I’ve been with Creed now for a year and yes I’m a fan. Not crazy like where I’ve sold everything else but it is very fun to shoot. Accurate, minimal recoil and, Michigan allows hunting coyotes at night with a center fire rifle.269” or less. I’ve loaded/shot 143’s,140’s and 129’s all in hunting bullets except some 140 gr BTHP’s. All have shot bug hole groups @100. I’m looking for a 120-ish target/vermin bullet for shooting targets and vermin. Thinking a ballistic tip or RDF bullet. Just something to screw off with that is accurate,deadly on critters and affordable.
Favorite goofing off bullet for the 6.5 Creedmoor
- Thread starter Brinky72
- Start date
147 ELD buddy. I’ve really gotten to like it a whole lot. 2750 is easy to get to with most normal powders, opens great, penetrates well and someday I may catch one in a deer but for now I am completely happy with just finding well killed animals with 2 holes. It’s insanely accurate in my rifle and pretty affordable as well. The combo really makes it hard to hate the 6.5 CM. .697 BC doesn’t hurt for shooting in the breeze either.
Cleveland48
Handloader
- Jul 28, 2015
- 1,972
- 166
I've started messing with the 123 grain ELDM. Pushing it at 3,000 fps. Did great at 500 yards last weekend, and groups great at 100. It might replace my faithful load of 140 Nosler custom competions at 2780 fps. I can only shoot to 500 yards so to that distance the 123's are still quite a bit flatter. Have yet to try the RDF bullets. In my other 6.5 creedmoor I shot alot of the old 120 grain matchkings. They dont have the super high BC of newer bullets but they shot amazing.
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- Nov 4, 2004
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You could also shoot the 120 gr BT seconds from SPS. You could stock up on them when they are on sale.
JD338
JD338
For a 120 gr bullet for the .264s for a game bullet like deer it is hard to beat the Nosler BT. I have killed a bunch of deer with it out of my 6.5x55. The 120 Sierra Pro Hunter is also a really good bullet for a flat base bullet and cost much less than the BTs. I depends on how long of shots you will be taking on varmints but the 100 gr Sierra HP is WICKED on impact and very accurate. I have not shot any but as has already been suggested the Hornady 120 or 123 ELD-M are reported to be very accurate and will double as a light game bullet. I have shot the Hornady 123 SST in two different 6.5 Grendel rifles and neither shot this bullet to what I call accurate either in factory ammo or any of my handloads. Others have reported the same experience with it.
The 129 ABLR's are a pretty good deal from the pro shop. I won't use them on animals anymore but I've been able to get them to shoot very well in several rifles with several different powders. Good bullet for goofing off and busting rocks, smacking steel etc...I think the 120 ballistic tip is a better choice if you want to goof off and hunt with it. Midway occasionally has the eld x bullets as seconds at great prices, as stated it's a nice all rounder too.
Well, let me edit that statement to say that I prefer not to use it on my food anymore. The kids and I were lucky enough to draw antelope this past season, I recently acquired the creedmoor bug and that's what we chose to use.
The bucks on the right and left were taken with 129 gr ablr's, rl 16 averaging 2940 fps, we used the same rifle. Buck on the left was taken at 210, buck on theright at about 300. Both bucks were hit just behind/touching onside shoulder. In both cases both shoulders and briskets were completely destroyed and wrecked, fragments were found throughout, bulk of projectile exited. Both animals required a walk up shot to the neck. I was pretty bummed that I had to throw the front ends away on both critters. My daughter shot the buck in the middle at about 180 yards, 120 gr ballistic tip over rl17, averaging 3040 fps in her rifle. Shot quartering towards us, dropped at shot and quickly expired. Trauma around entry and exit but was able to salvage most of onside shoulder and ribs on exit side. The ablr kills animals and is probable a great bullet at extreme ranges (as the name implies) but seems to be way to fragile for my tastes at what I consider to be a normal operating range. Your mileage will vary and I'm not condemning it. I was experimenting with a new to me projectile and I learned something. I have taken many many animals with bt's, ab's and partitions and love them because of their effectiveness and predictability. I'll continue to shoot up my huge stash of ablr's, I feel that the regular ab's and bt's are more solid performers on game.
The bucks on the right and left were taken with 129 gr ablr's, rl 16 averaging 2940 fps, we used the same rifle. Buck on the left was taken at 210, buck on theright at about 300. Both bucks were hit just behind/touching onside shoulder. In both cases both shoulders and briskets were completely destroyed and wrecked, fragments were found throughout, bulk of projectile exited. Both animals required a walk up shot to the neck. I was pretty bummed that I had to throw the front ends away on both critters. My daughter shot the buck in the middle at about 180 yards, 120 gr ballistic tip over rl17, averaging 3040 fps in her rifle. Shot quartering towards us, dropped at shot and quickly expired. Trauma around entry and exit but was able to salvage most of onside shoulder and ribs on exit side. The ablr kills animals and is probable a great bullet at extreme ranges (as the name implies) but seems to be way to fragile for my tastes at what I consider to be a normal operating range. Your mileage will vary and I'm not condemning it. I was experimenting with a new to me projectile and I learned something. I have taken many many animals with bt's, ab's and partitions and love them because of their effectiveness and predictability. I'll continue to shoot up my huge stash of ablr's, I feel that the regular ab's and bt's are more solid performers on game.
- Nov 4, 2004
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That's much different than what we experienced. My wife popped a big 3.5 yr old doe last December with her Kimber Hunter 6.5 Creedmoor and the 129 gr ABLR at about 40 yards. She hit her behind the left shoulder and the bullet exited the back of the rib cage on of off side leaving an exit wound about the size of a dime. Toasted the lungs but that was it. Perfect performance.
JD338
JD338
Attachments
That’s pretty interesting Tobey. I didn’t see anything like that with the 147’s I shot this fall. But I’d bet my exits were between a quarter and 1/2 dollar in size with everything between them mushed up. Those only started at about 2775 though.
Jim May have seen the same thing since his 129’s were started in the 2700-2800 range? No clue but good info.
Jim May have seen the same thing since his 129’s were started in the 2700-2800 range? No clue but good info.
Tobey284":pgdgmwkl said:
I would’ve done the same. I was by no mean criticizing you buddy. What Bullets do on game is cool stuff to me and I enjoy learning from others. As much as I’ve wanted to, I haven’t fallen in love with ABLRs. Really looking forward to the 150 AB .277 and .284. I believe those are going to make me smile.
I certainly didn't take it that way, as a hunter and reloader I too am a traumalogist (new word), on game performance is always of interest, I get annoyed with the guys I reload for when they say there was no exit wound yet they don't recover the bullet for me, I want to see what happened! I agree with the 150 Accubonds, it could be the new all rounder for the 280
TackDriver284
Handloader
- Feb 13, 2016
- 2,613
- 2,297
I love Ballistic Tips and Accubonds and have hunted with them in the 7mm and .308 but haven't , yet, in my 6.5 Creedmoor but plan to soon. I also got 4 boxes of 143 ELD X and 147 ELD M on the shelf. Haven't bought the Ballistic Tips or the Accubonds for the Creedmoor yet until I try out the accuracy of those Hornady's and see. This season I'll be using my 6.5 Creedmoor, hopefully. The only drawback is its a heavy rifle with that ATACR, lol
I have been goofing off on targets with the 140 Berger Hybrids with it, it was the only bullet I used, silly accurate as well but won't use it on game.
I have been goofing off on targets with the 140 Berger Hybrids with it, it was the only bullet I used, silly accurate as well but won't use it on game.
- Thread starter
- #18
Thanks for all the feedback. Seems like whatever bullet I pick I can’t go wrong. Imagine that, I think that was the intent of the design of the Creedmoor.
I guess my one question would be for those of you that have run the lighter/shorter 6.5 bullets out of the Creedmoor. Is there any issues reaching the rifling/throat with lighter bullets as in do you end up with excessive jump due to it’s design?
I guess my one question would be for those of you that have run the lighter/shorter 6.5 bullets out of the Creedmoor. Is there any issues reaching the rifling/throat with lighter bullets as in do you end up with excessive jump due to it’s design?
- Thread starter
- #19
TackDriver284":2r66k9v5 said:
I have a bunch of 143 ELDX’s loaded up for my Creedmoor and used it last year for hunting. I smoked a young eight point Whitetail last year here in Michigan that dressed out at just over 180#. The shot was just past scorching distance from the muzzeblast and he made a small half circle and fell over dead. Sample of one and not much of a test I suppose as I could have knocked him over with a 22LR at that distance but they work. I get good accuracy with a max book charge of RL17 and Federal large rifle standard Match primers. I’m shooting a Savage Axis for now......waiting on my Tikka T3 SL.
