Sensible Hunting with the 6.5 Creedmoor

Finally, a sensible article on the issue of hunting with the 6.5 Creedmoor!
The latest edition of Petersen's Hunting magazine has a good article on hunting with the 6.5 Creedmoor by Craig Boddington.
As always, he breaks it down to sensible use of this cartridge and what its true hunting abilities are, compared to its target shooting abilities. He sums up the issue of velocity, energy and trajectories well and what its' sensible range for hunting elk and moose is. If people want to stretch the distance on these animals, they need more velocity and energy, period.
I sincerely hope that many long range hunters read this!

He does a good job of comparing it to other 6.5 cartridges, as well as to the 270 and 7mm calibers.

I appreciated the article as well. Perhaps it is my interpretation of what I read but there seems to be a growing trend of how low can I go and kill elk. When I was a kid, late 50s early 60s, one of the most popular cartridges among native Alaskans was the .222. Stick a moose between the ribs, he will wander up away from the bog onto dry ground and die, eventually.
Always left me shaking my head.


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salmonchaser":1r1uojrf said:

Perhaps it is my interpretation of what I read but there seems to be a growing trend of how low can I go and kill elk.

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Click to expand...

I've noticed that as well.

Guy

While on my many Elk hunting trips to Colorado I would run into other hunters some of whom carried .243's. The comment I would get is "I wait for the perfect shot, hopefully in the neck". I've had more than one of those "just shake your head and walk away moments".

I know some experienced hunters who get it done with .243/6mm. Does prove hitting even big critters right behind the shoulder has deadly effect. I’ve put bullets through elk, found chunks of heart as big as my thumb in the snow. Dang thing still went 200 yards. Such experience puts me in the bone breaking fraternity.
Regardless, then you start pushing little bullets way out there, across canyons that would take a healthy young man 1/2 day or more to cross; dang it I found a soap box.....


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When I was younger in collage and shot a real lot and was confident I carried a 25-06 heavy barrel tikka to elk hunt, that and it was the only large rifle I had. Got older worked more shot less, bought a ruger mk2 in 260, lighter gun heavier bullet. Now back in Montana for for the past couple years, after working coast to coast for nearly 20 and shooting very little, I carry a 6.5# sako in 30-06, lighter gun heavier bullet.

I was one of those head and neck shot guys when I was younger, could also hit a moving coyote off hand at 200 yds, but that's when I was also shooting silhouette. Back then I don't think I would have thought about shooting an elk past 250 yds, and a deer past 400. Now the only time the head is in the cross hairs is to make sure its the right animal and my yardage limitations are the same if not less for the deer, just cant hold as steady as I once could. Sorry didn't mean to sound like a Toby Kieth song.

And just like at work, you have to teach the younger engineers, just because "it worked on paper" or "it fit in CAD" does not mean it works or fits in the field.

I am told there was a time when an 87 gr. .25 Cal bullet from a 250 Savage was considered an Elk zapper.... Yup, I sing its praises every chance I get but it wouldn't be my choice to hunt elk with... Elk are big long legged critters. CL

Grandpa killed elk with a .25/35. I guided a lady 4 years in a row who killed 4 elk with a .25/06. Ideal conditions, two hit in the lungs required significant tracking. I just wish more guys worried about when things go wrong, a gust of wind or the elk simply takes 1/2 a step.


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salmonchaser":1fid36ip said:

Grandpa killed elk with a .25/35. I guided a lady 4 years in a row who killed 4 elk with a .25/06. Ideal conditions, two hit in the lungs required significant tracking. I just wish more guys worried about when things go wrong, a gust of wind or the elk simply takes 1/2 a step.


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Click to expand...

Can hear 'em now:

"But I ring the gong shot after shot at 800 yards"

Yup...

I sell them by the dozens at sportsman's warehouse. These dreamers of tagging elk out to 600 plus yards. When they ask my advice I say I never used mine for Elk. They ask why it can be done. My answer... I own all the Weatherby calibers.

Wayne van zwoll here. The "professional"

https://youtu.be/IOo6gprtKeA

Anybody got a link to the article?

While I really like my 6.5, I've noticed a trend of folks tackling big stuff far away. I watched a buddy nail a grizzly at 1049 yards with his...twice. It worked, but the bullet had nothing left at that range.

Most years I pack my 300 until I punch a moose tag...and some years I keep on carrying it!

Some people are getting pretty out of control with winging bullets across the tundra. I think the creedmoor is a great round, and easy to shoot but definitely not a moose/elk rifle for rangers over 400 yards.

Going over 1k on a grizzly borders on the preposterous, no matter the cartridge. I think I would have talked your buddy into get tying a lot closer. Glad it worked for him but anyone that’s crawled thru the alerts looking for a bear would probably not take such a risk.


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I think these are the kinds of things I worry about.


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Wow.... that elk my son killed at 505 yards with a .260 (127 LRX) last year... just jumped outta the freezer, reassembled itself, and ran off.

I’d way rather have a 6.5 Creed and a 127 LRX.... than an ‘06 running standard 180 grain projectiles... whether the range was 600 yards.... or 60 yards.

There’s NOTHING a .270 Winchester can do in the field.... that a 6.5 Creed can’t do.

If you can’t shoot.... a .300 RUMerby ain’t gonna kill elk any better than a 6.5 Creed... regardless of range. If you can shoot, the Creed (with good bullets) is plenty of gun for elk out to reasonable ranges. I’ve seen it on several occasions.

I hate it when that happens [emoji23]. I think the biggest problem I have is competent hunters are getting it done all the time. Challenges all my beliefs, I don’t need that at my age[emoji1]
That being said, dad killed six grizz with an 06 killed another with a 264 WM. Dad survived Chosin reservoir, was a small time prize fighter when I was born, not easily spooked. Said that bear with the 264 was the only fight he wished he hadn’t started.


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Me while, the local fella grabs another box or two of whatever, zero's his gamegetter and commences to fillin freezers.. I say there is room for all of them, and if you feel confident in the rifle and cartridge that's 99% of the hunt.

SD, great shooting on your boys part! Glad you are training him up right!