Best 6.5 CM Hunting Bullet for Moderate Long Range Distances

[Stonyman88]

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.

Nice to see someone so close who also likes the eld's In GR

 

[WildRose]

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.

No kidding, they aren't made for buffalo? Who'duthunkit?

You wouldn't want to shoot any sort of dangerous game with a bullet having such a thin jacked such a soft lead allow.

"Energy Dump" theory is full of holes which is why so many of us like to shoot such bullets as the Hornady Interbond, Nosler Accubond/AccubondLR along with expanding mono's.

 

[WildRose]

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.

RL23 was a really good powder for my .260's. H1000 works pretty will with the heavy for claiber 6.5's as well.

 

[WildRose]

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.

If you're trying to punch the shoulders and spine you definitely want a tougher bullet than a guy who only shoots for the lungs behind the shoulder or heart.

 

[WildRose]

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.

That would have almost certainly been mule deer. SE NM right along the TX border occasionally gets a mix of WT and Muleys but the WT are certainly in the minority in the state.

 

[snox801]

If you're trying to punch the shoulders and spine you definitely want a tougher bullet than a guy who only shoots for the lungs behind the shoulder or heart.

I try for lungs but I get very excited while hunting and shots are not always perfect or a wrong wind call may send the bullet into shoulder.
Hence when culling I like to test both ways. No bone and both shoulders. That was the big draw to hammers for me they did great in both situations.

 

[Priley]

No kidding, they aren't made for buffalo? Who'duthunkit?

You wouldn't want to shoot any sort of dangerous game with a bullet having such a thin jacked such a soft lead allow.

"Energy Dump" theory is full of holes which is why so many of us like to shoot such bullets as the Hornady Interbond, Nosler Accubond/AccubondLR along with expanding mono's.

WOW!! Really, full of holes?? If you want a quick kill you need to expend the energy inside the animal. That's why full metal jackets are illegal in most states for hunting. I always here these comments saying you need two holes for blood loss. I am not shooting a bow and arrow to bleed out an animal. I am shooting a rifle and depending on Hydraulic and Hydrostatic shock which leaves a large wound channel that turns the inside of a deer elk or whatever animal to mush. If your Barns or Hammer bullet is below 2000 fps it will only pencil through the animal and you will be lucky to find it because of the blood coagulating and no blood will flow from either side. Hornady and Berger bullets are true LONG RANGE bullets that will still open and do the work they were designed to do. Even at short range Hornady and Berger bullets perform if the shooter does his job and shoots the animal into the vitals. I shot a 6 point elk that came to a bugle at 18 yards he was hit BEHIND the shoulder with a 168 gr Berger VLD out of a 7mm WSM. The bull went about 2 steps and dropped. We recovered the bullet on the far side of the bull, yes the bullet shed all it's energy inside and the heart and lungs were a mass of goo. That isn't the only short yardage animal I have taken with Berger's or Hornady ELD-M's or X's. They perform if the SHOOTER does his job. The same is said for long range. I have said before a friend of mine shot a 400 class bull at 1240 yards with a 6.5x47 and the bull dropped in it's tracks. You are not doing that with a copper bullet of any kind.

 

[snox801]

WOW!! Really, full of holes?? If you want a quick kill you need to expend the energy inside the animal. That's why full metal jackets are illegal in most states for hunting. I always here these comments saying you need two holes for blood loss. I am not shooting a bow and arrow to bleed out an animal. I am shooting a rifle and depending on Hydraulic and Hydrostatic shock which leaves a large wound channel that turns the inside of a deer elk or whatever animal to mush. If your Barns or Hammer bullet is below 2000 fps it will only pencil through the animal and you will be lucky to find it because of the blood coagulating and no blood will flow from either side. Hornady and Berger bullets are true LONG RANGE bullets that will still open and do the work they were designed to do. Even at short range Hornady and Berger bullets perform if the shooter does his job and shoots the animal into the vitals. I shot a 6 point elk that came to a bugle at 18 yards he was hit BEHIND the shoulder with a 168 gr Berger VLD out of a 7mm WSM. The bull went about 2 steps and dropped. We recovered the bullet on the far side of the bull, yes the bullet shed all it's energy inside and the heart and lungs were a mass of goo. That isn't the only short yardage animal I have taken with Berger's or Hornady ELD-M's or X's. They perform if the SHOOTER does his job. The same is said for long range. I have said before a friend of mine shot a 400 class bull at 1240 yards with a 6.5x47 and the bull dropped in it's tracks. You are not doing that with a copper bullet of any kind.

So much wrong here. First you can have both inside trauma. Search outdoor Edventures on rumble he cuts open hundreds of pigs so you can see the inside damage.
Second no my hammers will work as said down to 1800fps same as eld or Berger.
I stopped using Barnes because lack of expansion. Lease do some research on how hammers are much different than Barnes.
After 1800fps I am still getting mushrooms out of hammers similar to Barnes just not what the bullet is designed to do.
Hence why to be fair we need to take what the bullet maker says in min.
Lastly I don't care how great of shot you are you will at some point you will not get a perfect shot.
Lastly that 6.5 at 1240 could have gone very wrong. Bullet was way under the min FPS did it work yep but how can you prove a mono won't. I've seen guys take deer at incredible ranges with a .458 socom so you simply can't rely on me case to prove that point. That case is like me pointing to the long range over 900 yard kill with a .243 that's on film. Can it happen yep would we all mainly agree it's a bad idea yep.
Like I said you can do you. That's fine I've had hood luck with those bullets you like. But I unlike you have tried them all and found in my experience the hammers outdid them at every turn except steel way out. But like I said they both hit min FPS in both my creedmore's at the same spot so what do I gain with a Berger or eld over a hammer except it may not do well in a bad shot and much more drop at common ranges.
Seems I'm giving up to much real world stuff for a bc and a what if. Which isn't a what if cause I won't take that shot past what I know the bullet is made for. I'll drag out a bigger gun. And I can say I've drop some pigs at much farther than I should with a mono. Doesn't mean I should try it on game that is not invasive or needing culled.

 

[Priley]

Been a lot of testing on all copper bullets and they all do the same under 2000 fps. They all start to tumble and change direction. This a common thing with all copper bullets. They are also harder then lead core bullets so they will wear on your barrel along with excessive speed. If that's your choice I say go ahead but sooner of later you will have a failure and lose an animal. I have confidence from years of service in lead core bullets and will stay with them.

 

[snox801]

Been a lot of testing on all copper bullets and they all do the same under 2000 fps. They all start to tumble and change direction. This a common thing with all copper bullets. They are also harder then lead core bullets so they will wear on your barrel along with excessive speed. If that's your choice I say go ahead but sooner of later you will have a failure and lose an animal. I have confidence from years of service in lead core bullets and will stay with them.

Like I said if you haven't tried them at least you shouldn't be speaking like things are fact. Again I can tell you I ha e shot the bullets you are and I've had failure or poor performance from them with much fewer game than hammers so far if I was betting on a failed bullet it wouldn't be on a hammer out of the ones you mentioned. So yes sooner or later I will. But I can tell you that I'm much more likely to lose it with a eld or Berger.
Again I just encourage you to try a hammer before you say they will act like every mono.
In fact I'll one up you and I'll buy you your first pack of them for you creed and m you load data. Shoot them through some dense game or heck any game. Do it over say 20 and then give me you opinion. I know if you are shooting g the distance you are you are running an ballistic app. So after load work run the numbers for min FPS and see what that compares to you current load. If close you got nothing to lose but a lot to gain.
Trust me I took me over a year to finally try a hammer and after I did I'd didn't take even 20 animals to keep me a customer and I rarely ever load or shoot anything else in fact have 3 old boxes of 147's on the shelve.

 

[snox801]

Been a lot of testing on all copper bullets and they all do the same under 2000 fps. They all start to tumble and change direction. This a common thing with all copper bullets. They are also harder then lead core bullets so they will wear on your barrel along with excessive speed. If that's your choice I say go ahead but sooner of later you will have a failure and lose an animal. I have confidence from years of service in lead core bullets and will stay with them.

Just so you know I mean no I'll will you sound like me several years ago. Lol
I'd even be sure you could dig them up on this site. So I know where you are coming from.
Can't fault a guy if something works for sticking with it. I'm a tinkerer and always looking. For the latest and greatest. Some are the greatest some are flops for sure hammers are not.

 

[Priley]

Just so you know I mean no I'll will you sound like me several years ago. Lol
I'd even be sure you could dig them up on this site. So I know where you are coming from.
Can't fault a guy if something works for sticking with it. I'm a tinkerer and always looking. For the latest and greatest. Some are the greatest some are flops for sure hammers are not.

I have no ill will towards you either. Just know what I have seen personally and on many you tube video's where all of those bullets have been tested. I have tried Barns and Hammer bullets and they act pretty similar.. I almost lost a cow elk to a Barns not opening at 50 yards with a 300 win mag. Ended up finishing her with a 25-06 with a 110 gr ELD-X.

 

[snox801]

I have to say I was never a fan of Barnes they seemed so hit or miss. And even when they worked they were not that great. At least with Berger when they work they are amazing. I always say Berger's for me are like mechanical broadheads when they work which is over 90 percent of the time they are simply amazing but it's that small percent they don't that bothers me.
I've had very good luck with hammers.

 

[WildRose]

WOW!! Really, full of holes?? If you want a quick kill you need to expend the energy inside the animal. That's why full metal jackets are illegal in most states for hunting. I always here these comments saying you need two holes for blood loss. I am not shooting a bow and arrow to bleed out an animal. I am shooting a rifle and depending on Hydraulic and Hydrostatic shock which leaves a large wound channel that turns the inside of a deer elk or whatever animal to mush. If your Barns or Hammer bullet is below 2000 fps it will only pencil through the animal and you will be lucky to find it because of the blood coagulating and no blood will flow from either side. Hornady and Berger bullets are true LONG RANGE bullets that will still open and do the work they were designed to do. Even at short range Hornady and Berger bullets perform if the shooter does his job and shoots the animal into the vitals. I shot a 6 point elk that came to a bugle at 18 yards he was hit BEHIND the shoulder with a 168 gr Berger VLD out of a 7mm WSM. The bull went about 2 steps and dropped. We recovered the bullet on the far side of the bull, yes the bullet shed all it's energy inside and the heart and lungs were a mass of goo. That isn't the only short yardage animal I have taken with Berger's or Hornady ELD-M's or X's. They perform if the SHOOTER does his job. The same is said for long range. I have said before a friend of mine shot a 400 class bull at 1240 yards with a 6.5x47 and the bull dropped in it's tracks. You are not doing that with a copper bullet of any kind.

No if you want a quick kill you want to interrupt the Central Nervous System and/or get the blood pressure to zero as quickly as possible.

FMJ's are illegal for hurting in most states because of over penetration and the failure to produce consistent wounding.

A controlled expansion bullet placed properly will consistently provide that quick, clean, humane kill as long as it's being used within it's design parameters as quickly and efficiently as possible.