6.5 Creedmoor: Maximum Lethal Range for Whitetail

[FEENIX]

Velocity is what we really need to be looking at closely. If the bullet expands it will work. I've got a buddy who shot a bull elk (6point) at 930 yards with the 143 eldx. Bullet was recovered in far side hide and had a nice mushroom. Bull died within 20 seconds. Obviously this isn't ideal but if you put a bullet through the lungs it will work.

Sorry but that is not always the case. Even with best of bullet design and intentions, Murphy does not discriminate ...

.200g Hornady ELD-X precision hunter ammo

https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/300-win-mag-200-gr-eld-x-precision-hunter#!/ "NOT" looking for any debate, just sharing a "real world" experience. I already know many have success with it. Yesterday, my buddy harvested a nice 6X6 bull elk at 426 yards with his .300 WM. The bull was...

www.longrangehunting.com

 

[ButterBean]

I'm a bit confused, I thought all you had to do was just pull a Creed out of the scabbard and everything just fell over dead , All joking aside it looks like 600 yards is the magic number if the trigger man does his part

 

[flyguy1]

Also, make sure that your deer agrees not to take a step or two after you pull the trigger.

 

[General RE LEE]

Thank you for all of your replies. Lots of good civil discussion in this thread. I have ascertained that the 6.5 Creedmoor is capable at 500 yards on whitetail but the skill level of the shooter and conditions come into question at 500 yards and beyond.

 

[HawkeyeSATX]

I personally keep my shots within 350 yds on deer, 400 max. I'm assuring myself a quick humane kill, and this way, if I have to track the animal, I have clean holes in and out of the animal. But #1 rule - Shot placement! Heart and lungs are perfect spot!

 

[Wachsmann]

So here is an interesting one. I'll say shot placement is key but all animals react differently at different time's. I shot deer close with and O6 that ran over 75 yards with good shot placement. Probably due to the fact I already had him alerted. I shot deer far away that dropped in there tracks. But here's another kicker. I shot a doe with an arrow with the arrow going straight down hitting one lung and taking out the heart. That was the worst I ever seen a deer run. It ran into trees and everything like it was crazy in the head spraying blood alll along the way. It finally fail into a dry creek bead about 125 yards away. About 7 inches of protruding arrow had broken off at the lower chest/rib cage area. That deer was running with about 20 inches of arrow inside the body with the fletchers between the shoulder. My longest is on a mule deer at 761 yards/ 300 rum. It flattened it on the spot.

 

[General RE LEE]

I will say comparing the venerable 06 to the 6.5 Creedmoor, the 6.5 is pretty impressive how it holds onto that velocity and energy. I'm looking forward to hunting bean fields with the 6.5 Precision Hunter with the 143 grain ELD-X.

 

[25WSM]

The 6.5 calibers in general are pretty impressive as far as retained energy and wind drift numbers go. To me the 6.5 is the Goldilocks zone. Not too much not too little. Sure the 7mm and 30 can outdo it but the bullets are alot heavier and larger cases are need to be used to get the heavies up to speed. To me the 6.5s are just right. Easy to shoot, accurate and plenty of retained energy with a high sectional density. The Creed is a great round but it's mostly the 6.5 bullets that make it so. The rest of the 6.5 cartridges are impressive just as much.
Shep

 

[Rich Coyle]

I agree, learn to stalk

Why? Dead animals are easier to approach.

 

[Nomosendero]

Or, learn to stalk and learn to shoot.

 

[bomberodevil]

The 6.5 calibers in general are pretty impressive as far as retained energy and wind drift numbers go. To me the 6.5 is the Goldilocks zone. Not too much not too little. Sure the 7mm and 30 can outdo it but the bullets are alot heavier and larger cases are need to be used to get the heavies up to speed. To me the 6.5s are just right. Easy to shoot, accurate and plenty of retained energy with a high sectional density. The Creed is a great round but it's mostly the 6.5 bullets that make it so. The rest of the 6.5 cartridges are impressive just as much.
Shep

This is about the most perfect simple explanation I've seen.

 

[del2les]

I agree, learn to stalk

Here in the West and other areas, there are many occasions where, beyond a certain point, this is just not doable nor advisable. Having taken very wary game across very wide areas of very short grass, atop a distance ridge or across a steep canyon that required an hour or much more to transverse after the game was down, any futher stalking would have simply allowed the game to flee post haste.

Besides, isn't this a LRH forum where we learn to fully utilize the tools of the trade?

 

[25WSM]

Yes this is definitely the long range hunting site. I really don't know why so many on here are saying to stalk or get closer. Some people want to shoot long range as a choice. They have the equipment and skill to do so. I have no problem with it. I also have no problem with people who want to sneak up on game in their socks and shoot them close. I say hunt how you like to hunt and shoot as far as you like if you have the skills to do so. My personal limit would be around 700 yards. I've shot 1000 yard compatition long enough to know how hard a first shot hit would be at this distance. And that's with a 17 lb gun with 55x scope on a concrete bench. But I can say with complete confidence out to 700 yards hits on steel are really not hard at all. I've taken many people to the steel range and with very basic wind calls make hits at 700 yards almost every shot. I then watch the same people miss so much at 800 they can't believe it. Calling wind is pretty much everything at distance. My personal hunting rifle is 23 inches of drift at 700 yards in a 10mph cross wind. At 800 it jumps to 31 and 900 to 46. So out to 700 you can hold off so much easier and still make hits. But if you need to start holding 3 to 4 plates off things get hard real fast. When the wind gets over 7 mph mirage is not going to help you either. Once it's horizontal you only know it's more than 7. Hats off to you people who can read wind good enough to make those hits at long distance. I myself have to keep it real and 700 is real for me. By the way my 6.5 has 1700 ft pounds and 2200 fps at 700 yards which would likely kill just about anything in north america.
I've killed deer from 5 ft all the way to 550 yards and to be honest the ones that get right in your face are the most exciting to me. Both ways require a very different skill set and every one should strive to perfect them both.
Shep

 

[Nomosendero]

Indeed