Who has killed lots of elk with a 6.5 mm bullet?

[Levi]

Tagging in.

 

[J300UM]

I've killed a cow and two mature bulls with my 264wm and 140gr accubonds. The cow was at 60 yds and the bulls were at 365 and 633. The cow made it 10 yds before she hit a tree head on and piled up. Both bulls fell where they stood.

 

[Len Backus]

Again, thanks so much.

I assume most of you guys do not aim for the shoulder?

 

[westcoasthunter]

I have a cooper phoenix in 6.5x284 shooting 2930fps with 140vld shot one Roosevelt 6x5 at 550yards, first shot turned its vitals into mush he was dead on his feet but put one one in him , in the high shoulder and he dropped like a rock. Was very happy with the combo

 

[IdahoCTD]

I've killed a couple cows with 140gr Amax's at 3230fps from my 6.5-300wm. Both were under 150yds.

 

[Wyofax]

Again, thanks so much.

I assume most of you guys do not aim for the shoulder?

Our intent on all of these shots was for vitals behind the shoulder but didn't have that available on a couple of them. High shoulder was what was available on the biggest bull that actually stood up 30 seconds after the hit.

We did put 2 rounds of 140 VLD's in a shiras moose at 260 yards, both right behind the shoulder. It took that bull 2 minutes to fall but when we opened him up you could not have held the blood in a 5 gallon bucket. It was crazy the volume sitting in his thoracic cavity after those two hits.

 

[bigngreen]

I avoid the shoulder like the plague most of the time!! My number one reason is you average 8lbs of meat lose per hole to the shoulders, shoot through both and you loose 16 lbs of burger meat min.
Second, I deliberately shoot elk through the shoulder or neck at least a couple times with each bullet I test just so I know what I can get done with it and the 6.5 140 gr bullet will not always blow up a vertebra, you get some cracking or a hole drilled through it but not that blown up effect which will anchor and kill. If you shoot lower in the mid shoulder a 6.5 bullet simply won't penetrate to chest, I've had 30 cal magnums with hard bullets even fail there.
I HATE elk dropping in their tracks only to have them start to flop around and eventually get their legs back under them, I see this multiple times a year either from to light a bullet just hitting the spine but not breaking it or cutting the cord or shot placement going a little to high and blowing the top of the vertebra of. Then you have the elk that has a leg windmilling from a low shoulder hit with an inadequate bullet for the job.
If I do drop one, I'll sometimes just put a second round through them immediately through the lungs just to make sure I walk up on a dead elk, at a minimum I'm ready with a second shot for a minute or so and if I so much as see an ear twitch I send it. I hate dispatching game, we owe them the best we can do and walking up to them alive is not my best!
One round right through the lungs, dead elk every time, no drama gun)

 

[mtnwrunner]

I avoid the shoulder like the plague most of the time!! My number one reason is you average 8lbs of meat lose per hole to the shoulders, shoot through both and you loose 16 lbs of burger meat min.
Second, I deliberately shoot elk through the shoulder or neck at least a couple times with each bullet I test just so I know what I can get done with it and the 6.5 140 gr bullet will not always blow up a vertebra, you get some cracking or a hole drilled through it but not that blown up effect which will anchor and kill. If you shoot lower in the mid shoulder a 6.5 bullet simply won't penetrate to chest, I've had 30 cal magnums with hard bullets even fail there.
I HATE elk dropping in their tracks only to have them start to flop around and eventually get their legs back under them, I see this multiple times a year either from to light a bullet just hitting the spine but not breaking it or cutting the cord or shot placement going a little to high and blowing the top of the vertebra of. Then you have the elk that has a leg windmilling from a low shoulder hit with an inadequate bullet for the job.
If I do drop one, I'll sometimes just put a second round through them immediately through the lungs just to make sure I walk up on a dead elk, at a minimum I'm ready with a second shot for a minute or so and if I so much as see an ear twitch I send it. I hate dispatching game, we owe them the best we can do and walking up to them alive is not my best!
One round right through the lungs, dead elk every time, no drama gun)

Bingo. I'm a vital guy the whole way. I shot a spike this year with a 6.5 saum/140 berger vld at 344 yards. Did the job nicely.


Randy

 

[luke]

I just got home from an elk hunt in which 2 of the 3 elk taken were with my 6.5-284. One was at 560 yards it was a one shot kill. It was hit right at the crease of the shoulder slipped between the ribs.before the hunter could rack the bolt and get back one her she was down. The other elk was shot at 586 yards. Hit in the same place as the other elk right at the crease. When this hunter got back on the elk she was still on her feet so a second shot was taken hitting about 2 inches farther back than the first shot. She crumpled imediately from that shot. The bullets used were berger 140gr hunting vld's at 2955fps. Hope this is helpful.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Heard you the first time luke, LOL! Yep, put anything that will penetrate and expand through the lung area and they will go down, but it's always best to be right on them like bigngreen stated and give them another one if there is any sign they might get back up.

 

[Magnumitis]

The bull in the video below was killed with a 6.5x284 and 140 Berger at 407 yards.



If it doesn't play right away, just refresh it.

 

[jonthomps]

This ^^^ is an awesome bull. Love the music too!

 

[Magnumitis]

Thanks! Gotta love Hank.

 

[Levi]

Magnumitis,
What speed are you running the 140, load recipe, and rifle specs? Great bull buddy!

Levi