hunting elk with a 6.5 creedoor

[kwgold533]

I am thinking about sponsoring a table at one of the Colorado RMEF banquets and by doing so I will receive a Kimber 6.5 Creedmoor rifle. f I look in the Colorado hunting regulations, I see it is legal to hunt elk with a 85 grain bullet that produces 1,000 ft-pounds at 100 yards. The creedmoor with about any grain bullet, yet all I see when reading about the creedmoor is its accuracy and being a good round for coyotes. What would be the BEST bullet for elk hunting?

 

[Cleveland48]

There have been a lot of people cleanly take elk with the 6.5 CM. The Scandinavians have been harvesting moose with the old 6.5x55 for over a century. I think any good bullet from a reputable maker will be fine. Even the standard cup and core bullets in my experience hold up great and penetrate deep at the moderate speeds most 6.5’s operate at. Now I’ve never killed an elk, but I belong to a lot of 6.5 CM pages. And those guys harvest them cleanly. A lot have been using the 143 ELD-X. If I were going I’d prolly look into the 130-140 Accubonds, 140 Partition, 129 interbond. Also wouldn’t look past the 120 TTSX either. The cartridge pretty much kills well outside what it’s paper ballistics say.


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[gerry]

I am thinking about sponsoring a table at one of the Colorado RMEF banquets and by doing so I will receive a Kimber 6.5 Creedmoor rifle. f I look in the Colorado hunting regulations, I see it is legal to hunt elk with a 85 grain bullet that produces 1,000 ft-pounds at 100 yards. The creedmoor with about any grain bullet, yet all I see when reading about the creedmoor is its accuracy and being a good round for coyotes. What would be the BEST bullet for elk hunting?

Welcome to the forum.

I wouldn't hesitate hunting for large animals like elk or moose with cartridges in the 6.5 Creedmoor class. A 120 gr E Tip or TTSX if you are into mono bullets would work well or any premium bullet from the 125 gr Partition or 130 gr AccuBond on up. Lot's of bullets can do the job. If pressed on only one bullet the 156 gr Norma Oryx would be my choice with one of the tougher 140's being a close second. We have used the 260 Rem, 6.5x55 and 264 Win Mag for years and know they work very well on game. So far we have shot nothing bigger than black bears with a 6.5 mm but I'm sure not going to pass up a shot on a moose or elk if holding the 260 Rem. My wife's only rifle is the 6.5x55 and we have no doubt that it can do the job on bigger animals.

 

[IdahoCTD]

My dad shot his cow elk this year with his 6.5 Creedmoor with a 147gr ELD-M pushed by R-26 this year. It was 400yds and collapsed at the shot.

 

[Blkram]

I shot a cow elk at over 300 yards several years ago with a 6.5x55 and 140 gr Partition. It took 3 rounds, but was more due to bullet placement than bullet performance. I took a young bull moose with my Creedmoor and the 143 ELD-X bullet two weeks years ago at 20 yards.

With the Creedmoor I would opt for 140 grains or heavier and wait for the right shot presentation at reasonable range on elk.

 

[35 Whelen]

We used the 6.5x55 (basically same thing)for years on Moose and it works nicely if you do your part, mostly with 156gr Normas.
The 6.5 Sweede went to New Zealand with me and I found
It to be very capable on big Red Stag, and we never had a problem. I have actually never shot an Elk with the little Sweede but most certainly woundnt even give it a second
thought.......... If you whack an Elk with a 6.5 CM with a good bullet, (143 ELD-X ???)your going to get a chance to stick a fork in him! One of the guides in Elk camp back in the late 80s
On a hunt in the Bob Marshall lugged an old beat up Sweede , someone had stuck a old Fajen stock on it in the early 60's and never finished it! It was unsanded and still had the rough machine marks all over it! He told me it was
"Customized" and that he and his brother had shot dozens
Of elk with it over the past 25 years and that nothing worked better!!!

 

[garasi]

We used the 6.5x55 (basically same thing)for years on Moose and it works nicely if you do your part, mostly with 156gr Normas.
The 6.5 Sweede went to New Zealand with me and I found
It to be very capable on big Red Stag, and we never had a problem. I have actually never shot an Elk with the little Sweede but most certainly woundnt even give it a second
thought.......... If you whack an Elk with a 6.5 CM with a good bullet, your going to get a chance to stick a fork in him! One of the guides in Elk camp back in the late 80s
On a hunt in the Bob Marshall lugged an old beat up Sweede , someone had stuck a old Fajen stock on it in the early 60's and never finished it! It was unsanded and still had the rough machine marks all over it! He told me it was
"Customized" and that he and his brother had shot dozens
Of elk with it over the past 25 years and that nothing worked better!!!

There is big different between this two caliber. It is impossible to stabilise 156 gr in 1:9.8 inch

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[JD338]

I would look at the 140 gr AB or PT.

JD338

 

[kwgold533]

Thanks a lot for all the responses. I went ahead and purchased the table. I have killed many elk with my 6mm rem. 30-06, 300 win mag, and 300 H&H, but lately (last 14 years hunted archery) The 6.5 CM investment was for my daughter. Much information on how the kick was about like a .223. This would be good for her and she is a darn good shot. She needs to harvest her first elk. Thanks again guys this was very helpful.

 

[JD338]

Good luck at the show and best wishes to your daughter!

JD338

 

[FOTIS]

140 AccuBond at 2700 fps

 

[.300winmag]

140 AccuBond or 130gr TSX Are the only Bullets I’d consider for a creedmoor. the 6.5 Creed is very light for elk in my opinion, I’ve seen elk soak up hits from .300 Win Mag with 200+gr Bullets.

 

[cloverleaf]

If I remember correctly from my reading "Mr (WDM) Bell" killed all kinds of elephants and other critters with a 6.5x55 and a 7x57. Lots of good bullets out there. Grab one and your elk tag. But what do I know, I aint never shot an ELK? Dad took a 7Mag loaded w/ 130 Gr Speers after elk cause he always knew where they were gonna go. CL

http://www.chuckhawks.com/bell_elephants.htm

 

[SJB358]

140 AccuBond or 130gr TSX Are the only Bullets I’d consider for a creedmoor. the 6.5 Creed is very light for elk in my opinion, I’ve seen elk soak up hits from .300 Win Mag with 200+gr Bullets.

Amen to that. I always say, if I had to hunt with the 6.5 CM or similar, I'd be using a pretty danged stout bullet after seeing bulls and cow elk chew up Partitions and similar from 300 magnums and other bigger cartridges. I'd also say it depends on what kind of elk you are shooting. If you are shooting elk in the low lands and have more opportunity, you could get by just fine with a smaller rifle since you have the chance to pass up hard angles and such. If your hunting them where you may only get a chance or maybe two in a hunt, I'd rather have something with more oomph.

 

[nomosendero]

My Wife harvested an AR Bull Elk last fall with her 6.5 Creedmoor. Certainly not long range, it was a shoulder to shoulder with an exit with the 140 Partition. I loaded them to 2825 fps with RL26. She also took a decent Whitetail.
Several years ago she harvested an Elk with her 6.5x55, again with the 140 Part, in this case 2725fps, same results, shoulder to shoulder and exit. She has taken several Whitetail with that load.
To me it's a proven set up, not just her experience but others I know about. I would only say to limit range, many go 400+, we decided 300 as a safe maximum from the standpoint of energy and terminal effect, just to be safe. For long shots I would rather have a 300 for Elk

 

[Cleveland48]

My Wife harvested an AR Bull Elk last fall with her 6.5 Creedmoor. Certainly not long range, it was a shoulder to shoulder with an exit with the 140 Partition. I loaded them to 2825 fps with RL26. She also took a decent Whitetail.
Several years ago she harvested an Elk with her 6.5x55, again with the 140 Part, in this case 2725fps, same results, shoulder to shoulder and exit. She has taken several Whitetail with that load.
To me it's a proven set up, not just her experience but others I know about. I would only say to limit range, many go 400+, we decided 300 as a safe maximum from the standpoint of energy and terminal effect, just to be safe. For long shots I would rather have a 300 for Elk

Certainly hard to argue with those results!


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