never used it on deer and am now out of the Creedmoor game.

I butcher all my own critters and that is one of things I do not like. One of the reasons I really like mono metals or harder C&C like the Interlock for hunting purposes.

As to the OP, I think 120-130gr is perfect for normal whitetail hunting, while the super slippery, heavier bullets are better suited for LR hunting and shooting applications.

120 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip has worked fine for me with 39.5 gr of Varget for 2900+ fps. One shot kills on three white tails in the last two years. Range from 50 to 120 yds.

These three have been killed with the 6.5 Creedmoor using a 120 NBT, a 140 NBT, and a 120 grain Sierra SP. Ranges from 125 to 215. All one shot kills.

This one fell to a 140 Accubonds traveling at 2640 fps. (was from a 260 Rem) Distance was 75 yards. Was glad for the tough bullet, last day of season, quartered away very hard. Slipped it just in front of the hindquarters, traveled through the chest cavity exiting close to the shoulder. Only made it 20 yards.