6.5s for Elk

[Hornseeker]

Thanks again everyone.
I'll get a 6.5 or two in the safe I'm betting.


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[GKPrice]

Not to beat a dead horse, however.....lol.
A elephant skull at 40 yards with a 6.5 or 7 is no small feat. That is alot of bone! So why wouldn't it stop a soft target at a farther range with proper placement?

Elephant skulls aren't particularly thick - haven't heard of anyone shooting a Cape Buffalo with one lately

 

[Shooter19802003]

No I wouldn't consider a 6.5 for a dangerous Game rifle, but I don't think anybody is. Elk aren't bullet proof.

 

[Hornseeker]

So in the little bit of reading I've done on Bell, he actually DID shoot Cape buffalo with the 6.5.



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[Shooter19802003]

Now I have to admit that would be scary and not even I would advocate such. However, I'm sure he was backed up by several big doubles. Just guessing on that, but prolly a safe bet.

 

[GKPrice]

So in the little bit of reading I've done on Bell, he actually DID shoot Cape buffalo with the 6.5.



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Hmmm... wonder what the details were ? all that proves is that I don't know everything and I already knew that

 

[GKPrice]

Now I have to admit that would be scary and not even I would advocate such. However, I'm sure he was backed up by several big doubles. Just guessing on that, but prolly a safe bet.

or at least one anyway ... those were the days before minimum cartridge rules and a lot of other common sense advancements as well

 

[Shooter19802003]

That I agree with. Most countries 375 is minimum.....or at least it was. Which is wayyyyy over kill on a duiker or bush buck. Those were also the days of do what you can with what you have though. Alot of guys were just using surplus. Surplus guns and surplus ammo. Because it was affordable and available or if you worked for the government.....it is what they gave you.

 

[Shooter19802003]

I think most of his shooting was done with surplus fmj ammo......which is far from my first pick. However, you play the hand your delta. Especially considering woodleigh bullets are prolly 10 time the cost he was paying per round.

 

[Hornseeker]

Bit off the 6.5 for elk topic, but it's all good!!

W.D.M. Bell and His Elephants


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[Hornseeker]

And it doesn't say he used the 65 on buff, but with as many as he killed and knowing he carried the 65 a fair bit, I think it's likely.


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[GKPrice]

I think most of his shooting was done with surplus fmj ammo......which is far from my first pick. However, you play the hand your delta. Especially considering woodleigh bullets are prolly 10 time the cost he was paying per round.

I think we all can agree on that ... back in Bell's day in Africa if you didn't shoot something that started with a 4 or even 5 you probably got laughed at - the world has certainly changed where rifles and chamberings/calibers are concerned - my responses about Bell are more about what and how "HE" did it and the perspective we now have today about such things - It was "accepted" by most then and the "white hunters" of yesterday were and often still are elevated to "hero" status - I always gravitated toward "Death in the Tall Grass" and the man eater hunters (who were sometimes one in the same with the former)

 

[Shooter19802003]

You know what's funny....I still shoot a 375 h&h as my primary. Heck, I even shot a few coyote with it. I am building a 6.5 hipster though...lol.
I do agree on the hero stays thing. My point there was just combating the new magnum craze.....can't stand it. If you want to shoot one.....fine. just don't tell me the non magnums bounce of deer and simply won't kill......can't stand that. However, like alot of things go in life....just because you can, don't mean you should. Use discretion and know the limits of yourself and your equipment. Those old safari books make for one helluva good read though. I did get to shoot a friend's Farquharson in 600 ne. Soooo sweet. Also got to shoot his 4 bore and 8 bore BP rifles. I will have a 505 gibbs before too long......I'm a nostalgic kinda guy.

 

[backcountry1pr]

Any new reports from this season? Thanks-

 

[Hogkane]

I've taken a lot of my game with a 264 win mag. The rifle was a 300 win mag. I shot everything (rocks, dirt clods, crows, coyotes, game, etc) with that rifle for several years and developed a terrible flinch doing it. I ended up re-barreling it to 264 win mag and have loved it ever since. I used the Nosler 140gr Accubond loaded to 3000fps for years with great results. I switched in 2012 to the 140gr Berger VLD as I increased my comfortable range and found a slower but very consistent load at 2914fps and have taken several animals with it. None have gone far after a hit with the Berger but few have exited. The bullets perform very differently but do the job.

I've never shot an elk with the 264 win mag but have with a 270 win and a 150gr Partition and later a 140gr Accubond. I would not be afraid to elk hunt with the 6.5mm 140 Accubond for sure. That said I currently use a bigger rifle.

My 264 weighs 10.5lbs with scope, ammo, sling, ready to hunt. I use it for antelope, whitetail, and all deer in flatter country. My other main rifle is a 7.25lb ready to hunt 300 win mag. I got one built with a better stock and muzzle brake that doesn't beat me. I will use it on mountain muleys, elk, and a moose hunt I have lined up for next year. I shoot 180gr Accubonds from it at 2956fps. Places where tough shot angles and bigger, heavier bones may be encountered I trust the Accubond more from my years of using them. Places where wind drift and long range consistency are more important than horsepower I like the 264 with the Berger.

That's the best set up I've heard so far last two sentences are spot on.

 

[awildswanger]

Yep. My daughter shot a small "doe" with the 6.5 CM from 375 yards and a factory Hornady 143gr ELD-X. The bullet didn't even make it all the way through her. We found the core separated from the jacket under the offside skin......broadside shot, and no bone except ribs. I expected better than that. My next step is to load up some TTSX's and see how they do. But I wouldn't even consider the ELD-X's on an elk after seeing how they did on a small doe.

How was the meat damage? Travel far or DRT?

 

[BigskyRF]

Had a few buddies drop some bulls this year 500-800 yards with ELDX and a 6.5 creed. I personally havent shot one with a 6.5 but they all said they were DRT

 

[prm]

Not many animals will do well if a 6.5 bullet goes zipping through the heart. The bull I shot with a 6.5 140gn VLD died rather quickly. I really don't know how to quantify the difference to those shot with .338 bullets. The .338s make a more audible smack sound maybe? I am always impressed with the damage done by a .338, but it's not like any difference changes whether the animal lives or dies, or really even how quickly. Not that I've shot enough to arrive at a statistical conclusion, but with either they drop on the spot if CNS is hit, both will live 6-10 seconds with a heart shot and lungs only are about the same, perhaps a few seconds longer.