Caliber for medium range Elk

The 270 Winchester with a good 150 grain bullet or a 130gr Barnes TSX are both poison out to 300 yards!
They will do better than that as long as you are able to. If some one is not comfortable shooting past 300 yards nothing wrong there, better to go with a shot you know you can make then to take one you are not shore of.
 
6.5 above 140 grains IF it is 6.5/284 or more in energy. The 6.5 Weatherby RPM would do fine.

I have a 6.5 PRC X-Bolt that will be just fine to 500 yards on bull elk with 143to 153gr. bullets. Scandanavians have been killing European moose for ages with the 6.5 Swedish cartridge.

Eric B.
 
Actually the Scandinavians have been taking moose with the 6.5x55 since it's inception in 1893. I have been using a 6.5 to tale elk since 1994. Have used the Barnes 120 X at first then transitioned to the TSX when it came out. Started with a 6.5x308 wild cat ( aka 260 Rem) . Have also used a newer 260 Rem , 6.5x55, 6.5x06 & 264 mag. Seems to make no difference which one I use. Took a very mature elk this past season using the 121 gr 6.5 Hammer bullet. Exact same results as with any other mono. Complete penetration of both front shoulders & a DRT. Have never even come close to loosing an elk with the 6.5. It comes down to a tough deep penetrating bullet accurately placed. In my younger days I felt I had to use my 338 mag. It has set in storage all these years & I have never regretted setting it aside. Just wish I had done it sooner.
 
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Dude thats like saying which is better Ford or Chevy.

My personal elk rifle to 500 yards is my 340 WTBY MAG with a 250 grain nosler partition. Its a whole like like hitting them with a giant hammer.

Lots of great choices tho find what fits you and practice practice practice accuracy is alot better than caliber if you get what I mean...
 
Actually the Scandinavians have been taking moose with the 6.5x55 since it's inception in 1893. I have been using a 6.5 to tale elk since 1994. Have used the Barnes 120 X at first then transitioned to the TSX when it came out. Started with a 6.5x308 wild cat ( aka 260 Rem) . Have also used a newer 260 Rem , 6.5x55, 6.5x06 & 264 mag. Seems to make no difference which one I use. Took a very mature elk this past season using the 121 gr 6.5 Hammer bullet. Exact same results as with any other mono. Complete penetration of both front shoulders & a DRT. Have never even come close to loosing an elk wityh the 6.5. It comes down to a tough deep penetrating bullet accurately placed. In my younger days I felt I had to use my 338 mag. It has set in storage all these years & I have never regretted setting it aside. Just wish I had done it sooner.
What ranges?
 
Actually the Scandinavians have been taking moose with the 6.5x55 since it's inception in 1893. I have been using a 6.5 to tale elk since 1994. Have used the Barnes 120 X at first then transitioned to the TSX when it came out. Started with a 6.5x308 wild cat ( aka 260 Rem) . Have also used a newer 260 Rem , 6.5x55, 6.5x06 & 264 mag. Seems to make no difference which one I use. Took a very mature elk this past season using the 121 gr 6.5 Hammer bullet. Exact same results as with any other mono. Complete penetration of both front shoulders & a DRT. Have never even come close to loosing an elk wityh the 6.5. It comes down to a tough deep penetrating bullet accurately placed. In my younger days I felt I had to use my 338 mag. It has set in storage all these years & I have never regretted setting it aside. Just wish I had done it sooner.
Question for you... What is the best twist rate for the 120-127gr bullets. I've got the bug for a PRC and I'm not a heavy bullet fan..
TYIA
Steve C.
 
I have several 6.5's both with 1/8 & 1/9 twist. They all shoot accurately any bullet I have tried from the 100gr to the 143. I have my own 500yd range & performance of the 120 mono's out to that range would surprise you. Flat , fast & smacks the target sharply.. I see no reason why the 127 gr bullets should not perform equally. If I were to build a new 6.5 rifle I would go with the 1/8 just for good measure. Of all the elk we have taken over the years with the 120gr mono we have yet to recover one. As always holding steady, squeezing the trigger & delivering the bullet accurately is paramount. The biggest problem I see with elk hunters is they get so excited when elk are spotted they jerk the trigger & their bullets are placed poorly if not a complete miss.. Your mind has to be in control squeezing the trigger, not your emotions jerking it. Any reasonable cartridge with a mono bullet will work when place accurately.
 
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