Bullet failure 130 grain nosler partition with 6.5 creedmoor

WAY too much speculation going on here without a proper autopsy. "Shoulder shot" leaves a few questions. What part of the shoulder, scapula, humeras, olecranon? the joint? did it also catch a rib or sternum? Was it a perpendicular hit, or glancing? did it deflect out of the chest cavity?

Its hard to remember the exact angles that were presented the millisecond a bullet hits. when you recreate the memory in your head its easy for the mind to present a much more simple 2D broadside image, its also easier for us the audience to imagine this 6.5 partition hitting squarely, but the reality is that there were side angles, and an up or down angle, and who knows what part of the shoulder bone was hit.

But speculation is all good fun, so long as we understand that it is just speculation.

My guess is there was a deflection sending the bullet out of the chest cavity, or the bullet mushroomed very large and under-penetrated after hitting multiple bones. I have a hard time imagining that the creedmore sends a 140gr. bullet into destruction mode at 300 some yards... that tip didn't come off at that speed, I've recovered a half dozen partitions and they need to hit a big bone at point blank to shed the tip. A creeedmore won't do it at 300+yds.

Regardless, of the autopsy results, that caliber calls for a shot placement further back into the ribs and up into the double lung area. Its an easier target, than the pocket anyhow.

Cheers

johnnyk said:

I'm biased. I think the Needmore is too small.

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I agree 200%. It does not have enough energy. Get a 25/06, very little extra recoil, but enough energy with a 110 gr accubond out to 400 yards.

How many of y'all giving advice about elk hunting actually hunt elk on a regular basis?

predator 22 said:

How many of y'all giving advice about elk hunting actually hunt elk on a regular basis?

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‍ Not every year but shot enough to know.

Ask Ryan Cleckner about the 6.5 CM and its performance in Africa. As in real estate it's all location, location, location.

25 cal. man said:

I agree 200%. It does not have enough energy. Get a 25/06, very little extra recoil, but enough energy with a 110 gr accubond out to 400 yards.

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It's going to be pretty tough to belittle a 6.5 Creedmoor with a 25-06 and a 110 gr bullet.

The OP has larger cartridges, but the 6.5CM is the largest rifle/ cartridge that she feels comfortable with. Now looking at the ballistics on "paper" of a 130gr 270 cartridge compared to a 130gr 6.5 CM there isn't much difference. Real world performance might be different, but I doubt it. look the OP knows larger cartridges would be more effective. But come now it's his daughter. It's better she use something that she can make an accurate shot with then a larger cartridge that she could miss with. IMO.

richhymas said:

Not sure if anyone else had this problem, but my son almost lost a cow elk yesterday due to bullet failure. He hit his cow elk low in the front shoulder smashing the bone above the elbow. Bullet appears to have completely come apart and did not enter the chest. Follow up shot smashed the same shoulder high but also failed to penetrate the chest. All this at 325 yards with a 6.5 creedmoor and a 130 grain nosler partition. We came back the next day and found the cow bedded in trees. She got up and ran off. Ultimately he killed her with a 270. So should I blame the 6.5 creedmoor as being too light for cow elk or the 130 grain nosler partition??? Anyone else kill elk with a 6.5 creedmoor with a solid shoulder shot? If so, what bullet did you use because my 11 year old daughter has a tag next month and can't handle the recoil of much more than my creedmoor.

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Try a bigger gun for the kid. Just put a muzzle break on it and a limb savor pad on it. U can get quick attachment muzzle break for less than 100 bucks. Try a 06 with say 150-165 gr bullet or the 270. Break will reduce recoil and the limb savor pad will additionally help. At the end of day with those added to the gun and the excitement of the kid shooting at an animal they will not feel the recoil.

Worked for my kids.

dennisinaz said:

I can't think of a better bullet than that one. Keep using it. Stay off the leg bone. NOTHING will do better.
My Africa trip this summer showed me that the TSX and kin are not all that great. They penetrate well and ultimately kill but EVERY animal shot with one (other than head/neck shots) took his sweet time to die. I killed 10 animals with 150 grain Partitions from my 300 H&H and they all dropped within a few yards. I shot a big blue wildebeest at 50 yards and he only went 30 yards. They are supposed to be bullet proof! Keep using the Partition.

I killed my bull elk last year with the 143 ELD-X and it dropped him and exited.

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Interesting, I just killed a big bull Elk with a 165 grain Barnes TTSX. Hit through ribcage with no shoulder or any other bone. Just a clean double lung hit. He ran 30 yards and was dead by the time we trotted the 210 yards. I think each shot on each animal is unique. I have a hard time faulting any of the high quality proven bullets.

richhymas said:

Not sure if anyone else had this problem, but my son almost lost a cow elk yesterday due to bullet failure. He hit his cow elk low in the front shoulder smashing the bone above the elbow. Bullet appears to have completely come apart and did not enter the chest. Follow up shot smashed the same shoulder high but also failed to penetrate the chest. All this at 325 yards with a 6.5 creedmoor and a 130 grain nosler partition. We came back the next day and found the cow bedded in trees. She got up and ran off. Ultimately he killed her with a 270. So should I blame the 6.5 creedmoor as being too light for cow elk or the 130 grain nosler partition??? Anyone else kill elk with a 6.5 creedmoor with a solid shoulder shot? If so, what bullet did you use because my 11 year old daughter has a tag next month and can't handle the recoil of much more than my creedmoor.

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I had a similar issue with a 225 grain partition. I shot a coyote at 125 yards and the bullet literally came apart on impact. I was pushing the bullet at 3275 fps ( 378 weather by necked down to 358cal). My gun builder informed me that that speed is way to fast for a partition. I swapped to a A-frame & never had an issue, even with punching completely through a moo

xsn10s said:

LOL okay Wildrose you can believe whatever you want. This is tiresome so this is my opinion on this. They "gutless" quartered out the elk so unless they are going to go look inside the cavity and examined the vitals we won't know what the damage, if any, were done to the vitals. We don't know the angle of the shots so we can't determine the possibility/ probability of a deflection. The fragments of the bullets that the OP speaks of are most likely the nose section, that's my best guess. The rear section either continued through the elk or deflected off, like I said without looking into the vitals or cavity will we ever know. So when people say the bullets failed I say show me the cavity and the vitals. Show me the angle of the shot. Only then will we get a really good idea of whether it was asking the bullet to do too much, or a failure of the bullet.

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Look XSN I've tried to be nice and very patient with you but at this point I'm tired of your passing off complete garbabe as good information.

You are ignorant and lack both the experience and intellegence to see it much less that the rest of us can.

If you pull the shoulders off an animal you have big chunk of meat in your hands.

If you see an entry into the mass of meat on one side and no exit anywhere from it the bullet is still inside.

Look at the carcass where the meat came from, if there's no hole in it inline with the entry of the bullet, the bullet never made it into the chest cavity.

Just quit.

Unoboats said:

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.

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No, there's more than enough energy, look at the balistic chart I posted.

There isn't a kevlar plate in there. We're not talking a thousand pound bull, bear or a 600lbs boar hog. It's just a 300-400lbs cow elk.

Look at all the kills people discuss here on even big bulls shot with 6.5's at more than twice the range and then ask yourself if this can be a lack of energy.

There's only one logical answre here and the ballistics charts spell it out.

No need to have a tizzy Wildrose. We just have a difference of opinion.

WildRose said:

No, there's more than enough energy, look at the balistic chart I posted.

There isn't a kevlar plate in there. We're not talking a thousand pound bull, bear or a 600lbs boar hog. It's just a 300-400lbs cow elk.

Look at all the kills people discuss here on even big bulls shot with 6.5's at more than twice the range and then ask yourself if this can be a lack of energy.

There's only one logical answre here and the ballistics charts spell it out.

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WildRose said:

No, there's more than enough energy, look at the balistic chart I posted.

There isn't a kevlar plate in there. We're not talking a thousand pound bull, bear or a 600lbs boar hog. It's just a 300-400lbs cow elk.

Look at all the kills people discuss here on even big bulls shot with 6.5's at more than twice the range and then ask yourself if this can be a lack of energy.

There's only one logical answre here and the ballistics charts spell it out.

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You 6.5 guys need to put the Kool-Aid down.There is not enough energy after 300 yards to kill an elk ethically. Ethically is the key word here.