6.5 prc elk bullets

[parshal]

I shot an elk and pronghorn this year with a 156. Both at 350 yards. I'm going to keep using them.

My buddy took factory 143 ELD-X to Africa last summer and dropped everything with one shot including an Eland.

 

[North Idaho Hunter]

Thanks guys! How's the blood shot with those bergers? Or just put a high shoulder shot on and don't worry about it?

Very little blood shot when tucked into the crease.

 

[Flatbow]

Blood shot is unavoidable. Most depends on the hit location and how heavy of bone is hit.
With the smaller calibers (less bullet mass) I would stay away from the "long range" designed bullets if you don't plan on shooting more than 500 yards. In my experience they are way too explosive at the closer ranges, say under 2-300.
I will not shoot a Eldx ever again out of my 6.5's
Way too frangible at close range.

 

[dk17hmr]

I shot the 122gr PVA Cayuga from my 6.5SS at muzzle velocity of 3370fps last season and killed a pretty good sized cow elk at 548 with it and a mule deer buck at about 75 yards...... Pretty impressive results

 

[Ga6570]

ive just kept loading up the only hunting bullets that were available early on with the 6.5 PRC and have used the 143 ELDX loaded to mimic the factory loads. it has done great for me on deer and elk. the Elk was at 496 a couple years ago. the cow spun around and didnt go more than 10 steps and died. all the deer shot with it went right down…

best bullet to use is what you have and are comfortable with and can shoot well.

best to you!!!

 

[Raudy707]

Thanks guys! How's the blood shot with those bergers? Or just put a high shoulder shot on and don't worry about it?

I've had massive bloodshot with the 115 Berger out of my 25-06, 135 Berger in 6.5 and 175 Classic Hunter 280 AI. If you hit the ribs your fine and I've had good luck myself in doing that but my kids shoot all over the front half. Shoulders, spines, etc...the animal's are down so it just means extra time on the cutting boards. If you get to it quick a lot can be scraped off with a knife almost like mucous but the deep tissue red stuff that gets into the meat has to be cut out and cooked up for the dogs or used for bear bait. For this reason I use a two bullet system. Mono's or Accubonds 350 yds and in Bergers, ABLR's, ELD-M,s for 400+. The exception for me is the 270 wsm 170 grain Berger EOL. I've plowed bear and elk shoulders with this bullet and so far so good. DOA. I have not shot anything under 250 yards though. Stick em in the slats behind the shoulders and you'll be happy.

 

[dogz]

How's the blood shot meat with those bergers?

My wife and I shot 2 elk this year, both magnum sized cows. Both with our NULA/270 with the 140 Berger.

Mine was at just under 500 yards in a fairly high wind. She took one behind the front took 3 or 4 steps and went down. Bullet didn't tough either front. Not much for blood shot meat.

My wife shot hers @ 197, it was quartering away, the bullet went in and quartered up into the far right shoulder. In 43 years of elk hunting and being in on well triple digits in kills I've never seen such a mess.!

That right front was lost in blood jelly roll with the exception of the meat down on the forearm. All the rest of it became camp jack fodder!

Now I've been to the movies enough to know that on any given day a bullet that has worked well will do something that makes you go hmm...........but this one has pretty much put me off the Bergers.

Keep in mind that we no longer have any interest in shooting past 500 so most any decent bullet will do us just fine.

Wish that they made a Scenar for the 270...

Just one mans thoughts.

 

[bigngreen]

My wife shot hers @ 197, it was quartering away, the bullet went in and quartered up into the far right shoulder. In 43 years of elk hunting and being in on well triple digits in kills I've never seen such a mess.!

That right front was lost in blood jelly roll with the exception of the meat down on the forearm. All the rest of it became camp jack fodder!

Now I've been to the movies enough to know that on any given day a bullet that has worked well will do something that makes you go hmm...........but this one has pretty much put me off the Bergers.

This isn't a bullet thing especially on the off side, the issue is the main blood supply to the shoulder and how the shoulder muscle groups lay. You almost can't hit the shoulder without blowing the largest blood vessel right in the center then that lays in a spot that pressures up so many seams it horrifying BUT it's not in the meat and most is just fine. In 2500+ elk cut I've lost a whole shoulder only a few times and they are always the on side shoulder with multiple hits, the off side often looks the worst but that's due to so many bullets will stay in the of side or just barely make it through so the off side pressures up with blood more often.
They look a mess but a sharp knife and knowing the seams about 5 min saves a lot of elk meat.
Being a one time wild game processor I shoot Bergers and Hammers as the best combination of meat loss and lethality, not to say you won't get an odd ball but over thousands of animals the patterns stand out.

 

[Raudy707]

My wife and I shot 2 elk this year, both magnum sized cows. Both with our NULA/270 with the 140 Berger.

Mine was at just under 500 yards in a fairly high wind. She took one behind the front took 3 or 4 steps and went down. Bullet didn't tough either front. Not much for blood shot meat.

My wife shot hers @ 197, it was quartering away, the bullet went in and quartered up into the far right shoulder. In 43 years of elk hunting and being in on well triple digits in kills I've never seen such a mess.!

That right front was lost in blood jelly roll with the exception of the meat down on the forearm. All the rest of it became camp jack fodder!

Now I've been to the movies enough to know that on any given day a bullet that has worked well will do something that makes you go hmm...........but this one has pretty much put me off the Bergers.

Keep in mind that we no longer have any interest in shooting past 500 so most any decent bullet will do us just fine.

Wish that they made a Scenar for the 270...

Just one mans thoughts.

This was exactly what happened to me. I really take pride in being a meateater, so I developed my two bullet system. I have come to the realization that one bullet can't do it all. If I never shot past 500 yds I wouldn't touch a cup and core bullet again for game animals. That's a lie! I love the 115 Ballistic Tip in a 257 Roberts at 2800 fps and the little 120 Ballistic Tips in my daughters 7mm-08 with a reduced load of H4895 was the softest recoiling best deer killer of a bullet I ever saw. Hey Nosler, the Federal TLR is what your Tipped Partition would be, let's go!!

 

[SSgt G Cody]

This past year I've started shooting the 121 and 131gn Hammers in my 6.5 Swede (9:1) and 6.5 Creed (7.5:1), and both bullets shoot great in both guns. The 121 is great on deer and antelope, and the 131 performed great on a cow elk at 478 yds. I've used 140-170gn Bergers and AB's for the same in the past. I'm loving these hammers!

 

[WildRose]

Hey all,
I'm new to the forum and new to reloading. I just bought a proof MPR in 6.5prc with a 24" barrel and 1:7.5 twist. I have all the components to reload my own stuff. I'll be hunting mostly mulies but also would like to be able to hunt elk. The biggest question right now is what projectiles to load to make effective and ethical kill on elk. Max effective range I'm looking for is probably 500 yards and under. I have a bunch of Berger 156 EOL. Should I look for something with a bonded core? Thoughts and experiences welcomed. Thanks!

The only bullets I'd use on an elk are a bonded bullet like the Federal Trophy Bonded, Accubond, Accubond LR, or the Nosler partition unless you're going to shoot a mono.

Despite what many will tell you, you need a bullet you can count on penetrating and expanding consistently that will not break up shallow or punch through without expanding.

At 500yds the difference in BC between those and the highest BC bullets is not going to significantly affect you.

 

[WildRose]

Blood shot is unavoidable. Most depends on the hit location and how heavy of bone is hit.
With the smaller calibers (less bullet mass) I would stay away from the "long range" designed bullets if you don't plan on shooting more than 500 yards. In my experience they are way too explosive at the closer ranges, say under 2-300.
I will not shoot a Eldx ever again out of my 6.5's
Way too frangible at close range.

Bloodshot is minimal with bonded bullets, the partition, or Mono's that don't break up.

Even shooting straight through both shoulders and the spine I haven't wasted a pound of meat with blood shot in decades using good controlled expansion Bonded Bullets and Mono's.

 

[Flatbow]

WildRose is exactly right. With the smaller calibers you need something that will stay together to ensure good penetration, especially on Elk or in case of a marginal hit on anything.
I switched to Barnes mono after having an Eldx blow up on a very small wt. Tail buck shoulder at 100yrds.

 

[bigngreen]

Bloodshot is minimal with bonded bullets, the partition, or Mono's that don't break up.

Even shooting straight through both shoulders and the spine I haven't wasted a pound of meat with blood shot in decades using good controlled expansion Bonded Bullets and Mono's.

You either haven't shot an elk through both shoulders or have never cut your own meat cause that right there is impossible!! Having actually shot a bunch of elk and cut over 2500+, you don't shoot an elk in both shoulders and only loose a pound of meat with anything, ESPECIALLY a tipped bonded bullet like the Accubond, which we dubbed the Accubomb in the cutting room cause you'd find that little white tip in so many huge messes!