6.5 Creedmoor: Maximum Lethal Range for Whitetail

[AFraser]

250 yards..!
I have routinely made single shot kills on Red Stags at longer ranges than that, and taken an Asian Elk at >550 yards, with one shot.
On a Whitetail, I would assume the main limitation on range would be the wind - not the terminal performance.

 

[73driver]

250 yards..!
I have routinely made single shot kills on Red Stags at longer ranges than that, and taken an Asian Elk at >550 yards, with one shot.
On a Whitetail, I would assume the main limitation on range would be the wind - not the terminal performance.

THIS, basically find out what range you can place a cold bore, one shot hit into a 6" circle in some wind or from less than ideal shooting positions. Once you determine your range limitation based on ability to hit vitals with one shot then it's time to think about retained energy, velocity and bullet performance at that range.

 

[Paladin300]

Not a smart fella, Huh? I take it he didn't do to well in school, most likely struggled with things like math and such. Lol

All joking aside, some people are not comfortable or proficient enough to take game beyond 250. That being said, the 6.5 creedmoor has more than enough terminal ballistics to take a whitetail or any other species of deer in North America out to 600+, depending on bullet selection and conditions.

Though I would not recommend it, my, at the time, 13 year old shot these groups at 600 back to back one afternoon in a storm with about a 15 mph swirling wind. The 6.5's ability to buck the wind is incredible. Under normal conditions I think 600 on a whitetail is ethical, beyond that not so much for reasons I previously stated.

 

[DocDoc]

Paladin,
Looks like you are training up a good one! Keep up the good work. If only most dads did that.

 

[Paladin300]

Paladin,
Looks like you are training up a good one! Keep up the good work. If only most dads did that.

Thank you! He is a great kid. One of my heroes. I am blessed that he calls me pops. He is the baby 8 and 10 years younger than our older children and born in my late 30's he keeps me playing catchup most of the time but what a blessing!

 

[Wachsmann]

Kind of extreme nothing. Just plain ignorance of the cartridge. He probably shoots a 300 Rum or something like that because more dead is better. My Creed load has 1200 ft pounds at 770 yards. It's the 147eldm at 2850 with the bc corrected to
. 690 But maybe I better keep it under 250. Not.
Shep

Your comment about the 300Rum I suppose is to be funny. It's actually a good cartridge with the right bullets and will have far more distance killing power and effectiveness than any 6.5 creed. I own both. I run a 220 grain in the rum at the speeds you get with the top loads of the 6.5 creed. With higher BC's and much longer terminal performance you can't even compare the 2. Biggest issue with the rum I see is the recoil management and factory support. Mine wears a muzzle brake and shoots about like an 06 or less. It does creat a lot of blast but that due to the muzzle brake. When it's wore out will chose the rum again, I don't know. I suspect Hornsby will always load the 300PRC so this may be a better option when searching for brass. But if I has to choose one gun for the rest of my life to shoot it would be the 6.5x284 Norma or the 6.5 PRC or a 7mm mad. Something with a little more power than my creed. All will work on all North America game that have hooves and put meat in the freezer.

 

[25WSM]

Nothing wrong with the Rum I've built many of them for customers. They do pack a bunch of recoil. I only said Rum because it a big boomer. Some guys only think the big boomers are viable hunting rounds. And they are if your hunting elk or moose at 1000 yards. I've killed almost every deer rifle hunting with 100 grain 257 cal. I'm going with a 6.5saum this yr. I doubt it will kill any deader than those 100 grainers from my 257wbys. And when I run the numbers the little Creed carried more energy at distance than my wbys. It definitely punches above it's weight.
Shep

 

[AFraser]

"If I had to choose one gun for the rest of my life..."
I made that choice 8 years ago - the 6.5 Creedmoor - but admittedly here in Europe we don't have game animals that want to eat you!

 

[Wachsmann]

Interesting there are no large predators in Europe? I thought what we call our mountain lion or cougar was spread almost all over the globe. I also thought Europe had large brown bears also. Not that these 2 animals are always looking to eat someone I just thought they existed in the European country also.

 

[AFraser]

No, we don't have cougars, just a few Lynx in Spain & Scandinavia & wolves in parts of Eastern Europe.
Brown bears are very rare in Western Europe and not hunted. For that you really have to go to Russia.

 

[coop2564]

Using energy to determine how far you can shoot is ridiculous, handguns with 500 ft lbs can kill a Moose. You should use the bullet speed that is designed for that bullet to open and perform. I've taken a whitetail doe at 677 yds with my 6.5 cm she went 30yds with a accubond LR running RL26 @2975 I will shoot to 800yds and kill any hoofed animal in North America If I do my part.

 

[General RE LEE]

I've heard some folks complain about the lack of "DRT" killing power of the 6.5 CM. Anyone move away from the 6.5CM after lackluster results on game?

 

[bomberodevil]

I've heard some folks complain about the lack of "DRT" killing power of the 6.5 CM. Anyone move away from the 6.5CM after lackluster results on game?

No more than any caliber or bullet that is fired in a situation that is too much of an outreach. If you use the wrong bullet, and fire at a range where the velocity and energy is low, the outcome may be poor.

 

[25WSM]

One bad result on a bad shot placement wouldn't phase me in the least. If you get multiple failures on good hits then it's time for a change. Bullet technology is better today than it's ever been but you still need to do your part and put it where it needs to go for a clean kill. Not all animals are the same either. Some just die hard. Some easy. I shot a deer through the lungs with my 257wby that ran 20 yards with lung soup. Most deer hit like that drop like they were struck by lightning. Shot a doe with a 30-06 with a 150 gn bullet right through the heart. It was in pieces. She ran 100 yards at least. I can't say the bullet or cartridge failed. Just a tough dang deer. Shot placement is absolutely the most important part. Don't discount the cartridge your using with one bad outcome from a poor shot. Same thing may have happened with a 300 mag of some kind also.
Shep