Bullet failure 130 grain nosler partition with 6.5 creedmoor

[Almondgrower]

A partition is a great bullet as is the 6.5 creedmoore however a elk is a really tough big animal . People underestimate the bone structure of a elk . Even rib bones are getting close in density to the biggest deer bones. I always prefer heavy for caliber bullet and if it's going to be a smaller cartridge like a 6.5c then u defiantly want to hit them in the heart and lungs . Many elk have been taken with much smaller caliber/cartridge , im not saying the won't do the job but we as hunters need to be ethical in our choices also . 6.5 with a heavy premium bonded or solid bullet with handle anything in N America . Let shot placement be the limiting factor in the yardage the shot is taken from so you are sure to hit heart and lungs .

 

[Zane Snyder]

imo the creedmoor is a little light but surely can get the job done idk if I'd call it bullet failure maybe just not a tough enough bullet for direct shoulder shots go to a barnes triple shock if you like the shoulder shot it will go through and preform great and not even cause a lot of damage in the form of bloodshot ruined meat

 

[Alibiiv]

I know that I am going to get killed here with negative responses from long range shooters, however here goes. I believe that many of the "6.5" calibers are really overrated in many cases, and because of this they are oftentimes used where larger calibers would do a better, a cleaner job and a more ethical job of taking down an animal. I believe that there are better cartridges for hunting larger thin skinned animals such as elk. As one other post here states, trying to break down a shoulder on such a large animal is asking a lot with a 130gr bullet, period!! And you will always read about bullet placement, well that is okay when shooting a steel plate that isn't moving or in a sterile situation while hunting, however "hunting scenarios" are not always sterile. And.....there is not anyone on this blog, who has ever done any considerable hunting, can say otherwise! When we are hunting, even the most experience hunter, will and has run into situations that will turn a simple shot into a nightmare in a heart beat!! One other statement that I would like to make here is that I have been a true fan of Nosler partition bullets for over 50 years and have never had one "not" perform as it was supposed to. Great expansion and total penetration!! I shot a 170lb deer/doe at 260 yard, front-on, center neck with a 140 Nosler partition bullet, out of a 6.5 Remington mag. The bullet never exited the animal and I never found it, but the field dressing was quite easy and messy because the inside was a total case of mush; the doe dropped right where she was standing. I have shot many other deer with Noslers, only with larger calibers, caribou being another species, 300 Win mag, total penetration and dropped right where they were standing; last one was 350 yards. All that said if you are going to hunt elk, use a larger caliber weapon. I hunt black bears, they are big, furry creatures with teeth and claws that can really mess you up if the right opportunity arises, and/if that sterile environment turns ugly, and they have a penchant to do just that if they can; I use a 35 Whelen or a .358 Winchester to get the job done. And.....please all of you "6.5 shooters" please go easy here!!

 

[donwill]

A partition is a great bullet as is the 6.5 creedmoore however a elk is a really tough big animal . People underestimate the bone structure of a elk . Even rib bones are getting close in density to the biggest deer bones. I always prefer heavy for caliber bullet and if it's going to be a smaller cartridge like a 6.5c then u defiantly want to hit them in the heart and lungs . Many elk have been taken with much smaller caliber/cartridge , im not saying the won't do the job but we as hunters need to be ethical in our choices also . 6.5 with a heavy premium bonded or solid bullet with handle anything in N America . Let shot placement be the limiting factor in the yardage the shot is taken from so you are sure to hit heart and lungs .

I think the issue here is not with the bullet .Its with the choice of bullet. If a heavier grain bullet was used the results would have been totally different. If you could repeat the shots using, say 180 grain, the results would have been totally different. Its like trying to stop a bumblebee using a feather, it is possible.... but not always successful.

 

[donwill]

I think the issue here is not with the bullet, it is with the weight of bullet, If one could retake these shots using 175-180 grain bullets the results would have been totally different. OR different placement of the shots so they would not have to blast their way into the vitals, you would have seen much better results. Its like trying to swat a hornet with a feather....it can be done....but there is a better tool.

 

[cynicrit]

Sounds like you depended on the reputation of the Partition and overlooked inadequate ballistics. That's not uncommon with the flavor of the month. The Creedmore is a wonderful cartridge within its envelope, (and for what it was created for) you just went outside the envelope. Try a lung/heart/forward chest shot. Or use enough gun. And ignore marketing in favor of physics.

 

[Dry Heat?]

6.5 Greedmore is not an Elk Cartridge. It's been Marketed by genius, but it's not an Elk Cartridge. Will it kill an Elk? Yeah. An identical Cartridge, the Century-Old 6.5x55 has been killing Moose in Scandinavia for more than a Century. But Moose are ******* compared to Elk and the Shot has to be a good one with precise placement. Not every Elk is gonna give you the perfect shot. To me, the minimum Elk Cartridge is the 7mm-08/270 Win, with well-constructed Bullets, on up. No, the superior 260 Remington isn't an Elk Cartridge either. The 30 Magnums are ideal. The 338 Mags are not too much for Elk for those that can handle the push, 35 Whelen for 300-400 yards or less. I know people that have killed Bull Elk with 243s and 25-06s, but that doesn't mean they are Elk Cartridges. And neither is the 6.5 Greedmore

 

[the hunter]

Hang around a game processing place for a day and see the shot to hell stuff that gets brought in.

I would like my stuff shot to hell insted of running over the next mountain.

 

[Old Corps]

My mistake. 140 grain partition. As far as shot placement my son knows to aim for the crease but he is 13 and in the field it's hard to complain that he hit the front shoulder at 325 yards. I know some of you don't believe this. I have seen similar posts about other bullets and didn't believe them either. My daughter had great performance on a deer and antelope this year with the same bullet. With perfect shot placement a 223 will kill an elk, but in the field things are not always perfect as in my sons case. I just expected penetration at least through the ribs with a partition bullet. And it's not like the creedmoor has such high impact velocity to destroy the bullet on impact.

A shoulder shot is not exactly thru the ribs!

 

[cynicrit]

Might I add something about the Partition? I had a man tell me once that he was down loading his hunting load (.300 WM, 180 GR. Partition). Why? Because "It was going so fast, it didn't have time to open up. The exit hole was just caliber sized." He was, in effect, turning his .300 WM into a heavy 30-06. What was really happening is what they're designed for. Explosive initial expansion with deep penetration.

 

[basinman]

I'm not wrong in the least, it's exactly why they will of ten pencil through when all that is hit is soft tissue. It's not a flaw, it's simply how they are designed.

I've seen literal hundreds of deer, hogs, and elk killed with them and they do a great job but only if they are put in the right place to take advantage of their structure/design.

Use a hammer for a hammer, not a wrench, use a Partition for punching heavy bone, muscle etc not shooting for the soft vitals.

https://www.nosler.com/partition-bullet/ Here is the link to see the cut-away view of a Partition bullet.

 

[basinman]

Yes, the Nosler Partition expands rapidly, and the "pencil sized" exit is usually from the rear shank as it continues to penetrate through the animal. As it was said, often times they expand too rapidly, doubling back over on themselves, or the front portion smearing or disintegrating because of the thin jacket and soft lead (thus, aiding penetration because of less frontal area) but they do expand quickly. The jackets on the nose section are relatively thin, and they expand as much and as quickly as a standard spitzer, but the wall prevents it from expanding past the shank. People see the smaller exit wounds and think that they didn't expand, but in reality, the front half expanded, lead smeared off, and the rear shank continued to pass through. In my opinion, and looking at them over the years, the only things the Nosler Partition doesn't have going for it, is general ease of loading for accuracy, due to the cross-section "partition" preventing it from having relatively uniform deformation as it's squeezed down the bore upon firing, and a low B.C. for longer range shooting. Otherwise it's one of the finest bullet designs out there for big game under normal shooting conditiong (not long range.)

I agree. The bullet expands inside the animal's body cavity (delivering it's kinetic energy) and sometimes shears off the front portion of the bullet leaving the base to push on through.

 

[basinman]

Anyways getting back to the OP's question on should he be looking for a new bullet for his daughter. I don't think so. She already shot a deer and antelope with the rifle and load successfully. I think that since she is comfortable with the load and rifle that if she stays off the shoulder she will do fine. If the load is too hard on her she could look at using a 120 gr Ballistic Tip as the late Chub Eastman did in his 6.5-280 Ackley. He apparently killed moose, elk, and big deer with that load.

P.O. Ackley was famous for killing elk and other large game with his improved .22 caliber loadings. He did have to build his own bullet though.

 

[Unoboats]

Do the math, with the energy at that distance that's not even possible. There's no way it operated as designed and failed to penetrate.

Correct. The shot was too long for the energy needed. I killed a bull last year with a 260 with 130 gr. Scirocco at 231 yds. Shot through both shoulders, he never took a step.