6.5 Creedmor- the Holy Grail?

I agree with Aoudad, always bring enough gun! The bigger the better when you are after anything bigger than a whitetailed deer, and even it should be respected. Especially if you just plunked down a small fortune to hunt. While the 6.5 CM is a fine shooting and accurate round, there are much better choices for Elk hunting. I shoot it at 1000, it's accurate, but I'd opt for a bigger bullet and a heavier bullet for Elk or larger game. Practice, practice, practice! You may only pull the trigger once on the quarry, so recoil ain't an issue. Confidence is knowing you have plenty of knockdown power at the ranges and quarry you are after. That's some of it.
 
Here's my anecdotal relevant (first-hand) story:

We live at 8,000' in the heart of the Colorado Rockies. I have killed 20+ elk. Never lost one, but missed a couple. My 13yo son has been hunting since he was 6yo. He started on Missouri whitetail of which he has shot ~15+. Last year, he turned 12yo and began big game hunting in CO. He was using a 30-06 with 168gr Hornady Precision Hunter ammo. He took 1 elk, 1 mule deer, and 2 pronghorn (all prone with bipod). Most took multiple shots due to poorly placed shots. All were recovered. He also clean missed a gorgeous blonde bear at 200yds (standing with tripod). He shot well at the range, but as best I can surmise, suffered from "buck fever" and developed a flinch from the 06.

This past summer, he worked his butt off mowing lawns and caddying and bought himself a Bergara B-14 Ridge in 6.5CM (shooting Hornady Precision Hunter 143gr ammo). I put a Burris Eliminator III on it for him. Its a tack driver. We dialed it in and he practiced with it. His confidence was high going into the season.

Starting with pronghorn in Wyoming, we took 5 speedgoats including his buck (all prone w/ bipod). Ranges from 200-470yds. First rifle season in Colorado, he scouted pre-season, and located his bull prior to opening day. He found his bull mid-morning and took it standing with a tripod at ~150yds while it was walking slowly (only shot he had, we stopped him, but he was behind a bush). He hit back. The bull went ~200yds without an exit wound, but we tracked him and found him mortally wounded where we slit his throat.

Second rifle season, he took a doe mule deer at ~250yds (sitting w/ tripod). She walked 15yds like she was fine. Thinking he missed, he shot her again, where she went another 5yds and fell over dead. We found two well placed entry wounds ~2.5" apart. The first round was fatal.

Third rifle season, I borrowed his rifle on the first weekend. I took a calf elk at 83yds. Headshot. Dead before she hit the ground. 2nd weekend of third season, he caught up with a buck we had been chasing all week. Shot him sitting with a bipod across a canyon at 290yds. He took one step and tumbled downhill 40yds.

By the 4th rifle season, I think his confidence was so high that he knew what shots would make, what shots he wouldn't take, and was watching his hits through the scope. I would say he was in the zone. He was drawn for a special cow hunt on a piece of county owned land. We got on some elk, and were busted. I was able to stop them with a cow call, and he took a cow at 235yds standing with a tripod with a perfect lobotomy shot.

All together, we took 10 western state big game animals (11 including my ML buck) with his new 6.5CM.

I don't know the particulars of the third-hand story regarding the lost elk, so I won't speculate.

I do know that we were very successful with a 6.5CM, and will continue to hunt with it. We will stack the odds in our favor. We will get as close as we feel we can, we will only take high percentage shots that we feel comfortable taking, we will always use a rest and take prone shots whenever possible, we will track all animals to the best of our abilities and as far as necessary. That's our responsibility as ethical hunters.

You are a lucky man and sound like a great father. Getting to watch one's children
progress into young adaults is priceless!
 
Just my 2 cents but I read a lot of threads on here and find a lot of us are likely shooting our rifles to far. By this I mean when you read the ballistics a lot of the long range shots are far beyond where the bullets used are performing their best. That said I read a lot about one shot kills.
The issue with 6.5 CM is that some how it has been given more credit then it deserves. It is basically the same as the 260,6.5x55 and a few other cartridges. However the stories of it have blon it up to shoot as fast as the 264 Win Mag. To me at least it is being used at much longer range on every thing then it should be.
The OP started this thread to make a point that the 6.5CM may not be the cartridge it is made out to be. The name of it does not matter because it is basically a nother version of the 260 Rem ballistically speaking. Its advantage from the reading I have done was to be a more accurate cartridge design much like the 6PPC was.
These are my 2 cents the CM is a great cartridge but not a miracle cartridge as it is being made out to be.
 
So are you saying that a 500fps difference in muzzle vel only equates to 150y diff in effective big game killing?


No

I'm seeing about 200 FPS more from the higher 6.5s. Creed at 2800 FPS and the highers at 3000, you only gain 200 yards if you set energy and speed rules for yourself.

1800 FPS and 1000 FPS

Those numbers for the eldx 143 net less than 125 yards difference.

Using 2800 and 3200 FPS the difference is 250 yards.
 
The higher 6.5s IMO are the Nosler and weatherby which should be around 3400 no? Especially since if we are giving the CM 2800 we are talking handloads
 
This is funny seeing how a friend of mine goes to Colorado every year with a 243 and a 6-284 (one as backup gun) shooting 95gr Berger Classic Hunters and every year he comes back with an elk. He's killed them in excess of 500 yards with that little 6mm bullet and never have I heard where he had to shoot them more than once and never have I heard him say he wish he had brought more gun or that he would be bringing something else next time and this guy has a ton of rifles he could chose from.

If 4 people lost elk running a 6.5 Creedmoor then it sounds like 4 people made **** poor shots. That or your friend is just bullshitting, either is entirely possible.
 
I'm addition to the distance, bullet used and reasonable placement inquiries... what was the beverage of choice for this hangout?

1 becomes 4 real quick after a few cold ones lol just like that trout that stretched a foot
 
It's funny how guys get over elk, saying to take an elk cartridge, well define this magical elk cartridge!
The absolute worst guys I've ever hunted around for loosing elk or someone having to follow elk into the timber and killing them for them shoot, 340 Weatherby's, my worst elk killing experiences was with a 300 WBY and Barnes bullets.
What you pack, what chambering, what bullet you shoot does not make you an elk killing beast, shot placement and knowing where the strength and weakness is in your system, I just don't think most guys can handle accepting they are the largest weakness! I also don't think guys accept that they can NOT pull the trigger when they see elk, NOT shooting is always an option!!
 
When all is said and done - shot placement matters the most - but to give one a bit better margin of error - the bigger the bullet hitting the Elk - the better the chances. Always favored a 180 grain min - but with today's better powders and bullets - maybe a zipping fast 165 gr could suffice. :)
 
No

I'm seeing about 200 FPS more from the higher 6.5s. Creed at 2800 FPS and the highers at 3000, you only gain 200 yards if you set energy and speed rules for yourself.

1800 FPS and 1000 FPS

Those numbers for the eldx 143 net less than 125 yards difference.

Using 2800 and 3200 FPS the difference is 250 yards.
Here is some numbers that you can use.
https://load-data.nosler.com/load-data/26-nosler/
https://load-data.nosler.com/load-data/65-creedmoor/

Again I'll repeat. Using 1800fps with a .264 cal bullet on elk is probably not a good idea. Can it work? Yep. 1800fps with a .338 cal bullet much better idea.

I was told yesterday that I don't like 6.5's and probably haven't used one. Have used a 6.5-06 and a 6.5-300rum imp on 6 elk from 350y to 600y. I think 6.5's are magic, but there is only so much pixie dust...

Also I am not anti small caliber. I set myself up a 6mm Creed Hammer Bullet death ray this year and carried it for everything. Did not get a chance on elk yet with it. I intend to, just for the data. It is running our 88g Hammer Hunter at 3350fps. On paper will carry 1800fps past 700y. Doesn't make it a 700y elk cartridge. I don't for a second think it will replace my 338 Lap imp running 260g Hammer Hunters at 3260fps at any range.
 
Wow, why not just pull out the trusty old M99 416 Barrett with 32" barrel. You get 1279 ft-lbs of energy at 2,200 yards and still supersonic. It's heavy but I shoot out of the back of the my vehicle so don't have to carry it far. It will easily still stop a Chevy, or Ford depending on your objective. Taxidermy on those hood ornaments is cheap and they don't take up much space on wall in man cave. PS you'll need a scope with U80MOA
 
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