Best weight bullet in 6.5x284 for Elk

[dougduey]

My boss owns a Wyoming hunting ranch. The guide uses a beat up .243 to take elk. Just goes to show....sometimes it might not need to be the carbon fiber titanium hammer in the Snap On tool box.....but the beat up old hammer hanging on the wall. Both accomplish the same task. Now that being said....I just finished up my 6.5x284 for antelope....will see how the hammers work out in 124.

You might want to take a serious look at the 109 gr Absolute Hammer. I've got it running 3511 fps and it destroyed a huge pronghorn this past August. Extremely flat shooting

 

[JAYgs8163]

Mine is an 8 twist 26in barrel.

As are most.

 

[Eric H]

You might want to take a serious look at the 109 gr Absolute Hammer. I've got it running 3511 fps and it destroyed a huge pronghorn this past August. Extremely flat shooting

Which powder and COAL working for you?

 

[OldElkHunter1961]

A goat (eg North American Pronghorn Antelope) buck might hit 115 lbs. Might.

A bull elk can reach 1000 lbs. A bullet that "destroyed" a goat may well be fully unsuitable for an elk.

Ya can't compare apples to fire hydrants unless "red" is the only measurable parameter.

 

[Highvoltage]

I recently called nosler, Sierra and Hornady last week and I asked them for their bullet of choice for elk. I told them I'm shooting a 6.5 saum and shots range from 300-500 where I hunt. Their choices were 140 accubond, 130cx, 143 eldx, 140 tipped game changer. My only experience with a 6.5 is from my hunting buddy shooting factory 26 nosler with 140 accubonds and it crushes elk. If I could find accubonds to reload that would be my first pick followed by the Sierra. Best wishes!

 

[REO55]

My son shot a cow elk at 625 yd, 143 ELDX out of a 6.5 PRC, one shot and it dropped where it stood.

 

[pony doctor]

I've submitted an application for an Elk hunt and want to be ready if I'm lucky. What weight should I use as I have 127gr LRX, 140GR ACCUBOND BT, 143GR ELDX, 140Gr VLD Hunting, 130GR VLD Hunting and 156EOLs. Thought of getting HAMMERs as they're very consistent in weight and structure. Any load guidance would help also.

I can't help with loads for this caliber snd know there are people that will address that on this forum. My suggestion of which bullet depends solely on which bullet will perform in your rifle! I suggest rigorous load development until you find the bullet that will group 1/2 MOA at 100 yards at the minimum, and perhaps even smaller. 1/2 Moa at 1000 yards is placed a bullet within 5 inches of point of aim! An elk has a kill zone of approx. 15 inch diameter. 1/2 Moa at 200 yard prarie dog probably won't work! Seems as though each rifle and each bullet will just depend upon load development ie. brand of powder, grains of powder, specific primer etc. and very specific seating depth in relationship to the lands. A good place to start would come from other replies as to their loads but know that if it shoots tight groups in their rifle it may or may not in yours, that's the challenge of rigorous load development but does give you a starting point of reference. Ladder tests are often very handy in finding your " nodes" or barrel harmonics! Bergers shoot great in my rifle but cannot get Hornady bullets to group, and know others rifles perform great with the Hornady! Each rifle seems to be unique in what works best!

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

To answer E Rich:
The Sierra 6.5 SGK 140gr is a great bullet for hunting Elk/Deer/Pronghorn. Just to say we had given away/traded/sold over 1,500 bullets of 6.5 SGK in 140gr the first part of 2021 for the 2021 Fall Elk/Deer hunting season. So anyone can see that these bullets are in high demand because they are effective and work. There are also some Hammers and Hornady bullets out there and those hunters have had really good sucess.

I would like to know why some shooters/hunters do not like the 6.5mm as a hunting bullet for large game.

The 6.5mmm bullet was one of if not the best BC accurate bullet from the beginning of the 21st Centry.
The 6.5X55 Sweed has most likely taken the most amount of Elk/Moose/Ram even African big game animals, then any other cartridge made to this date.
As far as the bullet design goes it has a GREAT BC depending in weight and design. I have to add with the addition of custom barrels and manufactures now making the 6.5 in faster twists 1:8 & 1:7.5 you can use heavier bullets and get good GS.
I have shot a lot of 7.62 in the Marines and then the .308 for civilian hunting. The design of the .308 Winchester prompted the 6.5-08 which I had in the 80s as a wildcat and then the .260 in late 90s. The 7mm08 and .234 win fit into (4) great calibers off the parent case .308.
The Win 284 rebated case came out in the early 60s to compete with the 280 Rem and it didn't make it, however years later it was a real hit in the "F" Class shooting community. There are a lot of .248 Win 1.35" or 1.25" straight tube barrels taking Matches. Then the 6.5 was introduced and married to the 284. The 6.5X284 is and probably for a long time will still be a Competition caliber and a very good caliber for hunting large game.
The 6.5X284 has been controversial. Use in Long Action-Short Action - Feeding issues because of Re-bated Case, velocity gains over other 6.5s.
The 6.5X 284 which I think is a great hunting and competition cartridge with the right twist rate and bullet weight/design will be out there for a long time. MY OPNION!
Your 6.5X284 will be really a good cartridge for you Elk Hunt!

 

[dougduey]

Which powder and COAL working for you?

56.0gr HV100, 2.952 COAL

 

[OldElkHunter1961]

"Quantity has a Quality all it's own."

Said another way "if a Cadillac is good, a big Cadillac is better."

E=MC(2). As velocity peels away reducing E, mass does not dissipate in flight.

Add in other factors such as frontal area and sectional density and for larger, tougher animals larger tougher bullets only make sense. That's why in many jurisdictions in Africa the .375 H&H and various 9.3's are the minimum calibers for the Big 5.

 

[VLD Pilot]

I have a custom 6.5-284 pushing 147 eld m at 2950 with some retumbo behind it. I have shot two elk with this combo. A cow at 600 yards and a spike at 450. The cow was standing feeding broadside. Dialed the gun and sent it. I watched the bullet hit right behind her shoulder and she started to wobble. I am a firm believer if the animal is still standing I'm still shooting. I racked the bolt and sent another and she dropped where she was standing. Both shots about 2" apart and the first one definitely would've worked but I wasn't risking it. The spike got pushed to us from below us. He was trotting and stopped at 450 I dialed the gun and sent it. Hit the bull square in the shoulder. He hunched and started to fall backwards back down the hill. He had regained his feet and was standing there wobbling when I gave him another in the ribs and down he went. This spike was my most memorable hunts because my grandpa dad and sister were with me on it. My two experiences with elk with the 6.5-284 were great. I know both elk would've died within 20 yards of where I shot them if I didn't give them another. It is an awesome deer and antelope caliber too. With that being said I have killed every other elk with either a 300 win mag or ultra mag. I do think the 6.5-284 killed elk just as fast as the elk I've seen taken with a 270, 308 or 30-06. Plus it bucks the wind a lot better. If you're comfortable shooting it I say let it rip. I do a lot of practice at 1000-1300 yards. Would I ever shoot an animal this far no especially elk with this particular rifle. Deer 700 for me with this gun elk 600. But it's like practicing with your bow at 100 yards on the target or further for some of you but once you shoot your bow at 100 and then move into 30-40 yards it seems "easier" same for me with rifle shooting. If I can hit a target consistently at 1000 from different shooting positions and angles then when I get a shot at 300 yards it feels like a chip shot. Just my two cents. I say shoot either 143 eld x 140 eld m or 147 eld m or the berger 156. I just loaded some 156 berger but they aren't quite getting the velocity I was hoping for so I'm gonna have to lean on them a little bit more. I'm getting 2840 out of the 156 berger and all I took last season was a mule deer doe with them at 350 yards. I think it has potential but if I can't get them a little faster I'll be going back to my 147 eld m load. Good luck and happy hunting. I hope this helped.

Perfect example of someone that knows his gun and how to put the bullet where it counts. Alot of guys have had bad experiences with less than 30 caliber rifles feel they are under gunned using anything less. Obviously they are. I'm not when I'm using my 6.5-284. No bad experiences all excellent results. Shoot what your confident with. Period.

 

[OldElkHunter1961]

Anybody else hearing Elmer Keith and Jack O'Connor laughing in the background?

 

[VLD Pilot]

Anybody else hearing Elmer Keith and Jack O'Connor laughing in the background?

Yep, that useless old .270 couldn't get it done...Right ???

 

[anwahs]

It's interesting to me to read all the success stories with 6.5 bullets but, unless I missed it, no one talks about the failures when things go bad. I used to shoot a 7 mag for elk and killed many elk with it but I also had a couple lost elk. One in particular happened when I spooked a group of elk out of a timbered draw, around 15 or so with a spike. The elk had all stoped and were on high alert looking directly at me from about 150 yards. I got set up on the spike and was slowly squeezing the trigger and just as I was about to touch it off they all bolted causing a gut shot. Sounded like I hit a ripe watermellon. The elk ran up a ridge line that separated two canyons that was so rocky I could not even find a track and, as is common with a gut shot, no blood. I could not even tell which drainage they went into. Spent a lot of time searching but never saw him again. A couple years ago my son had a very similar situation where he had spotted a group of elk in an opening on the edge of some timber. There was a spike out in the open and a raghorn moving in and out of the edge of the timber. He was trying to get a shot on the raghorn when suddenly the elk started getting nervous and milling around so he decided to take the shot on the spike. Just as had happened to me several years ago, just as he was touching it off, the elk spooked and he gut shot it. Only difference was he was shooting a 375 RUM with a 329 grain Hammer at over 2800 fps. Blew a hole through both sides and dropped him! If you hunt elk long enough you are likely to run into a situation were everything doesn't go as planned. I feel better hunting with enough gun to help lessen the chance of a lost animal in these circumstances. I now shoot a 338 edge for elk.