Which bullet for deer for 6.5CM inside 400 yards?

[FIGJAM]

I really like the Hornady ELDX bullets. They make a 143gr for the 6.5 that would work well. My all time favorite deer and elk bullets are bergers. You could do the 130's or the the 140. Either would work well.

 

[Toddxusmc]

I would preferably want a bullet that can penetrate a whitetails bone and still do the necessary to take the animal and have it run less than 100 yards. We always try for broadside shots but sometimes all you have is a hard quartering towards shot where you will be aiming at the front leg/shoulder area in order to hit the vitals. So which bullets would be best on a scenario like this under 400 yards? That's why I was thinking either monometal bullets or a bonded bullet like an accubond. DRT is always awesome but I never count on it. I have never had a whitetail run further than 75 yards, as long as I did my part on aiming.

Nothing is an absolute. I shot this deer at 70 yards with a 143 ELD-X out of a 26"bbl 6.5 Creedmoor. In load development this load with RE26 chronographed 2920 ave.
The deer was quartering slightly toward me. Shot was down (from 18') and into the area between shoulder and ribs. The bullet exploded on impact. This is not the performance I was expecting from a high SD interlock bullet. In the past I always used Accubonds in belted magnums and never had a problem. I will be switching to the Accubond LR bullet as I don't like the failure the ELD-X had. Although the bullet exploded, enough held together to graze the top of the lungs and enter (and stay in) the deer's stomach. He ran approximately 3mi through various tracks of neighbors land; we didn't give up the trail and found him bled out under a pine tree. Im guessing had I used the Accubond or Accubond LR, this wouldn't have happened. I'll only use bonded bullets from now on. I think out to 400 yds the 129/130 in the Accubond or Accubond LR will serve you well.

 

[bigngreen]

Ya the 143 blows in more ways than one IMO though I've seen very similar performance from the ABLR.

 

[WildRose]

View attachment 118091
Nothing is an absolute. I shot this deer at 70 yards with a 143 ELD-X out of a 26"bbl 6.5 Creedmoor. In load development this load with RE26 chronographed 2920 ave.
The deer was quartering slightly toward me. Shot was down (from 18') and into the area between shoulder and ribs. The bullet exploded on impact. This is not the performance I was expecting from a high SD interlock bullet. In the past I always used Accubonds in belted magnums and never had a problem. I will be switching to the Accubond LR bullet as I don't like the failure the ELD-X had. Although the bullet exploded, enough held together to graze the top of the lungs and enter (and stay in) the deer's stomach. He ran approximately 3mi through various tracks of neighbors land; we didn't give up the trail and found him bled out under a pine tree. Im guessing had I used the Accubond or Accubond LR, this wouldn't have happened. I'll only use bonded bullets from now on. I think out to 400 yds the 129/130 in the Accubond or Accubond LR will serve you well.

Not at all surprising. The ELD-X tends to be pretty explosive with high velocity impacts. They are designed for ranges 400yds and beyond thus a thinner, more fragile jackets. They are also not a bonded bullet so separation is common.

 

[jpope02]

I know this is a long range forum but the advice you all give here has been great so I continue to ask my questions here. Which bullet would you use for reloads on deer and smaller critters inside 400 yards? Im thinking something in the 120-140grain range (highly considering the 117gr Hammer sledgehammers and the 130 grain accubond). The 117gr sledgehammers should provide a flat trajectory so I'm leaning towards those but I'm not sure how they perform on game yet.

149 g Berger vld hunting will be hard to beat.

 

[Harvey Durham]

I know this is a long range forum but the advice you all give here has been great so I continue to ask my questions here. Which bullet would you use for reloads on deer and smaller critters inside 400 yards? Im thinking something in the 120-140grain range (highly considering the 117gr Hammer sledgehammers and the 130 grain accubond). The 117gr sledgehammers should provide a flat trajectory so I'm leaning towards those but I'm not sure how they perform on game yet.

You can never go wrong buy just using a 140 grain bullet on all of your shots and staying with them. Keep it simple.

 

[mobenzowner]

I speak not from my own experience but from 4 guys I know they were invited to a doe cull hunt. They all took 6.5 cm's. They all shot the Hornady 129 interlocks and took 6 does between them. All ranged 150 yds or less and none required a second shot. Therefor those would be my recommendation. I have some but haven't came up with a good enough load yet.

 

[Forcedoutage]

I like 125 NP and 140 NBT for those ranges. They shoot well for me and never had an issue on deer with them.

 

[jpope02]

I know this is a long range forum but the advice you all give here has been great so I continue to ask my questions here. Which bullet would you use for reloads on deer and smaller critters inside 400 yards? Im thinking something in the 120-140grain range (highly considering the 117gr Hammer sledgehammers and the 130 grain accubond). The 117gr sledgehammers should provide a flat trajectory so I'm leaning towards those but I'm not sure how they perform on game yet.

Barnes ttsx 120 gr! DRT till it falls below 1800 feet per second. Spectacular and accurate!

 

[Harvey Durham]

I like 125 NP and 140 NBT for those ranges. They shoot well for me and never had an issue on deer with them.

I think staying with one load has an advantage. The 130 or 140 grain Bullets will always do anything the lighter Bullets will do.

 

[Msgt William Toprock]

I know this is a long range forum but the advice you all give here has been great so I continue to ask my questions here. Which bullet would you use for reloads on deer and smaller critters inside 400 yards? Im thinking something in the 120-140grain range (highly considering the 117gr Hammer sledgehammers and the 130 grain accubond). The 117gr sledgehammers should provide a flat trajectory so I'm leaning towards those but I'm not sure how they perform on game yet.

As before I feel a 130 grain 270 traveling at over 3000 fps leaving the barrel will do the jon even out to 600-700 yards, though I would never shoot that far out !

 

[skipglo]

I know this is a long range forum but the advice you all give here has been great so I continue to ask my questions here. Which bullet would you use for reloads on deer and smaller critters inside 400 yards? Im thinking something in the 120-140grain range (highly considering the 117gr Hammer sledgehammers and the 130 grain accubond). The 117gr sledgehammers should provide a flat trajectory so I'm leaning towards those but I'm not sure how they perform on game yet.

I would seriously consider Hornady 143 gr. Eld X...Great bullet for 6.5 excellent retention of weight

 

[JTH]

View attachment 118091
Nothing is an absolute. I shot this deer at 70 yards with a 143 ELD-X out of a 26"bbl 6.5 Creedmoor. In load development this load with RE26 chronographed 2920 ave.
The deer was quartering slightly toward me. Shot was down (from 18') and into the area between shoulder and ribs. The bullet exploded on impact. This is not the performance I was expecting from a high SD interlock bullet. In the past I always used Accubonds in belted magnums and never had a problem. I will be switching to the Accubond LR bullet as I don't like the failure the ELD-X had. Although the bullet exploded, enough held together to graze the top of the lungs and enter (and stay in) the deer's stomach. He ran approximately 3mi through various tracks of neighbors land; we didn't give up the trail and found him bled out under a pine tree. Im guessing had I used the Accubond or Accubond LR, this wouldn't have happened. I'll only use bonded bullets from now on. I think out to 400 yds the 129/130 in the Accubond or Accubond LR will serve you well.

I've had similar results with the 143 ELD-X on a whitetail, 100 yard broadside lung shot (right behind the shoulder)
Complete separation, jacket weighing 3 grains was barely poking through the off side. Buck ran about 50 yards in thick cover (cedar swamp) without a drop of blood. I expected a pass through and blood trail, had neither. Similar results on a mule deer at 250 yards, bullet was not recovered but no exit wound on a broadside shot. Killed a whitetail last year at about 350 yards and the performance was better. Very interested to read through all of this as I'd prefer a bullet that dependably delivers two holes and decent expansion, not explosion.

 

[stx]

I would seriously consider Hornady 143 gr. Eld X...Great bullet for 6.5 excellent retention of weight

My experience with the 143 ELDX, as well as that of several my hunters has not been very good!