Just finished our antlerless season this evening. We took three more doe's tonight, all three with the 270 Deer Season XP. One dropped and the others ran about 40-50 yards. The one's that ran left a 3 ft. wide blood trail, no problems there (A few days old fresh snow). That puts us at 11 deer this season with that bullet alone. All 11 were taken within 135 yards and all had a fist sized exit.
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6.5 creedmoor blood trail
- Thread starter Blacklab1
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David W Strait
Member
I don't post much on here as I come to learn. However, this is a topic I happen to know a good deal about and can likely shed some light. I won't bore you with a lot of back-story...just a little. When everyone went 6.5cm crazy about 10 yrs ago I had been following it's success and was well aware of what it was doing on the range. It was also transitioning to the field with almost magical powers. Ironically at the same time I was looking to put together a light weight, grab and go hunt anything, anywhere rifle. This was to add to my nearly 30 other "hunting rifles". I settled on a Browning xbolt western hunter in 6.5cm topped off with a VX2 4-12 with a BDC reticle. The scope was a compromise to keep it under my 7.5 lbs on the shoulder loaded limit.
Brass was hard to find as was most components. I was able to find 1 box of Hornady 143 eld-x ammo and 3 boxes of Winchester Deer Season XP 125s at the nearest Cabelas. I bought them all figuring like you that I could get it on paper and Season the barrel. First 3 shot group at 100 was so close i thought I missed the paper the second and 3rd shot. I ran a box and the accuracy was better than custom rifles and handloads in my herd. Next I tried the Hornady. Not even close.
Deer season rolls around and I have over a box of the Winchester and about half a box of Hornady left. Winchester it was. Right after daylight i found a nice buck with a doe cornered in the edge of the pasture at 130yds. A quick rest off a fence post and he melted DRT. He was quartering to and the bullet entered the point of his shoulder and exited center of the offside ribs. Impressive but any decent cartridge would have done the same considering bullet placement.
Doe Season and I decide to try the Hornady ammo. Recheck POI and it was about an inch higher at 100. No problem.
Doe again quartering to me 364yds. I have a solid shooting scenario, prone off bipods with a squeeze bag. Proper reticle hold at the base of the neck. Another DRT. Bullet entered the base of the neck and lodged in the offside shoulder with a bloody mess in between. Ok this thing is starting to impress me. The next evening I'm set up on a long shot situation from our meadow across the valley to our pasture. Deer are feeding in the pasture as my son rides to me on the tractor to feed the cattle. It is bitter cold with snow. He says why don't you shoot one, too far for that thing? No it's too cold. He bets i can't make the shot. If i do he will gut her. Deal. The best shot presented at 491yds broadside. Winchester 125s were in the magazine. After a few dry-fires to insure i was solid and I loaded the chamber. A high shoulder shot and she literally fell straight down on her legs. She never even rolled over. I made him use his knife.
Ok enough boring you. I looked back and I have taken 21 deer with the Winchester Deer Season XP 125s. Every deer or bear hit in the neck and shoulders...DRT. Every one shot in the ribs ran 40-80yds with a decent blood trail but in the woods or fields they weren't hard to find. I have added a 6.5prc and it shoots the 143 eldx ammo as well as the Browning likes the Winchester. I have also added a Tikka T3 Tac A1 in 6.5cm and it shoots the Winchester very good as well. I have taken a couple long pokes with it as well but I am going to try to work on a load for it.
You also asked about blood trailing and cold weather. I run an ER. Been a critical care nurse 40yrs. Blood mist will absolutely crystallize in air or snow when it's below freezing. The phenomenon is like the videos you see of people throwing hot water into the air when it's cold out. This makes it very difficult to see. Only large globs or clots will be easily seen. Venous blood tends to drip in globs or strings making Venous blood much easier to find in really cold temperatures . That's why superficial wounds give the appearance of more blood loss when it's cold.
I think your ammo is performing just as i would anticipate, and I don't know a bullet that will consistently drop them where they stand from a lung shot through the ribs.
Hope this helps.
Brass was hard to find as was most components. I was able to find 1 box of Hornady 143 eld-x ammo and 3 boxes of Winchester Deer Season XP 125s at the nearest Cabelas. I bought them all figuring like you that I could get it on paper and Season the barrel. First 3 shot group at 100 was so close i thought I missed the paper the second and 3rd shot. I ran a box and the accuracy was better than custom rifles and handloads in my herd. Next I tried the Hornady. Not even close.
Deer season rolls around and I have over a box of the Winchester and about half a box of Hornady left. Winchester it was. Right after daylight i found a nice buck with a doe cornered in the edge of the pasture at 130yds. A quick rest off a fence post and he melted DRT. He was quartering to and the bullet entered the point of his shoulder and exited center of the offside ribs. Impressive but any decent cartridge would have done the same considering bullet placement.
Doe Season and I decide to try the Hornady ammo. Recheck POI and it was about an inch higher at 100. No problem.
Doe again quartering to me 364yds. I have a solid shooting scenario, prone off bipods with a squeeze bag. Proper reticle hold at the base of the neck. Another DRT. Bullet entered the base of the neck and lodged in the offside shoulder with a bloody mess in between. Ok this thing is starting to impress me. The next evening I'm set up on a long shot situation from our meadow across the valley to our pasture. Deer are feeding in the pasture as my son rides to me on the tractor to feed the cattle. It is bitter cold with snow. He says why don't you shoot one, too far for that thing? No it's too cold. He bets i can't make the shot. If i do he will gut her. Deal. The best shot presented at 491yds broadside. Winchester 125s were in the magazine. After a few dry-fires to insure i was solid and I loaded the chamber. A high shoulder shot and she literally fell straight down on her legs. She never even rolled over. I made him use his knife.
Ok enough boring you. I looked back and I have taken 21 deer with the Winchester Deer Season XP 125s. Every deer or bear hit in the neck and shoulders...DRT. Every one shot in the ribs ran 40-80yds with a decent blood trail but in the woods or fields they weren't hard to find. I have added a 6.5prc and it shoots the 143 eldx ammo as well as the Browning likes the Winchester. I have also added a Tikka T3 Tac A1 in 6.5cm and it shoots the Winchester very good as well. I have taken a couple long pokes with it as well but I am going to try to work on a load for it.
You also asked about blood trailing and cold weather. I run an ER. Been a critical care nurse 40yrs. Blood mist will absolutely crystallize in air or snow when it's below freezing. The phenomenon is like the videos you see of people throwing hot water into the air when it's cold out. This makes it very difficult to see. Only large globs or clots will be easily seen. Venous blood tends to drip in globs or strings making Venous blood much easier to find in really cold temperatures . That's why superficial wounds give the appearance of more blood loss when it's cold.
I think your ammo is performing just as i would anticipate, and I don't know a bullet that will consistently drop them where they stand from a lung shot through the ribs.
Hope this helps.
Last edited:
Clem Bronkoski
Well-Known Member
All hail the 6.5CM!
Really I can't complain about mine. It usually puts the bullets where I want them and the critters don't have time to complain.
My all time favorite cartridge is the 270 Win but the little CM is gaining ground every time I use it.
Really I can't complain about mine. It usually puts the bullets where I want them and the critters don't have time to complain.
My all time favorite cartridge is the 270 Win but the little CM is gaining ground every time I use it.
