6.5 prc for elk?

dogz said:

Yeah I love it when people tell me that they're taking a lever action for black timber and a XYZ Magnum for the open parks............never works out well for them

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dogz said:

Yeah I love it when people tell me that they're taking a lever action for black timber and a XYZ Magnum for the open parks............never works out well for them

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dstancu said:

I feel the same for your first sentence. That is why I prefer using 7PRC or 300WinMag for such a task, allowing enough speed/energy way beyond ethical distances (the long flight time allowing for sudden moves of the target animal, change of wind, etc. even for best marksmen).
I have a different opinion on the 156 EH though, based on my own experience. According to a couple credible sources, it will still expand down to a speed of 1600 fps. In my 6.5 PRC, that happens at over 1100 y! However, the other side of the equation is the minimum energy necessary to drive the bullet deep enough into the animal to cause disruption in critical tissues/organs. On that one, I believe a minimum of 1700 Ft-lb is needed for an elk, which I'd get only up to 580 y. I would not shoot it past that distance.

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choprzrul said:

About 130 years ago the 30-30 Winchester arrived and was absolutely magical on elk until the 30-06 usurped it probably sometime after WWI.

I do wonder how many elk have fallen since the mid 1890's to the old 30-30?

Remind me, is the 6.5 PRC a better elk round than the 30-30?

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dennisinaz said:

I have a fair amount of experience with the dreaded 156. I've seen it pencil through multiple deer with zero expansion including several B&C class coues whitetail.
I've seen it work great to but never past 550-600 yards from a PRC.
Now is an elk chest deep enough to get it to expand at lower velocity? Possibly. My experience has been on deer. It really serves no purpose when at the distances that it is ballisticly better it doesn't expand.
I think a standard 140 Berger is a much better choice if you want to use the 6.5.
Most of my last 6.5 killers have been with 143 ELD-X. Is it perfect? No but hasn't failed me yet. I've killed elk to 500 and deer to 600 with excellent results.

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memtb said:

This is absolutely correct…… use the rifle that fits you like a well-worn glove, rarely is that two different rifles. Much the same with hoping for a timber shot while carrying a handgun and a rifle……pick one or the other. If you're serious about using the handgun, accept the fact that you will very likely be forced to pass on shots!

If you do try the two rifle approach…….. inevitably you'll have the "timber gun" when along(ish) shot presents itself! memtb

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BigNate said:

Not suggesting bullet failures but rather poorly matched bullets for the performance window as a consideration. I'm genuinely curious as I've not had a rodeo yet myself, and the only one I got caught up in was due to underestimating drop

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Ronald W Schaefer said:

Man, all you guys running a 6.5 PRC should try the 150 gr Nosler Accubond LR. Great bullet, very high BC and SD, holds together well on close shots and expands on long-range shots. Shoots well in my off the shelf Browning X-Bolt white gold medallion rifle. Solves a lot of problems.

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Ronald W Schaefer said:

Uhhh....holds together really well at close range while still expanding at long range and very long legs due to high BC, great penetration due to very high SD.
Doesn't (yet) blow up or have core/jacket separation...unless you don't find that important.

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WeiserBucks said:

What problems does it solve?

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