6.5 120gr for elk?

Killcarp2

Active Member
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205
Ok so I've read a lot on the subject already but I wanted to put it out to the experts. I recently obtained a 6.5 creedmor that I absolutely love. It came with a custom turret for Hornady 120gr gmx. I have shot Hornadys for years but never the gmx. I drew a cow elk tag this year and debating on shooting my new gun. Question is whether 120gmx will suffice. Smallest I've ever used for elk are 140gr, but I know guys who have killed them with way smaller. I can always buy bigger rounds for it but I really like the idea of the long range turret.

Thoughts?
 
120s will work fine, I've killed piles of elk with 110s out of a 25-06. I would prefer a 140 grainer out of the 6.5 better but accuracy always trumps bullet weight in my opinion. That being said a 6.5 creedmoor will shoot about anything you run through it accurately.

Coloradoboy
 
a friend of mine has killed 10-12 elk, some bulls some cows with a 243 using 90 & 105 gr bullets. You put a nice hole in the lungs and it all downhill from there.
Me I shoot a 7MM and 30-378 I just like my hole to be bigger.


"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
"You put a nice hole in the lungs and it all downhill from there"

That is the ticket. Pass any questionable shots, and take a shot you know you can make through the lungs. Avoid shooting thru the shoulder.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
 
>a friend of mine has killed
>10-12 elk, some bulls some
>cows with a 243 using
>90 & 105 gr bullets.
>You put a nice hole
>in the lungs and it
>all downhill from there.
>Me I shoot a 7MM and
>30-378 I just like my
>hole to be bigger.
>
>
>"I have found if you go
>the extra mile it's Never
>crowded".
>>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>>the MM green signature club.[font/]

Gator no truer words have been written... and those little 243's are a pretty wicked round...
 
I appreciate the feedback everybody. I have a few weeks still until I leave for that hunt So I'll be shooting quite a bit to get comfortable with the gun. If I start shooting pretty confident with it I may just give it a whirl.

Josh
 
It will kill an elk just fine. Personally I would rather shoot something larger at an elk but that is based on the confidence a larger bullet/gun give me more than necessity. GMX is a good bullet and will work just fine in a 6.5 creedmoore out to reasonable ranges.
The turret you are considering buying isn't near as valuable as practicing a lot of shooting. Changes in elevated and wind will affect your bullets that a custom turret can't compensate for. Spending money on extra bullets to practice and learn your limits would be money better spent than buying a custom turret.
 
I agree. I have a couple other custom turrets and elevation does certainly make a difference. My other elk gun I have a custom turret on is set for 8000 feet, as I have used it for deer and elk and I've never killed an elk below 7000. I'll be shooting it quite a bit here in the next month before my season so we will see how it does.
 
Like 30Hart posted with his experience, I had the same. 6.5 Creedmor and 127 Gr Barnes on this years Bison. Excellent Caliber and Bullet combo, would definitely use it on an Elk.



9362020180707141112.jpg
 
Your 120 will be fine but know your bullets energy table. That idea of long range, light bullet can quickly become disaster as the ft-lbs drop off. I don't know what your muzzle velocity is starting off, but assuming your around 2,800 FPS, you probably get below 1,200 ft-lbs around 400 yards.

Hit?em square, and hit em hard
 
A 22 Hornet works great too. if it's the perfect shot and you shoot perfect. most hunters don't.

On my ranch we do depredation hunts in the winter and have for years. after years of experience trying to retrieve wounded elk off my less than cooperative neighbors property now nobody hunts elk on my place with anything less than a 270. it solved most of the leakers getting away . I used to let it slide because someone's wife or kid had a 243 or something they " really shoot it great ". yeah they shot it great at a beer can, but they shot an elk in the azz. marksmanship and good judgment seem to fade when game is in the crosshairs. no more varmint rifles.


If it were up to me the 270 minimum would be law. if you insist on using a gun too small for the job at the vey least use a heavy for caliber bullet, and pass on shots you shouldn't take. but often could with an elk rifle.














Stay Thirsty My Friends
 
I agree with what you are saying completely. I have killed elk with a .270, and have never tried anything smaller. What baffles me about the 6.5 is that the energy of that round is more than that of a .270 with most rounds even thought it has a slightly smaller diameter. It is a new gun to me so just asking opinions. I have shot it a bit now and it is certainly accurate. I went and bought some 143gr Hornadys I will shoot out of it and get used to that I will probably use for my cow hunt. My last cow I shot with a 140gr .270 at about 340 yards.

Thanks for your input.
 
I agree here with ochokid . It seems every year someone gets lighter and lighter. I'd say stick to your 143 grain buddy. I won't even shot 120 gr for deer. Just not heavy enough for my liking!
 
Nothing wrong with a 6.5. You talking 0.006? smaller diameter then a 270. Lots of 6.5 rounds are identical if not higher performers then the standard 270. 264 win mag, 6.5 rem mag, 26 Nozler...

You just have to know what kind of energy it is packing. Heavier bullet = higher energy. Know how your bullet is supposed to perform at different ranges and hunt in those parameters. A bullet designed to expand well at long range is going to explode at short range and not be effective. A bullet for shorter range will act like a solid point when it gets out there.

A 140 grain bullet out of a 7mm-08 is going to feel the same to an elk at 200 yards as that same bullet does at 400 yards from a 7 mm mag.

Know your round and your limits, then stick to those limits.
 
>"You put a nice hole in
>the lungs and it all
>downhill from there"
>
>That is the ticket. Pass
>any questionable shots, and take
>a shot you know you
>can make through the lungs.
> Avoid shooting thru the
>shoulder.
>
>txhunter58
>
>venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore
>I am)


+1. It's about being responsible with shot selection
 
My Wife has taken 7 or 8 elk with her 243 and cup and core bullets. She is very selective about her shots and shoots well.

Hasbean
 
I agree with the bigger caliber posts from above.

I have shot many elk using different calibers and they all did the job, but the bigger ones did a better, cleaner job of killing.
 
Not the exact same thing, but I shot my cow last year with a .270 130 grain GMX at 300 yards. It it only made it about 10 yards before falling over. You do get better penetration with copper bullets than equivalent weight lead bullets.
 
Yes you can.

No you should not.

1500ft/lbs should be the standard for elk.

The fact you are trying to get a blessing so you can use your LR turret just adds to the argument against your motives. Stay within a reasonable margin of error. If you use that gun, you should limit yourself to about 200yds, and therefore could take off the scope and leave it at home.
 
Shooting a dove with a 10 gauge is overkill shooting a cow elk with a 7mm .300 or larger is just right. 120 just seems way to small sure if the shot is placed just right ya it will go down like oj in vegas. If it's marginal it walks like oj in Orange County.
 
I shot a few elk with a .264 win mag and 140 Partitions. Did ok but a few really sucked up the lead. Switched to a .300 HH and will never look back to a smaller round. hen you hunt a ranch that has a fence with another ranch that dies not play well you want them down quick.
 
Shot placement is the most crucial, you put a small hole in the lungs vs a big hole in the guts or rump. SMALL HOLE WINS EVERY TIME. NO AIR MEANS DEAD LITTLE BLOOD IN THE WRONG SPOT MEANS LONG TRACKING job and maybe no recovery.
but do what you will.
Be safe is most important to come back from the hunt and tell the stories about big vs small.

COPY OVER


Hunt Hard
Live Free
RIP
 
I would go bigger if you can, not only in bullet weight but also caliber. A 270 is not just .006" bigger in diameter, it is .013" (.277" vs .264"). And diameter is a pretty useless measurement when it comes to killing power - its the frontal area of a bullet that matters. In that regard a 270 is a full 10% larger than your 6.5mm.

Many elk are killed each year with 6.5s using good shot placement, and many people brag online each year about their kills. What you don't find online are the stories about all the elk that were wounded and lost by hunters shooting .243s, 6.5 Creedmoors, and the like. Or the prolonged tracking jobs that could have been avoided. The first elk I ever shot was with a .243. The lung shot had no apparent affect on the bull and he ran 150 yards before being shot by another hunter (my dad). It made an impression on me seeing my bullet hole in the vitals of a bull elk, and not being able to put my tag on it. That was the last time I carried a .243 for big game.

Personally I'd hunt elk with a 270 or 7mm if it were the only option. 6.5 would be a no-go. For me its 30s and 338s when elk are on the agenda.
 
Best "expert" opinion so far is to know the limitations of the round and go from there.

Obviously, you wouldn't try a shoulder shot at 600 yds with it, but 300 is doable.

I have effectively shot cows at 300 plus some change with a 110 AB .25-06.
 
3 years ago i witnessed my friend who lives in Pinedale, shoot a mature cow at 987 yards with a 6mm Ackley Improved with a 117 Sierra, 2 shots 2 hits in the lungs. When we split her opened the lungs were like jelly. granted the conditions were perfect, with no wind, which is rare in Wy. He also shoots alot,and knows his rifles capabilties.
 
Well I brought two guns with me and decided I would start hiking with the 6.5. I shot a cow at 411 yards with the 120gr. Gmx. Double lunged her. She took about 5 steps and layed down and died. Thought I would give everybody the end result.
 
congrats! I just picked up a 6.5 Creedmore and it shoots like a beauty. I agree with shot placement and knowing what your equipment's limitations is critical. My daughter uses her 7-08 for hunting and her last two big kills were one shot kills 140 grain nosler accubonds, 187 yards on a bull elk which dropped where he was standing and a bull oryx three weeks ago that she double lunged he went up the hill and died just over the top. We only take broadside shots and work to get as close to the animal as possible, her limit is about 325 but that is even pushing it.
 
My son drew a youth nm elk hunt and we leave on Thursday. It's a quality bull tag in a unit where some big bulls live. We have practicing with his 6.5MM Creed all summer. I will say his shooting has gotten a lot better and well as his confidence. He's 13 and this will be his first real big game experience. He can his a pie plate pretty consistent at 300 yards although we are shooting for a 100-150 yard opportunity. The bullet he is shooting is a hornady 143 grain ELDX. I'll report back on how it does next week ( hopefully)...
 
LAST EDITED ON Oct-14-18 AT 10:51PM (MST)[p]Nice job BeastN!

As to the 6.5, I know a guy who has his kids shoot Brown Bear in Alaska with a. 243. His theory is that shot placement trumps all else. Ultimately, he's right.

With that said, there's no excuse for shooting too far just because the round is capable. When dealing with live conditions, adrenaline, wind, a moving animal, etc... there are sometimes things we can't control.

I'd recommend taking a look at the Taylor Knockout Factor as it's a different spin on ft/lbs and KE. It might give you an idea of proper ranges for differing calibers/loads. Good luck and shoot straight everybody!

Grizzly
 
My experiences is that the 6.5 caliber kills stuff way better than it should. I love 140's out of my 6.5x284. we have killed lots of elk out to 300yds with it and they rarely make it very far.
 
I think using the Barnes bullets even better success would be realized, even if they are 15 grains lighter.
 

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