In this video I go over why you shouldn't use a 6.5 Creedmoor for Elk hunting. While it's a great deer and long distance target cartridge... I believe you should use a bigger cartridge for elk.
I took 3 large Rosevelt Elk with an AR 15 in 7.62x39 and same goes true it doesn't make that an Elk cartridge even when I did it. I got lucky to find an old, abandoned logging road grown up with Alder trees the Elk use many times a day, so I set up a close-range ambush on the Elk. The Elk herd come mossing by nibbling on this and that so not any hurry to shoot so just wait your shot then let the Elk you want have it. At 50 yards max the 311" 150 grain PPU bullet travels into the Elk and through the heart or lungs, then it is game over and I don't wake the dead with a larger rifle being fired. I wish I could send commie Biden a photo being the asshole thinks AR's aren't used for sporting purposes.
That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard Have you ever been hunting or shot a gun in your entire life? Just because some other clown says something doesn’t make it true, scooter
Excellent!!! I couldn’t agree with you more. I have taken elk with both a 270 and a 7mm Remington. You hit two key components when hunting elk or any animal. Bullet placement and distant. Be respectable to the game you are taking and don’t over shoot your you own capabilities and your cartridge. A good hunter can always get closer. Thanks for sharing.
You have no idea what you’re talking about mate The 270 had a little over 200 ftlbs of energy at the muzzle more than the creedmor but as they travel the creedmor starts creeping up and at around 400 yards the creedmor passes the 270 in energy Ones 27 caliber the other 26 so please explain to me how you agree with his ridiculous claim? Make it make sense Stop believing everything you read because other people are trying to act like pros but they don’t know anything either God Bless
Not trying to fight I'm just curious. do you think there are elk you have killed with a 270 that a 6.5 cm with the same shot placement and a good bullet like a ttsx would not have killed?
Growing up in Alberta, our family used 30-30s, 308s, and 270s for Elk and Moose. I'd guess between the 4 men in our family we've taken 80 of them. We use 6.5 Creedmoors, 30-30s exclusively for big game animals now. 30-30s stalking is simply the most fun one could have under 175 yds. 42 big animals in 45 years... I would have no problem using 6.5 Creedmoor for these animals in the right conditions. I also would use a lead soft point bullet like Sellier and Bellot 140gr. Why becuase we have used the hornady stuff and it has shattered on deer ribs causing a 2nd finishing shot. It certainly would do the same on an Elk. The Sellier and Bellot lead soft point goes right through bone and has dropped every animal we've shot with it. Moose, Elk, Whitetails, Black Bears etc. Most importantly it stays together. The Creedmoor is a great great calibre with the right bullet structure. This is real world experience and my opinion and the opinion of my family.
I love my 6.5CM for deer, but in these days of ammo shortages,it is better to be overgunned shooting a CoreLok than under gunned shooting a Hornady SST. I bought a 270 barrel for another rifle simply because there are actual ammo choices
You don't hear people talking about the 6.5x55 or the 260 Remington being good elk cartridges despite the decades that they have been used. The only thing that makes the creedmoor better is marketing hype. There is a game warden in Wyoming who has instrumental in getting 22 calibers legalized for deer and antelope. After a couple years, someone asked him if people using 22 calibers for deer was causing problems. He reportedly answered, "not as much as people who think the 6.5 creedmoor is a 500 yd elk cartridge."
@@texpatriot8462 👍👍👍 30-30 has killed many, many elk, moose, and bears too, including grizzly, but it wouldn't be my first pick for that either, no matter how good I think the 30-30 is.
Bro, there’s a RU-vid video right now with a young girl killing a large bull elk with a 6.5 Grendel at 495 yards You still wanna try telling us that the creedmor, that’s moving even faster, can’t take elk at 500 yds?
@@mr.j5919 WDM Bell took about 800 elephant with a 7x57 mauser. Do you want to go hunting African dangerous game with a 7x57 mauser with a 175 gr bullet at 2400 fps?
@@mr.j5919 she had to shoot it like 6 times and they edited the video to shorten it because it took Forever to die. if that was a video of a 30 year old male, the comments would be brutal, but no one wants to trash a little girl doing what she was told to by her father.
You are right about bullet choice. The 6.5x55 is extremely popular in Scandinavia for moose hunting. The 6.5x55 is nearly identical in ballistic capability as the 6.5 Creedmoor. It has been the number one choice of moose hunters in Sweden and Norway for several generations. It has slipped in current times to second or third place in popularity for moose there. But the point is in Scandinavia they sure didn't use Hornady ELD-X bullets to make the 6.5x55 a reliable moose rifle. They use better heavier bullets. They use loads like the Norma 6.5mm 156 gr Oryx which is designed to hold together and penetrate moose at 6.5x55 velocities. And it works quite well at the normal hunting ranges encountered there on timber lands. But here in America nobody wants to shoot a 156 gr Oryx in a 6.5 Creedmoor because it doesn't have the supposed magic of the high BC of the ELD-X bullet. The Oryx would be considered obsolete and a dud here. But it is a far better elk bullet in the smaller 6.5s than the ELD-X. Scandinavians have not become hypnotized by high BC bullets the way we have here in America. They use bullets with roundish profiles often to kill huge animals in the real world. There is no fascination with killing game at 900 yards. The Creedmoor is overblown as is the ELD-X. Yeah, they kill things. There are better choices as you noted. With the proper bullet, the Creedmoor would be a reliable elk rifle at moderate range. But nobody wants those bullets for a Creedmoor here because they are not flat shooters. The Scandinavians are meticulous in studying bullet performance on game and Norma has done untold numbers of autopsies on moose in bullet development over many years to produce bullets that work on moose in the 6.5x55 and untold thousands of moose are harvested annually with them. Oh, I might add you have to pass shooting tests on running and standing moose targets and on bullseye targets with a passing score or you don't get to hunt.
I am sure like all the rest of the RU-vid groupies that throw all bears - Elk - Moose to one lump of all the same Moose aren't all the same and varied greatly from the Hugh Alaskan Yukon moose at 1500 pounds to the smaller Shyra's Moose the size of a Caribou only with long legs the moose has. RU-vid video's really Highlight the ignorance and stupidity in the gun - ammo - reloading and hunting community. The most dangerous is the video's about using home defenses handguns for large dangerous Alaskan bears
@@Lure-Benson how many grizzly have you killed in Alaska? I’ll take a shot in the dark and say ZERO but a 9mm has killed multiple large grizzly in Alaska so since we’re fairly sure you’ve never done it and we know that it’s taken down a good number of them, on record, what makes you think you know any better than the guys that actually used the 9mm, successfully, to kill those grizzly? Stop believing all the bs other people, that don’t know what they’re talking about either, has to say. If you can put the bullet in the correct place pretty much any caliber can do the job but you’ve got new people with little too no experience trying to tell the rest of us with experience what can or can’t or what should or should not be used and it blows my mind to see such stupidity
From what I've seen, normal diamond line field seems to be one of the most popularly used rounds for hunting big game up there. That's only 130 grains! Otherwise 140 grains is probably most common
@@BustaShenanigans What brand of ammunition are you referring to because Norma has a line of ammunition known as the diamond line, but it is match shooting ammunition not hunting ammo. The Norma ammunition web site is easy found shows all that Norma makes. I reload the 6.5 - 156 grain Vilcan or Oryx because for 6.5 bullets no one makes a copper expanding bullet of a heavy weight. For what I use my AR 10 I chambered in 6.5-284 Norma I need heavy bullets
@@Lure-Benson Shiras (correct spelling) bull moose are not the size of caribou…no not by a long shot. Shiras bulls can weigh up to a thousand to 1,200 pounds with antlers 40”-50” wide or more, and stand up to 5’ 9” or more at the shoulder. They are not as big as the Alaskan/yukon variety of moose but they are far from being the size of “caribou with long legs”. And I might add, a big Shiras bull is bigger than a bull elk as well.
Bullets recovered from game are the worst argument I've seen for the effectiveness of a bullet. I've only used the ELD-X on two Caribou. Neither was a full pass through, neither held together, both animals were DRT. Edit to add: .270 Win 145gr ELD-X
How many hunter know to dial there scope for ranges over 300 yard for drop and windage. Upto 400 yard you do not need annything more then 6.5 cm. Use good Nosler or Barnes bullet and focus on shot placement . Elk is peace of cake.
At least here in the states... there are so many better options(calibers) for the bigger game like Elk and Moose. Of course the 6.5 Creedmoor will kill elk...The question is why pick the 6.5 Creedmoor? You're so limited on bullet selection and a lack of velocity. Just my opinion of course, but I would never use it for bigger game.
@@ReloadingWeatherby there is always a better cartridge for most situations, but you only need one that will work. Like your whitetail doe hunt from 50 yards. 300 wby not great for that scenario but it worked. 1500 ftlbs with a good bullet is more than enough for elk without a doubt.
The correct answer here has all to do with the shooter’s Capabilities… I have killed elk with .243,.270,7remmag,300 win mag. They all work. Ranges from 150-600yrds… .243 kill was at 467yrds… one shot bull ran 25yrds and dropped… 6.5 creedmore will do the job just fine if you make a decent shot… doesn’t need to be perfect just not bad… again shooters skill level and knowing what shot to take or not to take is the most important factor
People have been killing elk with arrows and muzzleloader for a long, long, time. A 6.5 with a decent bullet is more than sufficient. Shot placement is everything. Put one in the boiler room and it’s all over. Less videos, more range time y’all.
And shot placement is everything for arrows and muzzleloader. My nephew bow hunted a bull elk. He barely missed the boiler room and hit the elk in the shoulder blade. My brother and nephew couldn't find the elk until about 3 days later. It suffered a pretty terrible death. I choose a bigger caliber for room for error. I will practice with my rifle so I can make a good shot.
@@75spinman And what is the difference between a 300 WBY and a 6.5 Creedmoor? I'm shooting a 200 gr bullet at 3100 FPS. At 300 yards it has double the energy of the 6.5 Creedmoor. At 400 yards the 300 WBY has 400 more ft.lbs of energy than a 6.5 Creedmoor out of the muzzle. It's not just the diameter of the bullet.
6.5 creedmoor has and will continue to kill elk at those ranges. If you prefer a more powerful cartridge to give you some perceived “room for error” then just say so. Poor shot placement is poor shot placement regardless of caliber or speed. Why publish a video entitled 6.5 creedmoor is not an elk cartridge when there’s a ton of evidence to the contrary. Your preferences are just that.
Its not complicated. Use 1500 ft-lbs of energy for killing an elk, 1000 ft-lbs for deer. At 5000 feet and 40 degrees, the 6.5 creedmoor has 1500+ ft-lbs out to 400 yards. Therefore the 6.5 creedmoor is a good elk cartridge out to 400 yards under those conditions. Its a great, very accurate, light weight, low recoiling elk cartridge as long as you stay at reasonable ranges.
I love when people voice their opinions on this type of topic. Great video once again! Personally, I will agree it's not 'the best', but I'd definitely say it'll work just fine, but with an asterisk. I stand in the camp of bullet weight and design matters and what it is coming out of does not. Meaning that if you're using an ELD-X, it likely won't go well on a quartering shot regardless of whether it is a 140gr 6.5mm, 150gr 7mm or 165gr .308... Now personally, the fact that .243, .257 Roberts, 6.5x55 Swede, .260 Remington, 7mm-08 and .308 win have all been used with plenty of success on all species up to the size those 1800lbs Eland, is enough evidence for me that they're enough - you just cannot take the iffy shots that you might be able to with a .30-06, 7 Rem Mag, .300 Win Mag and up. The fact that more and more local farmers and hunters in South Africa are moving from their .30-06, .308 and .270s to the 6.5 Creed for hunting everything up to Eland is evidence that it works just fine, as long as you do the work to ensure a good shot and use the right bullet. But I will always agree to use the biggest cartridge you can control effectively. Personally, I know I can handle .308 fine, so I want to step up to a .280 AI/7 Rem Mag, but some people can't handle that - be it because they are young, smaller statured o even for medical reasons. Those people will have to use what they can and if that is a 6.5 Creed, then use the right bullet, lengthen the hunt - not the shot and put it in the right place... they'll be just as successful as any Magnum user and more successful than the people that many PHs talk about: the guy that thinks he needs the biggest he can possibly get, but can't control it. You may have heard the nickname "Wounderby" before - many PHs mention it. My point is use what you can control effectively and shoot accurately. Personally, I think that my max is likely around .300 Win Mag or .338 Win Mag with a good silencer and decent weight to it.
The 7 mm Rem mag is a pussy cat to shoot is so nice and with a muzzle break small kids can shoot it. I had a skinny 14-year-old boy shoot my Tika T3 ultra-light in 7 mm Rem mag and he liked it allot.
@@Lure-Benson personally I'm more of a suppressor guy than brakes, since they are legal here (no wait times or anything). My .308's Suppressor has a muzzle brake on it which somehow make it even quieter for the shooter (at least to my ears) and it kicks less than my friends .222, which also has a Can on it! Makes it an absolute blast to shoot as well. I'm waiting for Howa to release a 7 PRC and then I might replace my .308, once dies and brass are available here.
@@marcmoore4115 Just go buy a rifle in 7 mm Rem mag that will do everything the 7 mm PRC can do and as old as the 7 mm rem mag is brass is much easier to get. Or buy a rifle in 7 mm rem mag then have the chamber reamed to 7 mm Wby mag or 7 mm Western or 7 mm RUM. I also use 300-win mag brass sizing it down to 7 mm Rem mag. I take a side road off Hwy 26 going to Seaside Oregon then there is a logging road and big gravel pit many shoots at. Someone with a 7 mm rem mag and a 300-win mag keep leaving their spent brass I am picking up then reloading it. I am 63 now, since childhood my elders have used 7 mm Rem mag rifles for Rosevelt Elk on the North Oregon coast with massive canyons we have had to shoot over. At times it is mind bogging that a 150-grain 7 mm Barns TSX bullet drops these Hugh Elk across Hugh canyons. Using 7 mm 150 - 160 - 175 bullets I haven't seen any difference which kills Elk better. My self and members of the family settled on the 150 grain 7 mm because shooting across canyons the bullet drop was so minimum.
@@Lure-Benson you're right. For hunting the 7 Rem Mag will be just as good as the PRC, especially since I'd likely run 150-175gr bullets for Hunting. I like the Rem Mag, but I prefer modern cartridge design. My main concern though is for LR Target shooting. The Rem Mag just doesn't have the twist rate to effectively stabilise the high BC 175-195gr bullets. My plan for the rifle is to start with a Howa 1500 Varmint (heavy barrel) in 7 PRC (affordable and very popular here, should be easy to get once they're on the market) and then pop it into an APW Carbon-X Chassis. The result will be a rifle with a good bit of weight to it, probably around 13lbs, which I am okay with for hunting (we don't really do Backcountry style hunting in Namibia and South Africa. My only rifle atm is a 17lbs .308 and although it is clunky, I can handle ot well enough). For Target shooting there's a weight kit for up to 3kg extra internal weights and even more external as well, which makes it the perfect combination for my application. My other considerations are 6.5 PRC and .300 WSM, both on a long action
My take on this is,I agree.If you live in elk country and can hunt anytime and as much as you want,you can use almost anything to kill elk,with proper shot placement.I know a guy in Colorado,lives on his own ranch,has a bad shoulder,and he head shoots cow elk with a 6mm Remington.I on the other hand have to pay thousands of dollars for a week to 10 days hunting,and may only get,at best,a handful of shooting opportunities.I will take a much larger caliber/round so I can stick the bullet in at much tougher shots if need be,and still get the job done.The point is,is every round perfect all the time,no! Can most rounds work under ideal situations,yes! It's up to individual hunters to decide what is right for them and how ethical they wish to be.
@@DROPTINE Bro, just shut up. Ive seen people kill elk with a 6.5 out to 500-600 yards with my own eyes. Not all of us need a 30-06 to blow a grapefruit sized hole to kill shit
Given that the 6.5 Creedmoor was developed for the long range target crowd. People tend to get snobbish about the cartridge. But given the hunting history of the Swede and Mauser cartridges of over a hundred years ago. The Creedmoor is a higher pressure update. That should have no problem hunting anything the Swede or Mauser rifles do. I have 45Colt and 350 Legend rifles that are awesome rifles at 75 and 150 yards. I expect my 6.5 Creedmore, 308 Win, and 270 Win rifles. To hit game or targets further away than that. Getting ballistics information from reloading manuals, shooters guides, and other publications. RU-vid reviewers always seem to doubt or discredit the information they present. The simple solution is to shoot the cartridges on a range. And have a phone app, that we provide the the measured muzzle velocity and the bullet type and weight. The we provide the type of game being hunted. Then the app tells us the maximum range in yards for shooting at the correct terminal energy for that game. With the Army buying a Super Duper Vortex scope for the NGSW rifles. Range finding scopes are likely to become more common. But for now those without range finders. They need to practice at a range that is marked 25, 50, 75, 100, 200, 300, and 400 yards. And refer to a guide about the rifle and ammo they hunt with.
Shot placement but also bullet selection are important. I’ve seen elk with good expanding bullets with good shot placement go down faster than people who hit them with 308 or 300 win mag and bad bullets and poor shot placement.
Hunted elk since the 70s in Canada, check out the ballistics on a 250 savage, 303 british, 300 savage! Hundreds of elk and moose killed with just those three with cup n core bullets, are They greatest elk cartridges? Maybe not, Most animals are shot under 200 yards, maybe more like under 100 yards! I used a 300 savage 150gr bullet at 2600fps on elk and moose, never lost one and didn't have to track them more than 50 yards, it's more about the range your willing to shot ( or more like capable of) I agree with the Barnes bullets you just have to drive them fast, I use them but drop down in weight in order to have the impact speed, range will dictate that, If I was to use my 6.5 I wouldn't hesitate useing it on elk, because I looked an the ballistics, I would load a 125-130ish monolithic bullet and drive it max speed 2850fps keep my shots under 200 yards...dead elk.
And you get the point I'm making. If you're going to use a smaller slower caliber.... get close to the animal! But a large portion think their 6.5 Creedmoor is a great elk cartridge to 600 yards
@@ReloadingWeatherby agreed 6.5 is not a great 600 yard elk round, but, very few cartridges are "great" Elk cartridges at 600 yards , exceptions like the 300 and 338 mags driving good BC bullets over 3000fps are much better for sure. When I was younger and hunted the alpine and mountain slides, I used a 300 Weatherby with the new then Barnes x, drove that 165 gr bullet at 3400fps, great elk cartidge, I also used 308 win. 165 gr bullet at 2800fps...(300 had 2300fps bullet speed at 600 yards), (308win has 2300fps at 250 yards) , so yeah 300 Weatherby great out to 500 -600yards, 308 win will do exactly the same thing at 250 yards. I also currently own a 6.5 creed shooting a 135-140gr etip or cx @ 2850 useing staball powder, would I hesitate to shoot a Bull Elk at 200-250 yards, you bet I would take that shot! is it a 400+ yard cartidge well, dead is dead, You put a bullet through both lungs or the heart it's hard to survive, but because I could don't mean I would, I don't get caught up in calibers or cartidge name hipe in either direction ( like Ford or chevy) ! I have shot Elk with 54 and 58 cal round ball muzzle loaders, longest shot was 90 yards and it dropped like getting hit with a 3006.
Excellent post. I have lived in Alabama for 30+ years but I am from Montana / South Dakota. Back then things were simple. How far did we shoot? 5 shots on a 6 inch paper plate. That was as far as you took a shot. There was none of this constant endless debate about precise shot placement because we were HUNTERS not SEASONED SNIPERS and we knew it. Then add on that it's cold, it's windy, it's wet, it's snowing, the terrain sucks, you're tired, you're hungry, you're likely out of shape. Lastly, Bull Elk weigh on average between 700 and 1100 pounds. Sound that out in your head. Elmer Keith was right all those years ago.
Elk just seem to be a tougher animal. A 6.5 CM is going to kill elk no problem. How long that elk will live and how far it will go is the question. If you shoot enough to make a precise shot I think a 6.5cm is fine on elk out to 400 yards. That being said there are a lot of other calibers that are far more suitable for elk hunting.
The trouble hunting Rosevelt Elk on the Oregon coast is the massive canyons where you look for openings in the talk Doug fir forest and massive brush then see a patch of Elk color and look for legal horns. You must put the Elk down for good on the first shot or they run for an unknown distance making finding the Elk harder the Elk travels and if it is the rains off the Pacific Ocean, you will lose all blood trail and even wash the tracks away. There is allot of really large rifles used here and many who use the 50 BMG for these coastal Elk.
@@DROPTINE The last 3 elk ive gotten were all further than 300 yards and all three dropped almost instantly. I say almost because the one took a couple steps then plopped down. Learn how to shoot consistently and you won't have this issue
Don’t let the Scandinavians know that about the 6.5 against their moose, butI agree with you 💯deer on down only. What do you think about the 6.5 prc for elk? Not that I would ever use it for one.
Haha they have been letting me know. I personally wouldn't use the 6.5 PRC, but it has better energy than a 30-06, so it should be fine with a good hunting bullet.
Fact is most people can’t shoot accurately past 400 yards. And at that point the 6.5 is not a good choice anymore. Anyone can get lucky and make a shot at those longer ranges but if your a little off that’s where that smaller bullet will get you in more trouble. When people shoot past their own limits that’s nothing but trouble with any smaller caliber
My primary elk gun is a 6.5x300 weatherby mag. I would contend that it is barely enough for elk. Not because of energy, ( which it has plenty of) but because of frontal area. My secondary is a 30-06 shooting 200gr sp and is actually better than my primary at closer ranges imo. The best way to kill is to cause the blood to spill. Period.
Buy some of the Norma Oryx and Vulcan 156 grain 6.5 bullets should help you allot. I am using an AR 10 in 6.5-284 Norma with a 26 inch Pac Nor barrel so the rifle for this cartridge can put out some great power then needs heaver bullets.
@@Lure-Benson the oryx and Alaskan or Vulcan from norma are great for the 6.5x284. I own one of those as well in a bolt action. However they are not rated for the velocity of the 6.5-300 wby. At closer ranges they can suffer bullet blow up at those speeds. The oryx would work if you download the case a little. I tend to use tougher bullets at higher speeds.
@@jakemcconnell23 It wouldn't hurt to test them yourself. You just might surprise yourself. I am a hard-core Barns TSX user but the 6.5 is lacking in good heavy bullets. By the way Graf & Sons has 6.5 PPU 139 grain and 156 grain FMJ and soft points I use for blasting bullets or shooting coyotes. They are really cheap.
good video I have a 6.5 Creedmoor I probably wouldn't go elk hunting with it either but I think with my 140 grain Nosler partition ammo that I've reloaded would be an awesome deer round
@@dariangilman7835 I’ve seen Elk stand dead still after getting thumped by a 300 win mag for 3 minutes. I’ve seen elk drop faster from a 6.5 prc/creedmoor. That’s like saying a 22lr isn’t good for hogs. I’ve killed hundreds of hogs with a 10/22 if you put the bullet where it’s supposed to go you could kill can elk with a 223
Just now seeing this and couldn't agree more especially about bullets and factory ammo. I wouldn't feel comfortable taking an ethical shot at an elk with anything less than a .284 caliber (7mm Mag) and would prefer 30 caliber and higher. Most people don't take into consideration that you may not get a perfect broadside, high in the shoulder shot. What if the elk is quartering toward you? What if it's a straight-on brisket shot (nightmare scenario)? What if it's quartering away? If it's in mountainous area, what if you're shooting down on it? We need to consider: are we hunting OR are are we ELR target shooting elk?
My fav. Are 6.8 western and 9.3x62. But I can happily pick my handload 127 grain LRX for Elk under 300 yard shot, other choice 120 grain ttsx , 130 grain partition. Hornady bullets sucks , I do not like ELDX , will take interlock if need to pick hornady .
I have a 6 5 Creedmoor and I can tell you there's no way I would take it on an elk hunt. In fact the only thing I hunt with Creedmoor rounds are paper. It's a match caliber...Yes shot placement is King for sure. And a large part of good shot placement is to not try to shoot the damn elk at 800 yds! Air would likely change four different directions between you and the target. Looks to me like that 338 RPM with a high BC hunting round would be the best if you're going to tackle a little longer shot. Something that powers through air movement by weight and speed. Great video and excellent live discussion this morning!
No such thing as an "elk cartridge", specifically speaking. Obviously, there are a lot of cartridges that will kill elk. However, the smaller the caliber the greater the likelihood that a poorly placed shot will wind up with a wounded, or worse, an unrecoverable animal (ask me how I know...no wait! Don't ask) rather than a decisive kill. My "elk cartridge" of choice is a .340 Weatherby. Someone else's may be a .308 Win. Still, another might prefer a .270 Win. My point is that any medium caliber (.24 - .30) cartridge, including the 6.5 Creedmo' will get the job done, depending on the situation. Some will just do a better job of getting 'er done, considering distance, vis a vis delivery of sufficient foot pounds of energy at impact, and shot trajectories; and are a bit more forgiving, when bullet choice and operator efficiency are not spot on at the moment of truth. Familiarity and comfort with the rifle, cartridge, and scope configurations, are also paramount. Bottom line, choose any of those medium caliber cartridges, and work with it. That is, practice, practice, practice. Match the rifle with good quality optics, select the right bullet for heavy big game like elk, and, if you don't already handload, start...and make whatever you choose YOUR "elk cartridge."
I want a better constructed bullet and a bigger bullet going much faster... giving me a bunch of more energy. My opinion is to not use a light cartridge for the job.
It’s not rocket science, the 6.5 creedmoor is not an idea elk cartridge. Will it work? Yes, it absolutely will kill an elk. But with all of the smaller cartridges it’s all about shoot placement and high quality bullets. You need to be ready for follow up shots, no matter what cartridge you use. The creedmoor is best within 300 yards for large game, because you need the bullet to expand properly. I will say I would much rather see someone use a creedmoor over a 243 Winchester, or any of the other 6mm cartridges on large game. The only half decent low recoil cartridge for elk is a 7mm-08 and it is also not an idea elk cartridge. The problem with truly idea elk cartridges, are they all have very significant recoil. 30-06, and 7mm rem mag are really about as small as you can get for an actual ideal elk cartridge. Both however have more recoil than some shooters can manage, when people use cartridges they are afraid of they get crappy shot placement. It’s a tough call because I have seen more wounded elk from huge cartridges than little ones because of garbage shot placement or people thinking they can hit an elk in any location and they will go down. An idea elk cartridge for each hunter is different, it has to be something they can confidently place their shots and they actually need to know where the vitals are. They also need to know what bullets are good for elk and which are not, fragmenting bullets are an awful choice. Any of the cheap soft point ammunition is not good for elk. If you hunt elk or moose you need to be willing to invest enough money into the ammunition. I also think people need to actually shoot at proper distances, this trend of people taking really long shots needs to end. There is no margin for error if you are shooting past 500 yards. If you don’t regularly practice for long range shots, don’t take long range shots. I know myself I don’t have access to any range longer than 600 yards, so I will never ever take shots past 600. In fact I generally never shoot further than 350 yards, 90 percent of the animals I have shot have been within 250 yards. I wish more people had ethics similar to myself. That all said, I do know a couple of guys who only use 280ai, and 6mm cartridges and they regularly take elk with 6mm cartridges in one shot with very little tracking. They are all involved in fclass shooting and are some of the best shots I know, they all handload and only take perfectly placed shots. To many newer hunters don’t study the ballistics of their caliber enough and don’t practice nearly enough. To many hunters think the 6.5 is a do all cartridge like the 308 and 30-06. I wish more newer hunters would get mentors and learn from someone with real life experience. The other part of the equation is where are you hunting? For example Alaska, you need large cartridges not necessarily for the elk, but for the grizzly bears and brown bears that will come to your kill to eat it and a 6.5 anything is vastly under powered for brown bears and grizzly. Myself I promote 280 Remington, 280ai, 7x64 as great cartridges for do all cartridges.
Plenty of videos of people taking elk at 600 yards or better with the 6.5 creedmore. If you actually shot one and saw the damage it can do you might change your mind. Shot placement isn't even really a big issue. Elk, moose, bear, they are going down pretty quickly.
@@ReloadingWeatherby glad you find it funny but your comment and post is the real joke. There are thousands of people who have documented and proved this. Do some research.
Let me start off by saying I am not a fan boy of the 6.5 Creedmoor, heck, I don’t even have one. But, facts are facts. The Hornady ELD-X is a fantastic bullet. A good general rule of thumb is to find the yardage that your bullet is still flying 1400 ft./s and still carrying 1000 ft. pound up energy. Now, were those two intersect is your maximum effective kill range on an elk. That should be approximately 600 to 650 yards for the 6.5 creed. The next part is up to you. Can you accurately placed that round within the kill box? If so, The 6.5 Creedmoor is most definitely suitable for elk.
I don't think it's a fact that the ELD-X is a fantastic hunting bullet. There are certainly solid arguments on both sides. I've heard a lot of stories of dissatisfaction with the ELD-X. But I've also heard a lot of people swear by them. As for the 6.5 Creedmoor being able to take elk? Yes, of course it can. I just don't think it's an ideal elk cartridge. But that is just my opinion.
@@ReloadingWeatherby I appreciate the response. The point I was trying to make is the ELD-X is a good bullet, if it is impacting the animal at a yardage with sufficient speed and energy to make the bullet do its job properly.
Not only is the 30-06 kicking the 6.5 Creedmoor ass Ballistically but the hole that is being but into the elk from the 30-06is much bigger especially after expanding upon Impact.
@DROPTINE They're all great cartridges it's just ones preference and what they have. I don't think any of these cartridges we've mentioned here would be a bad choice they'd all work. It only might make difference if the shots got really far out.
@@brandonchandler9032 The 6.5 is a great cartridge for paper plate targets. Go to "The Real gunsmith" on youtube and educate yourself his name is Randy Selby He will forget more than anybody in the Industrie will EVER LEARN.
@DROPTINE I never once said 6.5 was anywhere near powerful enough to take big game like elk. I was referring to the 300 win mag and 7mm etc we were talking about. I agree the 6.5 is more for paper plinking especially when talking about hunting big game. I've educated myself well enough to this point to know what is more suitable for large or dangerous game vs smaller game. Of course shot placement and overall skill helps but having a caliber powerful enough for the situation is equally important.
The problem isn't the 6.5 CM. It's the question. "Is ___ an elk cartridge" is just a bad question. Every cartridge has limitations. "Is the 6.5 CM a good cartridge to shoot an elk up to 500 yds?" That's an actual question. And the answer is probably "no." Know what your cartridge is capable of and what it's not, and just go hunting.
@@ReloadingWeatherby not really sure, I had a bunch of loose federal and a bunch of loose Winchester in my pocket and just loaded the gun with whatever I pulled out. This was of course before I knew that the brand and bullet weight mattered and all the other factors. Heck I didn't even sight in the gun first. It is open sight (still doesn't have a scope on it.)
Very good video. I agree completely. And you probably could have added antelope to the deer as well, at the end, given the same hunting ranges. The 6.5 PRC has more power and margin, compared to the Creedmoor, of course. Personally, for elk, I want a larger diameter and heavier bullet than is available in a 6.5mm caliber, period. If we look at what some consider to be two ideal cartridges for elk, the 300 Weatherby Magnum and the 338 Winchester Magnum, at 200 yds. or less, the 300 Wby may have higher ft. lbs. in energy, but it will not hit the elk as hard as a 338 Win Mag. shooting 225 gr. or 250 gr. bullets. And the closer the distance, the more that is the case. Frontal area and bullet weight makes a difference in addition to having good sectional density. And this assumes premium bullet construction and sufficient velocities to ensure proper bullet penetration and expansion. This statement is also taking into account more than just pure velocity and pure energy. If I had a charging coastal brown bear bearing down on me, I would prefer a 375 H&H Mag, or a 375 Ruger with the heaviest bullets as opposed to say a 340 Weatherby Mag. Or if facing a charging Cape Buffalo or elephant, I would prefer a 458 Lott with appropriate 500 gr. bullets over a 378 Weatherby Mag. In both of these instances, the Weatherbys have the greater velocity and energy figures, but the others with the bigger bores and heavier bullets will prove to be the better stoppers and killers. With smaller game there does appear to be a greater effect attributed to velocity, though. Again assuming that all other aspects and parameters are appropriate. Going back to the Creedmoor, many argue the success of the old 6.5 mm cartridges on moose. But, elk are considered to be tougher to kill than moose. And, of course, shot placement is paramount in the success and speed of success in dispatching a game animal, or against an animal in self defense.
the other thing to consider with the 6.5x55 is that the moose it's taken were usually inside of 200y if not around 100y, at that range most modern short action rounds probably have a good chance with proper shot placement.
Good job copy and pasting what some other greenhorn posted in another forum. Mate, you clearly have no idea what it is you’re talking about so why would you wanna come here to post your opinion? As mentioned above there have been numerous very large charging grizzly in Alaska that have been killed with a 9mm so where does that fit in with your “opinion”?
The .270 Winchester is an excellent elk killing cartridge. As well as the 6.5 Creedmoor. I believe you are only book smart rather then actual experience.
SMH. Dropped a Colorado bull elk at 782yds with the 6.5 creedmoor 143 eld-x. Also have dropped three mule deer from 60yds to 410yds only one took a step before he fell over. Have lost multiple animals with the 7mag and have seen elk run two miles after being hit well with a 300 win mag. Believe what you want but my personal experience with the 6.5 has been very positive. Big results from a little cartridge.
So... you shot a Elk at nearly 800 yards, when that bullet only has 900 ft.lbs of energy? That's just irresponsible and unethical, doesn't matter the size of the cartridge you shouldn't be shooting at game at 800 yards especially with a little cartridge like the 6.5 Creedmoor. 1. I don't believe your 782 yard shot. 2. If it is true you got lucky. 3. I'm guessing that you have taken long shots at animals with the 7mag and 300 Win mag. I wonder why you lost those animals? Why take long range shots? So you can brag to your buddies? I'm going to guess you used Hornady Factory 143 ELD-X?
I guided for five years in sw Colorado and that's where I have seen short range issues with the 300 win mag and the two deer I lost were within 200 yds with the 7mm. I have won 1,000 yd matches with my 6.5 and I am very confident with it on big game. Everything is hand loaded and I shoot a 26" barrel. I have shot .5 moa at 1,000 very consistently and sub moa at a mile so I don't believe it's unethical for me to take those shots when the right opportunities arise. Gunworks dropped an elk in Utah at 1,427 with a 6.5 cr BTW.
@@byroncrites6176 Congrats on being a decent shot... sometimes? Who cares if Gunworks makes a highly unethical shot? You never did tell me why you do long range hunting. So you can brag on RU-vid? Go on Forums and brag to your internet friends? Why risk wounding the animal so you can brag? If you actually do long range shooting I'm sure you have heard of Erik Cortina. A F-Class world champion that has done sub 1 inch groups at 1000 yards.... What's the farthest he would shoot at game? 600 yards. Out of respect for the animal. Of course this is just my opinion, and I know you're going to disagree with it. I guess I just don't understand the need or want to do long range hunting.
Well this is the first time I've ever commented on a RU-vid video because in my opinion you are misinformed about this topic and I am entitled to what I have seen first hand. And that was the one and only animal I have taken a long shot at mostly because I bow hunt but also because the conditions were perfect. I have shot olympic trials for both archery and small bore so I am fairly in tune with myself and my equipment. I definitely don't condone long range hunting and I hope folks know their limits. I definitely don't need to prove myself to you or anyone else I only wanted to let folks know that the 6.5 is a great option for big game. Thanks for replying and maybe you can come down and hunt sometime.
6.5 needmore is a prety decent coyote and woodchuck round , if they are made of paper and you have a good bench and a stable rest,,other than that is not worth the powder , projectile and primer
30-06 with accubond lr 190gr makes the old warhorse a race horse for elk. My girlfriend is going to be using Norma 143gr bondstrike lr in her weatherby 6.5 for elk but her cut off is 350 yrds. It’s a better bullet then the hornady non bonded
Funny, I am getting 2935 FPS with my 6.5 Creedmoor shooting 143 Grain Eld-X and not even showing pressure signs, That Gives me 1745 foot pounds at 400 yrds.
My 6.5/300 Weatherby killed my 6x6 one shot at 425 yds two weeks ago and he didn’t go 20 feet and dropped . I agree the 6.5 Creedmoor is not an elk round
Definitely have to agree with you there 👍 My oldest son and I just got back from an elk hunt where he used a 25-06 loaded with 120 grain Nosler partitions which the outfitter allowed but said absolutely no 6.5 Creedmoor‘s. When you look at the ballistics out to 300 yards is easy to see why. The 6.5 Creedmoor is an excellent paper punching cartridge and a good deer size game cartridge and like you said yes they will kill elk but so will a 22 long rifle. The problem with that cartridge is not the cartridge itself it’s most of the people who shoot long range targets but have probably never even killed a big game animal let alone one at any kind of distance
So a 25-06 is ok, but a 6.5 is unacceptable as an elk round? That’s completely laughable. 6.5 is fine, if good bullets are used and shots are kept to reasonable ranges and angles, just like the 25-06. I would maybe argue the 6.5 is better than a 25-06 due to heavier bullets. Though I also certainly don’t disagree that generally speaking “good” elk cartridges start at 27 caliber, with 270win and 270wsm making excellent lower recoiling elk options.
My Swedish friends are still dropping moose with it's twin the 6.5x55, using 150 &160 grain bullets. The difference is they are close within 200 yards. That Creedmoor is a great little round with serious bullet requirements particular to the application. I find it much better with 127-130 grain monolithics like Barnes. Some times when we're too familiar with competing rounds like the grand old 30-06, we don't give a new cartridge the credit where it should be used regarding the true best bullet for said cartridge. Good topic and the get out of this is the wrong promotion of a new cartridge by Hornady who is notorious for layering a new product with BS, hype and used auto salesmanship. Their 7prc is doa too. The 7RM loaded with, again, better bullets will be impossible to beat in real hunters hand. Thank you young man for your video.
@@joshlower1 Well that's obvious.... the 7 Rem Mag is slower and has much less recoil, but I don't know if that will make the 7 PRC the next hottest selling cartridge. It sits in between the 7 Rem Mag and the .28 Nosler, both absolute powerhouses of the 7mm world. What will make it popular is Hornady's very good marketing team and brand reputation.
Spot on! Not only the cartridge, but the bullets as well. I love shooting my Creed but it wasn't designed for that. Got others that are. 😉 Thanks for the vid.
@@clayburnham3223 Sorry Clay. Didn't mean to stomp on your Creed but it is NOT an end all do all cartridge. It's just one of many fine cartridges. We just get tired of people touting virtues for a cartridge that don't exist. And some of us don't like companies taking wildcat cartridges from yesterday, dusting them off, and claiming them as their own without giving credit to the original developers. A good way to separate the wheat from the chaff in cartridge comparisons is to compare cartridges using PBR instead of 100 yd zeros. Try it sometime when the snow is flying, start a spreadsheet and see. Remember we are talking big game hunting and not poking holes in paper at 1500 yards.
I've shot many deer, elk and moose with my two .300 win mags and I've used various bullets. Shots from 50 yards to almost 800. The WORST bullet I've ever used was the barnes TTSX. Accuracy was phenomenal. However in both .300 win mags they would carbon foul and groups would open up after 7-9 rounds. The terminal performance on game was horrible. Had to track everything well over 200 yards. One deer took 5 rounds to put down. These bullets just pencil hole through everything unless you hit bone or shoulder. The best round I've used in .300 win has been the accubond hands down. One moose, two elk and a mule deer with these now from 50 yards to 600 yards. Perfect performance on game on all 4 occasions. Nothing went more than 20 yards and no follow up shots needed. Just my experience.
@@True70woodsman I have bought and shot them but have not used them on game. They just didn't group well enough for me in my particular rifles. However I do see a lot of comparison between the trophy bonded tip, the accubond, and the scirocco. I would probably just shoot all three and see what groups best. Simplemindedfella has some good youtube videos on bullets of various calibers and velocities into gel for comparison if you are looking for a good resource.
Yea I’ve seen his videos, they are pretty informative. I can’t find any accubond to try. The trophy bonded gives me about a 1inch group. I can get a half inch with Nosler Partitions but it sheds velocity/energy so fast.
@@True70woodsman Guess it really depends on your cartridge and shot distance you plan on hunting at. Unfortunately it's hard to find anything ammo related right now though.
I think I’ll just stick with the trophy bonded for now. Try some Accubonds when I find them. Glad to hear some experience with the TTSX though. I’ve contemplated it but I’ve heard so many examples of it not expanding. And that’s bad when it won’t expand out of a magnum.
@@ReloadingWeatherby Let me guess what you’re going to say “You need, name the top 3 calibers you’ve heard other people talk about, to kill an elk” Have you ever killed an elk? If you’ve never heard anybody talk about the 243 being elk medicine then you’ve never stepped foot in the woods You guys are bat$hit crazy I have no doubt that I could take an elk with a 10/22 if I had to feed my family and it was all I had when did they start making the armor plated elk?
LMAO Another IDIOTIC statement. No SON we just know a lot more than you!!! PLEASE GO EDUCATE YOURSELF before you run your mouth...................................
The 6.5 Needmore is just barley good enough for antelope and deer. How about the 6.5X55, 6.5X284, 260 Remington. Which all out perform the needmore down range. Hornady has everyone brainwashed about this cartrage. The ELDX is not a good bullet for elk like hornady claims.
The 6.5x55 is a fantastic cartridge especially in a modern action. I have taken several Elk and Caribou with it. The 143 ELD-x bullet works great for whitetail but when it comes to Elk size game the 140 Accubonds or the 143 Norma Bondstrike’s work better.
disagree. one in the boiler room of any centre fire rifle caliber gets the job done. needs to be a HUNTING bullet/ open tip/ match construction- not a FMJ. you'll kill any game in north america with a .223 with an open tip match bullet- IF YOUR RANGE AND PLACEMENT is proper. If you wish to shoot somethings scapula and kill it- sure, go for magnum rounds. If you want to be a kilometre away and kill it through it's shoulder- get a .338. If you want to throw something at it's heart at 150 metres, the .223 will do it. 500 yards 6.5 should be able to do that all day. if it doesn't you had a bad shot. if you want to kill with bad shots- NO PROBLEM, UPGRADE ! get some big honkin artillery round.
Rem Core-lokts, Nosler Partition, Swift A Frames, Scirocco, Woodleighs and Monolithic copper. These are the proper hunting bullets. The kids have been duped into these long range high ballistic plastic tip inadequate hunting bullets.
You are absolutely right!! I had read and heard so much about the Needmore I decided to build one. Built it on a AR-10 platform with a 22”bbl. It was fun to shoot. Stupid accurate. Took it antelope hunting for a season and traded it off for a new 7MM Weatherby Mag. I think the reason most are not achieving the published velocity is due to the short bbl everyone is going with for mounting their whimp cans on. Here is the real deal though. What doesn’t get talked about enough is the way the energy gets delivered. When you shoot fast, hard hitting rounds and step back to something like the Creedmore, you will see a massive difference. Take for instance the .257 Weatherby shooting a 100Gr TTSX. Shoot a deer or elk with it VS a Creedmore and it’s massive. But if you look at the energy numbers, I bet they are similar. That speed makes a massive difference. I see it with my STW Vs my .340WBY. Even though the .340 has more energy, quite a bit more actually, the STW just flat hits harder. I can see it in their reactions. Internal damage between the 2 is night and day. I open up a elk chest cavity and the .340 does the job but you see more of a uniform hole. With the STW, you open it up and the chest cavity will be full of pudding. So why do I have both? Well the .340 I use when I am hunting in a more wooded area. If I am hiking and in more open country I will use my new 7MMWBY as it is replacing my worn out and broken STW. I shoot only solid copper bullets. What most don’t realize is that you want to go to a lighter bullet. Like if your used to shooting a 150gr, shoot a 140 or 135 in a mono bullet. They do better with speed on game. As for those that can’t handle recoil or children, which is a popular use for the Needmore, there is better. I personally believe the .243 hand loaded with around a 100 GR mono or a little lighter will out perform the Creedmore all day even though the energy numbers may not agree. That is what my daughter shoots. I speak from generations of elk hunting experience. It is what we do. We have seen what works and what does not. What do we shoot? My brother hunts with the 6.5-300 WBY shooting the 127gr LRX and is approaching I think 15 elk with it now between him and his kids that also shoot his gun. I use my STW(soon to be 7mm WBY) and my .340. STW I use 145gr LRX. 340 I use the 210gr TTSX. My Dad has close to 50 sets of ivories. He has shot exclusively the .257 Weatherby using 100gr bullets after being recommended that by Ed Weatherby himself. Between all of us, I believe we have harvested over 100 elk from my parents down. I could go on for hours why the Creedmore is not a good elk cartridge. It flat out is not. The PRC isn’t much better and so far has proven to not be with hands on experience with elk.
"Whimp cans"... I don't want to argue, but that's definitely the worst take of this lol. Silencers make a night and day difference in MY shooting experience and protect your hearing. Many PHs down here in Africa will actually offer to lend you a silencer. Many farmers also require you to use one, out of respect to them. Personally, I wont disagree that higher velocity won't be better - in fact I'd agree with that. I believe that the diameter plays a very small role and the velocity, design of the bullet, as well as weight plays a much bigger role... but what I don't get is that a .243 is better than a creedmoor... according to Nosler data, .243 fires a 100gr at a max of 3160fps. Load a 6.5 Creed with a 100gr, it can go a max of 3270fps... so I don't see where that idea comes from, other than that you probably don't like the word Creedmoor. But alas, I find the .243 is probably a better option for smaller kids, because it has less kick to it 🤙🏻
I love you brother . I’m the one that told your wife to let you buy a 3500 dollar Weatherby. Ha . Ok how do these people spend all this money and not do research on what they are buying. 😂 ALL THE PEOPLE LISTEN TO ME. 6.5 is ok at BEST..IF YOU OWN ONE ONLY TAKE DEER AT 400 yards max. It’s a pew pew it’s not a MAN GUN. I think it fits people who wanna try to get into the game and try but really aren’t cut out for the sport.I REALLY THINK IF YOU CANT SHOOT A 30-06 at 100yrds 1” you are a WATERBOY..
i could, have starred in this video,,,i shot a medium size 6 point bull with a 6.5 creedmoor, once at just over 420 yards and a second shot at about 350 yards, i was using 127 grain barnes lrx and a max load of staball 6.5 powder, these were actual witnessed hits by another guy watching,,the bull did turn down hill, but at the second hit ran into thick timber, as he was near it when i shot,,, i lost that bull,spent 2 days looking for him,, not much for a blood trail,,a small amount,then it stopped, he was hit on the shoulder and just behind the shoulder,,,,,but regardless using the barnes bullets, he was never found,not even with a good tracking dog,,,,,bottom line is,,,,the cartridge is under powered for elk,, this took place this year,, i made a poor choice in cartridges,,,,lots of bullshit about this cartridge,,,,i have 4 rifles chambered for it,,,good target cartridge,,and maybe a whitetail cartridge,, but thats it,, and the worse part is,,,,,the bull was lost,, and i am responsible for that,,
@@LoganJ98 270 Win is the smallest cartridge I would use. I would use a 150 gr at 2900 FPS. How fast is a 150 gr in 6.5 Creedmoor going? 2600 FPS... maybe 2650 FPS. There are so many better elk cartridge options out there. Stop being a sissy about recoil and get a bigger cartridge.
One more thing if you are curious fine. Great,, Why are those Who are Not still come..Because you are NOT SATISFIED. You will learn the way. Many have after years and thousands. DO YOU KNOW THE WAY. SO I guess live in the masses with the HERD MENTALITY There are a lot of you ..OR STREACH YOUR BOUNDRIES AND GET A RIFLE THAT. WHEN YOU GO TO SLEEP AND ITS BY YOUR SIDE. IT WILL KILL ANYTHING ON EARTH. nice to know that.
Finally someone said it. Could not agree more. Middle of the road deer round with right bullet, great target competition round, but not good choice for anything bigger than deer or antelope. Margin for error is just not good. Have friend who’s kid has taken two elk with one both inside 200 yards but they have also lost two elk shot inside of 300 yards that could not find and could not find a tracking dog for the area they hunted. He bought her a 7mm. Ag with muzzle break for this year and ordered a suppressor for the rifle
not a good elk round? tell that to the swedes and scandinavians with their 6.5 round the 6x55 swedish. the earlier versions loaded were not as good as later brass and actions can take. energy at 200 and 300 is adequate for elk but like most shot position and bullet selection is essential. swedes take moose for a hundred years. loading the right bullet and loading to what it can be loaded is a difference. real world vs ballistics. personally on a dedicated trip for elk I would take 7 rem mag or thereabouts of the 6.5 PRC with the right bullet
I'm guessing the Swedes and Scandinavians aren't taking Moose at 700 yards. Also Moose are easier to kill than elk. I did say the smaller 6.5 cartridges can kill elk. I prefer a more powerful cartridge.
