Best 6.5 CM Hunting Bullet for Moderate Long Range Distances

[snox801]

Call me crazy but if someone is going to lecture me on a given caliber, bullet, etc I like to know they have some actual experience with them.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion but not everyone can offer an educated opinion based on practical experience.

That is true. I have killed hundreds of game in the last few years with them. And it wasn't towards you at all it's the people who keep pointing out the lower bc of hammers. Even though the high bc bullets tend to start out slower and this hit the min FPS to open roughly the same distance
. My statement was more salty sarcasm. Sorry

 

[WildRose]

That is true. I have killed hundreds of game in the last few years with them. And it wasn't towards you at all it's the people who keep pointing out the lower bc of hammers. Even though the high bc bullets tend to start out slower and this hit the min FPS to open roughly the same distance
. My statement was more salty sarcasm. Sorry

I took it as such, was just playing off of your ball so to speak.

 

[Priley]

ELD-X would work well at those distances but isn't great if close shots might present themselves.

Please explain why an ELD-X wouldn't work at short range. I haven't had any problems with ELD-X or M not doing the job close or far..

 

[Priley]

I've been saying since the ELD-X hit the market Hornady would have the best cup and core bullet on the market.

In discussing it with their engineers and design guys I keep getting the same answers, one it's too expensive and two, they are not designed for high velocity impacts.

Up close just be sure you avoid any heavy bone and hope you can put it between the ribs on the entry at close range and you'll probably be ok as long as you get a solid hit on the vitals.

That many caveats had me turning to the Nosler ABLR instead of the ELD-X.

They are not made for cape buffalo but anything in the lower 48 an ELD-x or M is plenty of bullet to dump these animals ethically.

 

[ColoradoElkHunter]

Mine shoots the Hornady 143 ELD-X Like a nail driver .20 groups at 100 yds, and sub .50 at 200yds

I'm getting ready to build a load for some ELD-X bullets. Care to share your powder choice and any other info just for comparison purposes? I'll build my own loads. Just like seeing what others have found with different powders.

 

[Priley]

Sorry

That's the answer I was looking for. I'm pushing the absolute to 3100 in my creed and crunching numbers to see what the max distance on those would be compared to the Berger 130. With the Hornady' sim not able to get enough speed to extend my max range over my hammer loads. I'd have to look again but I believe my hammers actually hit the min FPS about 40-60 yards farther out.
That may not be try with the Berger's. I've not run them to see what speeds I can get.
But I'm like most here and if I can get an advantage well of course I will.

no way can you shoot an animal farther with a Hammer bullet over a Berger VLD. You cannot get it to go fast enough with the low BC...

 

[snox801]

They are not made for cape buffalo but anything in the lower 48 an ELD-x or M is plenty of bullet to dump these animals ethically.

So the issue I ram into was they were to soft. Hit in the perfect spot and no issue. But hit a shoulder it can cause issues. Look at the expansion and damage it does on deer. I've taken an easy 100-200 animals with that bullet between myself and my dad in the creed. When you start to get into tough animals like audad, elk, pigs and oryx they start to show the downsides. Especially the oryx. That was the one that made me change. Took was able to get 4 shots in it at 160 yards. Found all the bullets or what was left inside. Never made it close to the opposite side. After that switched to hammers. My max distance according to min FPS was actually a bit more than the 143-147 and the bullet had been flawless so far. Good expansion inside and always and exit. Nothing has gone more than 30-40 yards with good blood.
After shooting both a lot I would not wager a trophy animal or a great hunt on that bullet when I know I have better options. Still shoot the eld at steel but I found a vastly better bullet for game.

 

[snox801]

Sorry

no way can you shoot an animal farther with a Hammer bullet over a Berger VLD. You cannot get it to go fast enough with the low BC...

Well that make you better at math than my applied app. Because I've run both in that and with the 124 it only gives up about 40-60 yards to the Berger and the 123 beats the Berger. I'm able to push the 123 out of my 22" at 3100fps.

 

[snox801]

So in the worst case I have to give up 100 yard max distance if I ran the 124 hammer instead of a Berger. Since most shots on large game actually take place at a close range just by pure numbers I still feel better taking a hammer through the shoulder than a Berger in the same spot. Not every shot is perfect and I trust the hammer to do it job.
Now this is my choice and that's is why. You are free to do it with a Berger and for deer and goats sure I like Berger. But I've taken so much game with many different bullets I've settled on hammers for now.

 

[Priley]

So the issue I ram into was they were to soft. Hit in the perfect spot and no issue. But hit a shoulder it can cause issues. Look at the expansion and damage it does on deer. I've taken an easy 100-200 animals with that bullet between myself and my dad in the creed. When you start to get into tough animals like audad, elk, pigs and oryx they start to show the downsides. Especially the oryx. That was the one that made me change. Took was able to get 4 shots in it at 160 yards. Found all the bullets or what was left inside. Never made it close to the opposite side. After that switched to hammers. My max distance according to min FPS was actually a bit more than the 143-147 and the bullet had been flawless so far. Good expansion inside and always and exit. Nothing has gone more than 30-40 yards with good blood.
After shooting both a lot I would not wager a trophy animal or a great hunt on that bullet when I know I have better options. Still shoot the eld at steel but I found a vastly better bullet for game.

I have been using ELD-M's more so then X's lately but have had elk lay down at over 600 yards with the 143 ELD-X out of the 6.5 Creedmoor and the inside was a mess. The lungs and heart were destroyed. All the energy from that bullet was used up inside the animal. I like that kind of terminal destruction inside the animal. If that bullet goes trough the animal then some of what the bullet is designed to do goes out with it. We get elk in our camp every year and most of us are getting older so we don't pack around the heavy magnums anymore so bullet choice is #1. The ELD-X, ELD-M, and Berger bullets are always my go too's. They never fail to do their job.

 

[snox801]

Sorry

no way can you shoot an animal farther with a Hammer bullet over a Berger VLD. You cannot get it to go fast enough with the low BC...

For example I just looked at the drop for my dads creedmore. Target load for the 143eld puts the min FPS opening somewhere between 600-650 yards. App is set in 50 yards increments.
His load with the hammer put the max distance for the min FPS at somewhere between 600-650. Exactly the same distance.
So if that is the case for that rifle we can assume it would be in most.
I think we get way to caught up in chasing high bc without ever actually running numbers or real situations into the equation.
I did that for years. Still do form time to time.

 

[snox801]

I have been using ELD-M's more so then X's lately but have had elk lay down at over 600 yards with the 143 ELD-X out of the 6.5 Creedmoor and the inside was a mess. The lungs and heart were destroyed. All the energy from that bullet was used up inside the animal. I like that kind of terminal destruction inside the animal. If that bullet goes trough the animal then some of what the bullet is designed to do goes out with it. We get elk in our camp every year and most of us are getting older so we don't pack around the heavy magnums anymore so bullet choice is #1. The ELD-X, ELD-M, and Berger bullets are always my go too's. They never fail to do their job.

Question have you ever tried a hammer, cutting edge, or badlands?
The reason I ask is because your situation sounds just like what mine was. I liked my creed with 147gr eld and got my dad one because his age. After a few years of eld's I finally tried hammers and can tell you from hundreds of game taken it is a better on game bullet. In fact I've even scaled down to a 97gr hammer in my grendel and taken a close to a dozen or more audad and even took a red stag this year.
Well and hundreds of pigs. So take a look for yourself and run some numbers you might be surprised.

 

[snox801]

That last post hopefully didn't come off as being dickish. It's not meant to be. Just very often we hear how great or how much better a bullet is or on paper should be and never try another so I like to post my experience with both. I believe with the vast number of animals with both it gives a good insight to help other make the choice of what's right for them.
I'm kinda a bullet whore hound and I chase the next best thing since sliced bread. I'd still be shooting cutting edge bullets if I never tried a hammer. And still shooting eld's in my creedmore.

 

[Stonyman88]

143 eldx by a long shot followed by 147 match 140 match 120 match. Half inch groups at 200 yards for factory ammo is hard to beat. When i bought my 6.5 i bought like 10 different boxes of ammo. My gun loved the eldx and match ammo from 0-700. Probably even further if i had pushed it

Glad to hear someone else likes them, now just to find more, but going to try and duplicate the load. Partner has one also, they used it in Mexico to harvest those deer, ?? not sure of the name, but most all shots were at 450++ and had a Leupold scope that is set up with the caps for the bullet you shoot, those are not a fan of mine but they had good luck with it. I'm a Mil guy..and dope my scope.