6.5 CM for Elk

Kramer588

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I am wondering what the consensus is on using a 6.5 Creedmoor for elk, i already have a 6.5 and plan to use it on my first cow elk hunt this December in SW Wyoming. I also plan to use the gun on my annual western deer hunt. Im loading 143 grain eldx bullets, i know this setup is great on deer but wondering the kind of range to stick to with a cow elk. The other question i am curious about, what would be the best caliber to have for a annual deer hunt, with an elk hunt thrown in every 3-5 years?
 

bsnedeker

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I am wondering what the consensus is on using a 6.5 Creedmoor for elk, i already have a 6.5 and plan to use it on my first cow elk hunt this December in SW Wyoming. I also plan to use the gun on my annual western deer hunt. Im loading 143 grain eldx bullets, i know this setup is great on deer but wondering the kind of range to stick to with a cow elk. The other question i am curious about, what would be the best caliber to have for a annual deer hunt, with an elk hunt thrown in every 3-5 years?

Nope, those little things will just bounce right off an elk!

Kidding...I would highly advise you to not overthink this (which has a tendency to happy on the internet!)....put one in the engine compartment and there is no animal on this continent you can't kill with a 6.5 creed. Pick a caliber you can shoot comfortably and accurately and PRACTICE. For me it's .270 Win.
 
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Nope, those little things will just bounce right off an elk!

Kidding...I would highly advise you to not overthink this (which has a tendency to happy on the internet!)....put one in the engine compartment and there is no animal on this continent you can't kill with a 6.5 creed. Pick a caliber you can shoot comfortably and accurately and PRACTICE. For me it's .270 Win.

X's 2.....

If you were starting from scratch a 270 sounds like it would be about ideal for you but since you already own a 6.5 it should work just fine. Running the quick numbers for a 140gr partition in 6.5 you'd be good to 400 (and likely beyond). Guessing the 143eldx will be similar if not a little bette.r
 

Wapiti1

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You're fine out to 400 yards with that setup IMO. Pick your shot carefully and put it in the lungs.

Your second question will get some interesting answers. You could just stick with your Creedmor, but I will never discourage a firearms purchase. So, I would look at 30-06, 7mm Rem Mag, and .300 Win Mag. Some guys like something smaller (.270, 7mm-08, .308, 6.5 CM, etc), some like something at least .30 and a magnum. These three will do what you want, just pick the recoil level you are comfortable with.

My three suggestions have three considerations in common: first they pack enough punch, second you will always find ammo for them, third every rifle maker chambers them and you have the largest selection to choose a rifle from.

Jeremy
 

amassi

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The old breed was 30 caliber belted magnums or bust
I think that stemmed from
- shoulder shot placement(gotta bust em down right?!?)
- bullet selection, not nearly as good as today
- american fascination with magnums.

The 6.5 creedmoor, 7mm-08 are 2 diminutive cartridges in comparison to a 300 win mag, let alone ultra mags
But they are both incredibly lethal, sort of "fear the man with 1 rifle" idea. Placement would be key, maybe consider a mono or bonded bullet for insurance?
After watching a wave of critters fall to a creedmoor the last 5 years I wouldn't hesitate to jump on that bandwagon for big game hunting if my 6.5 dance card wasnt already full. Especially considering the industries support and love affair of aforementioned 6.5cm

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OP
Kramer588

Kramer588

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Id like to be able to shoot as far as ethically possible, so if that’s 400 I’d shoot that far, if a different bullet would let me shoot a little farther I’d entertain the idea of switching
 

ckleeves

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I personally wouldn’t stretch a creed much past 400 on elk but that’s just me. If I was expecting to shoot in the 400 yard range I would probably load the 143 eld-X, 147 eld-m or the 140 Berger hybrid hunter or VLD.

Closer range accubonds are tough to beat.

If your cow hunting every few years I don’t know if I would worry about buying a new rifle (unless you want!)

If you start going more often, shooting further etc then there are certainly better elk cartridges then the creed. I don’t know if there is a “best”, pick something that has what your looking for whether that be Ammo availability, ballistics, what rifles it’s chambered in, how much recoil etc.


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2five7

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+1 on what everyone else has said, that 6.5 is plenty capable of killing Elk, even big Bulls, out to 500 or so provided you can shoot it straight. Any of the good 140's will work great.
 
OP
Kramer588

Kramer588

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It will be a mix of cow and bull hunts, but some hunts may also be archery, so im probably looking at about a one in 5 year rifle hunt schedule. I will stick with the 6.5 for now and if the frequency of my hunts increases, looks like i get to go rifle shopping!
 
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Getting beyond four hondo the numbers start to dip below what the industry says is acceptable energy for lethality on elk. That said I don't buy into those numbers much.... but at some point you do have to know your limits....

Bullet preference is all relative. With your eldx at some point you'll have to worry about it opening. But that's the case with any bullet, everything has it's limitations. With mono's, velocity needs to stay up it seems for max performance. I don't know where that magic number is in your setup but likely around that 400 Mark? Someone else with more experience in the creed on elk could probably weigh in better

I'm partial to accubonds and partitions myself, especially when shooting standard loading like 308 and what have you. I know they'll perform at any distance close or further out... not saying you should, just what I do
 

HuntHarder

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From what I hear about the creedmoor, you should be golden to 1 mile. ;) In all seriousness, as everyone else has said, I would set my max around 400 yards and with a shot to the boiler, the elk will not go far. Shot placement TRUMPS Kinetic energy.
 

JWP58

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Well from what I hear a certain rokslide honcho oversaw an elk dumped by a 6mm kreedmire...with an extra .5mm you're golden.

I kinda want a 6 kreed myself now..
 
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No love for the 7mm-08?

I've been researching a few rifles for western mule deer, antelope, elk (when not archery), etc..trying to cover the broadest range of animals I can, much like the OP.. and have been wondering about the 7mm-08.
 

teamvit

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I heard 12 year old girls can do it at 450 yards with a 260 so you should be golden...



Cinch,

I haven't been home for 2 weeks and I am a little concerned my 260 has gone missing........Nice rifle.

I have taken aoudad and oryx in NM and a bear in AZ with 260rem. I will take mine elk hunting when I get the chance

Matt

0Xm8c03.jpg
 

Cinch

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Well from what I hear a certain rokslide honcho oversaw an elk dumped by a 6mm kreedmire...with an extra .5mm you're golden.

I kinda want a 6 kreed myself now..

You know it was only a matter of time...
 

Cinch

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Cinch,

I haven't been home for 2 weeks and I am a little concerned my 260 has gone missing........Nice rifle.

I have taken aoudad and oryx in NM and a bear in AZ with 260rem. I will take mine elk hunting when I get the chance

Matt

0Xm8c03.jpg

Very nice... I killed my bull the day after my daughter at 500 yards with the same rifle... I have 100% confidence in a 260/6.5cm...
 
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