Best 6.5 CM Hunting Bullet for Moderate Long Range Distances

WildRose said:
Real world testing on game shows that not to be accurate. In fact, they perform better beyond 250yds consistently as enough energy has bled off to keep them from shelling out inside or blowing up shallow.

They have the crimped in "ring" that is supposed to reduce or prevent bullet separation at high velocity on impact but it is nowhere near as reliable as bonding the core to the jacket as with the Accubond and Accubond LR
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This is also my experience. Very violent at close range things get better at 300 plus yards.
 
Stammster said:
For loaded ammo:
Federal Fusions if you can find them. SPS has 140 Partition seconds.

Not high, but decent BC with the proven terminal performance you're looking for.
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The Speer Gold Dot 140's are pretty close to the same with the boron nitride coating. My son shot a good sized mule deer buck this past season at 300 yards and the bullet hit the thickest part of the neck, went through the spine and exited with a 50 cent sized hole. My friend using the same rifle/load took a 3x3 mule deer through the slats at 300+ and exited just the same. I don't believe the claimed bc from speer but from what Iv'e seen they work very well from a 6.5cm.
 
MoreSalsa said:
For my 6.5 creedmoor, I plan to use some monolithic bullet loads as my go-to for medium big game (deer, antelope, hogs). My one concern is that it looks like below 2,000 fps, you start to run into expansion problems, and with my 24'' barrel, I'm guessing most loads will hit that threshold before 400 yards. So, I'm thinking about trying to decide on a (lead) option for longer ranges when I'm not in a lead-free-only area. I'd like it to be something with good weight retention, and definitely not anything prone to fragmentation (I like my meat without lead). High BC would also be preferable since this is longer ranges.

I have been able to get a few boxes of Barnes Vor-Tx LR, so maybe that drops the threshold down a few hundred fps. But from what I've seen, I'd still be reluctant to trust those bullets out much farther than 400 yards.

I won't be taking any super long shots, so this question is really about the 300-something to 500-something yard range. At that point, the bullet is running out of energy anyway.

I'm not currently handloading, so I want the bullet in a factory load.

I know that there are a lot of bullets that will do the job (ELDX, partitions to name a few), but not sure what the best options are for what I describe as of 2022.
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My partner was just in Mexico shooting those ??? deer, they shot 4 . the other guys used his gun to take the other 3, all shots were over 450 yds. and they never took one step, dropped where they stood. I've taken many white tail bigger ones in Michigan and same results. maybe 30 yds and down. I'm and he was shooting the 143 ELD-X Hornady's, and mine 6.5 creedmoore shoota .80 at 200. My 6.5 PRC also loves this ammo, sub, .20 at 100 yds. in a 24" barrel Bergara B -14
 
I was using my 6.5 creedmoor yesterday with Berger 130 vld hunting at 550 yard gong without issues. My ballistic calculator estimate fps at 2117 with energy at 1294. I'd course this is not a real hunting situation. Hope it gives you some idea
 
MoreSalsa said:
For my 6.5 creedmoor, I plan to use some monolithic bullet loads as my go-to for medium big game (deer, antelope, hogs). My one concern is that it looks like below 2,000 fps, you start to run into expansion problems, and with my 24'' barrel, I'm guessing most loads will hit that threshold before 400 yards. So, I'm thinking about trying to decide on a (lead) option for longer ranges when I'm not in a lead-free-only area. I'd like it to be something with good weight retention, and definitely not anything prone to fragmentation (I like my meat without lead). High BC would also be preferable since this is longer ranges.

I have been able to get a few boxes of Barnes Vor-Tx LR, so maybe that drops the threshold down a few hundred fps. But from what I've seen, I'd still be reluctant to trust those bullets out much farther than 400 yards.

I won't be taking any super long shots, so this question is really about the 300-something to 500-something yard range. At that point, the bullet is running out of energy anyway.

I'm not currently handloading, so I want the bullet in a factory load.

I know that there are a lot of bullets that will do the job (ELDX, partitions to name a few), but not sure what the best options are for what I describe as of 2022.
Click to expand...
Not sure my first response when thru. But my partner just shot 4 of the ??? deer in northern Mexico, they were all shot at 450+ yds, they never took one sept. He shot one and 3 other guys shot theirs with his gun. I've shot many White tail deer in Michigan with the same results, maybe some ran 30 yds. Mine is 6.5 Creedmoor as his is also, both shoot sub .80 at 200 yds, My other Bergara is a 6.5 PRC and that shoots .20 @ 100 yds. 24 " barrel. We both shoot Hornady 143 gr ELD-X and they are assume. Those shots in Mexico pass thru the deer, with devastating results. But I do love Bergers bullets also and wouldn't hesitate using them as reloads for 143 ELD-X bullets are hard to find
 
I only own 6.5 Creedmoor's. Five different platforms to be exact. I hunt all over the country and the 147 gr ELD-X is by far hands down the best there is. I hunt from 0 foot elevation on the coasts and as high as just under 13,000 in colorado. I've killed ground squirrels to moose with the exact same reload. Point blank to just over 1000 yards. Granted not all barrels are the same but I have yet to find one that doesn't love the ELD-X in 6.5 Creedmoor. With that being said, my son owns a 6.5 PRC with an extremely expensive Bergara barrel that barely shoots sub MOA at a 100.
 
John215 said:
I only own 6.5 Creedmoor's. Five different platforms to be exact. I hunt all over the country and the 147 gr ELD-X is by far hands down the best there is. I hunt from 0 foot elevation on the coasts and as high as just under 13,000 in colorado. I've killed ground squirrels to moose with the exact same reload. Point blank to just over 1000 yards. Granted not all barrels are the same but I have yet to find one that doesn't love the ELD-X in 6.5 Creedmoor. With that being said, my son owns a 6.5 PRC with an extremely expensive Bergara barrel that barely shoots sub MOA at a 100.
Click to expand...
How are you defining "point blank"?
 
MoreSalsa said:
For my 6.5 creedmoor, I plan to use some monolithic bullet loads as my go-to for medium big game (deer, antelope, hogs). My one concern is that it looks like below 2,000 fps, you start to run into expansion problems, and with my 24'' barrel, I'm guessing most loads will hit that threshold before 400 yards. So, I'm thinking about trying to decide on a (lead) option for longer ranges when I'm not in a lead-free-only area. I'd like it to be something with good weight retention, and definitely not anything prone to fragmentation (I like my meat without lead). High BC would also be preferable since this is longer ranges.

I have been able to get a few boxes of Barnes Vor-Tx LR, so maybe that drops the threshold down a few hundred fps. But from what I've seen, I'd still be reluctant to trust those bullets out much farther than 400 yards.

I won't be taking any super long shots, so this question is really about the 300-something to 500-something yard range. At that point, the bullet is running out of energy anyway.

I'm not currently handloading, so I want the bullet in a factory load.

I know that there are a lot of bullets that will do the job (ELDX, partitions to name a few), but not sure what the best options are for what I describe as of 2022.
Click to expand...
Research and try to find a lead bullet mold...then welcome to history repeating itself...I have read comments with a brass flashcup on the base of the bullet guys can get up to 2,500 fps out the muzzle...using 10 percent tin to the mix you can enjoy the bullet to pancake 3 times its diameter
 

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