6mm Creedmoor first elk hunt

See posts 208 and 210 , they look real elkie !

I posted this in the other dumpter fire but since this thread is about elk here it is again. My wife's bull from a few weeks ago. 6 Creed, 105 HVLD, 580 yards, zero drama. Bull didn't go 10 yards. I'm guessing he forgot to put on the Kevlar that elk normally wear?

khart1988 said:

Whatever you say, brother.

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What khart1988 said is actually 100% accurate. The scapula thickness on deer, elk, and moose vary by small percentages, and hundreds have been killed with as small a caliber as a .224 with shots that all zipped right through their mythical "impenetrable" scapula with excellent designed bullets (ELD-M, Sierra TMK).

I asked numerous elk outfitters what cartridge they recommended for hunting elk. The almost universal answer was to us a 300mag of any given flavor. Take that for whatever it's worth. I use a 30 Nosler.

IMO, why take chances with lesser cartridges?

Varmint Hunter said:

I asked numerous elk outfitters what cartridge they recommended for hunting elk. The almost universal answer was to us a 300mag of any given flavor. Take that for whatever it's worth. I use a 30 Nosler.

IMO, why take chances with lesser cartridges?

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Because the terminal ballistics of bullets kill big game, not cartridges.
The same outfitters will also tell you universal stories of misses or wounded and lost animals at the hands of their clients with their magnums shooting 170 grain class + bullets. Had they been shooting a cartridge they could shoot accurately with added stressors of the hunt in the wild vs the bench at the range, those stories would reduce by a large margin.

Fenix Outdoors said:

Because the terminal ballistics of bullets kill big game, not cartridges.
The same outfitters will also tell you endless stories of misses or wounded and lost animals at the hands of their clients with their magnums shooting 170 grain class + bullets. Had they been shooting a cartridge they could shoot accurately with added stressors of the hunt in the wild vs the bench at the range, those stories would reduce by a large margin.

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So basically we are back to recoil. I mean really you can't shoot a 300 mag 1-3 time with accuracy? Basically it should be 1 shot for the most part after that it's game on more is going into play now than just shooting accurate. Pretty much cut and dried if your a ***** shoot the light cartridges you have better accuracy .
Anyone who thinks a 6mm 24" barrel 108 ELD-M going 3078fps has a bigger wound channel than a 28 nos 24" barrel 162 ELD-M going 3205 fps or a 300 WM 24"barrel 178 ELD-M going 3170 fps is a fool.
Also both the 7and 300 have better BALLISTIC COEFFICIENTS.
All being equal above 24" barrel which is a slightly disadvantage to 28/300
One of the heaviest bullet for 6mm and it has to be special 1-8 twist.
28/300 normal twist.
Highest velocities selected for each.

If you have access to a 7mm just do that. Don't take a chance on smaller bullet.

Elkbuster said:

If you have access to a 7mm just do that. Don't take a chance on smaller bullet.

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If you shoot your 6mm accurately, just do that. Don't take chances on anything else.

Fenix Outdoors said:

What khart1988 said is actually 100% accurate. The scapula thickness on deer, elk, and moose vary by small percentages, and hundreds have been killed with as small a caliber as a .224 with shots that all zipped right through their mythical "impenetrable" scapula with excellent designed bullets (ELD-M, Sierra TMK).

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Extremely good point! Unless one hits the knuckle bone which I've seen done exactly once in well over 100 elk observed taken and on that one said elk was so sick it just sat there for a second until the 2nd shot took it down.

People truly make way freaking too big of a deal regarding how tough it is to punch thru the shoulder of an elk and get the bullet into the lungs. I've done it with the 63 Sierra out of my 22/250 and with the 60 Horn HP. The most recent was taken at 308 yds, bullet in behind the front left and exited the right front, that was a 63. Said volunteer took several steps and pitched over. And keep this in mind before you all start climbing all over my mentions of the Big 22's on game. They're not for everyone, they're not for all circumstances. Just like bowhunting one has limitations but then we all have our limitations in many ways. Many people are just too jumpy or excitable to have the cool and calm to be a predator.

The next thing that people (generally those with little elk killing experience) like to parrot is what some guide or outfitter thinks people should be using on elk. Not ALL but a great many guides and outfitters are incredibly uneducated when it comes to bullets/cartridges that people use and yet people have a tendency to take what they say as gospel...... Now the 300's are wonderful machines but I've found for the ranges most work within the Big 7's are an easier choice to deal with.

Personally I'm a huge Big 7 fan, my choice is the 7 Mashburn Super. I've got mine set up with Premier dots to 700 yds and feel very comfy going to that range. I've generally used the 150 NBT, it's done well for me. I've used many other bullets on elk, and I do like the 120 TTSX and the 150 Scenar.

There was a time though when I used a 340 Wby (700, Brown, Schneider, Leo), it weighed 8.25 lbs ready to go. I wore out two barrels with it shooting chucks etc out to 700 yds. I went back to the Big 7's as I haven't seen how the 340 does it any better and yet it's a pretty chippy bugger in a light rifle sans brake or a can.

Day in and day out we've found the 270 to be very tough to beat. One of my best friends took 17 elk with 18 rounds using his old 270 and 130 Sierra BT's. Farthest shot was 650, it took 2 steps and pitched over.

Lots of ways to skin an elk...

Also the 212's didn't work out no accuracy.
Loaded some 200 Accubonds RL16
2950 out of 20" barrel 300 WSM that's going to be a cutting holes at 100.
Load some more try out to 500.
My poor shoulder hurts so bad from shooting this big ole gun . Grow some .

Fenix Outdoors said:

If you shoot your 6mm accurately, just do that. Don't take chances on anything else.

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If that were the case, if he shoots his .22 rifle better should he use that for elk. People claim to have taken elk with a .22 caliber but it doesn't mean you should.

Elkbuster said:

If you have access to a 7mm just do that. Don't take a chance on smaller bullet.

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Would you be confident using a rifle you have little experience with on a hunt? Borrowing sounds nice, but unless OP has a decent amount of time to shoot and familiarize himself with the rifle and ballistics, he's no better off just because it's a larger cartridge.

If he shoots his 6 CM very well, it will definitely kill an elk.

With all of the "what if" situations being discussed (quartering too much, too much wind, distance, etc) it sure makes it seem like you need at least a 338 RUM to kill any elk.

P.S. - you don't.