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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Congrats all around.
David W Strait
Active 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.
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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.
Wilderness Blacktail
Well-Known Member
It could affect the hunters ability to track on bare ground as frozen ground is diff in color n texture than warm ground but not otherwise. The blood would still flow out of the animal as much since it is body temperature.
It is always a pleasure to hear about this much success. Thanks for sharing your real-world experience with the subjects in question.
I made a thread about the sissy rifle so I wouldn't have to read it here. Some just can't resist.I never thought about that, maybe if I adjusted the warp core inverter and fine tuned the inertial damper there'd be a better blood trail
Flatbow
Well-Known Member
You want a better blood trail (two holes) use a bullet that retains a higher % of its wt.
You want more DRT use more of a fragmenting bullet..... or high shoulder shot with either. Just where my mind goes.
You want more DRT use more of a fragmenting bullet..... or high shoulder shot with either. Just where my mind goes.
David W Strait
Active Member
This was a brute of a WV mountain whitetail. You can see the entrance in the full body picture. He was about 140yds. A long shot though the woods. I didn't weigh him but by chest circumference charts he weighed 188#. I would say that is a fair assumption. The bullet was picked off the hide as we skinned him. It entered the center of the ribs and went through the offside shoulder blade. It shed 3 petals, one of which exited directly opposite the entrance. Weight as pictured is 91gr. He ran just out of sight. Probably 70yds or so but i knew when the gun cracked he wasn't going far. Winchester 125s.
There is something to be said for confidence. I know this bullet is going where it's pointed. I just have to point it correctly. By the way he grossed 131 and nets 127. His G2s are 12.5 and 12.75.
There is something to be said for confidence. I know this bullet is going where it's pointed. I just have to point it correctly. By the way he grossed 131 and nets 127. His G2s are 12.5 and 12.75.
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I'll probably get flamed for this but here goes. Many years ago, I knew a family that really struggled financially and for few years I'd kill deer for them until their situation improved. I was meat hunting and all the deer I killed for them were head shots, several at ranges longer than the op mentioned. I picked my shots carefully and never lost a deer, all drt. I was using my old model 70 30-06 with Federal 150gr soft points. That combination killed a lot of deer over the years.
I've been shooting a 260 for several years and have had good luck with Sierra 120gr Pro hunters. If I'm meat hunting, I won't hesitate to take a head shot, if it's a good buck, I'll bust his shoulders. I like soft point bullets, they work well for the ranges I hunt, I even shoot them in my 22-250's.
I've been shooting a 260 for several years and have had good luck with Sierra 120gr Pro hunters. If I'm meat hunting, I won't hesitate to take a head shot, if it's a good buck, I'll bust his shoulders. I like soft point bullets, they work well for the ranges I hunt, I even shoot them in my 22-250's.
Buckskinner
Well-Known Member
It's not the caliber, it's a tiny hole in and not much bigger going out if you don't hit a rib also where you hit it makes a huge difference, high in the cavity you likely won't have much blood, low in the cavity obviously more.
Best reply in the thread. If the op isn't willing to learn tracking and doesn't want to perform at least a cursory review post shot to ascertain likelihood of a lethal shot or non Lethal shot than op shouldn't be shooting game that close to dark. Learn a basic protocol like marking a flag where the shot was taken and where the hit occurred. Learn to make mental notes after a shot like which way did it run. Bring a headlamp with you. Bring some food and water with you. Get to work systematically locating tracks and marking them. Investigate if blood is left on the brush. With lung hits often there will be small globules of blood and lung on the brush. Also sounds like a different bullet should be used. Too many guys using price to select ammo. It may be that the bullet did what it was designed for though, but still up to OP to decide if that works or not for his needs. I grew up shooting deer in northern MN with .308 win and 180 grain soft points. Sometimes the damage was immense and those deer would run up to 70-80 yards and we had found them next to rock ledges and under fallen trees. Even when they couldn't run they could still crawl apparently. This was in wolf country. Hunting is an big adventure and I wish guys were more willing to embrace the entire spectrum. Were it me I would chose a different bullet
FireFlyFishing
Well-Known Member
I don't believe it was mentioned here, but having your scope on the right power (assuming you're using a scope with an adjustable power). Usually it's lower than you think you need. Having the scope at a lower power/higher field of view allows for a better "wobble zone," allows you to spot your shot when you miss, acquire the target initially and reacquire after shots…and lastly, but important for this thread, you can see where the animal goes post shot to start your tracking process (if needed).
Idaho Lefty
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2018
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Yup,. I only Shoot, HANDLOADS with Chron'od KNOWN Velocities at, Big Game as,..
Who know's just "What," the Factories are, "really" putting Out ? My 143 -X's are going 2,725 FPS,..+- a Tiny Bit, EVERY Time !
Berger's 140 gr., "Hunting Version" Bullets and 143 gr. ELD-X's have Performed, very Well for, Our Family in, the .270 WSM and 6.5's.
I have only Used, Handloads since, 1964 ( Gov'mnt 4895 with, Hornady 180's / 150's Later, in my $17.50 1903 A3, "Sporterized" Springfield just,.. "Worked" ).
OOP's,.. I did Shoot, a Fat ole' Doe once, with Factory 55 gr. SP's from my .22-250 Rem. 700,.. NOT, a "Good idea" as, LOTS of, Tracking was, involved !!
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