6.5 bullets 4 elk?

LDO

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2003
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251
Location
eagle,co
im new to the 6.5 bore and im just looking for some opinions based on real life experience with 6.5 bullets for hunting elk.im shooting a 6.5-284 and plan on shooting out to around 500 yds,tia- dave
 
In Nordic country they hunt Elk with 6.5 but only at short range with heavy slug as 155 or 156 gr flat / round nose from Lapua or Norma , Elk is a real game and 6.5/284 not really a big cartridge

Nosler partition can perhaps do the job even is BC is not amazing , but to hunt elk at 500 yards I far prefer 7 STW or 300 RUM

good shooting

DAN TEC

[ 09-23-2003: Message edited by: DANTEC ]

[ 10-01-2003: Message edited by: DANTEC ]
 
6BRGUY
I was born and raised not far from Eagle, CO and killed my first Elk 39 years ago near Rifle, CO. I can tell you that alot of Elk are lost every year because they were shot by hunters who weren't using enough gun for the distance. The last Elk I got was near Gunnison, CO. My first shot went through the heart at about 275 yards. The second shot hit him in the rear end at about 325 and the third broke his neck at about 350. I was using a 375 H&H with factory loaded 270 grain "fail safe" bullets. How do you think a 155 grain 6.5 would do in the same circumstances? Good luck!
 
the elk was dead on his feet with your first shot because of PROPER SHOT PLACEMENT,you just didnt give him the the chance to fall over.btw i have been hunting elk for 20 years,and have lost track of how many i have taken as i mainly hunt cows and or calves and have multiple tags if possible,i have taken these elk at distances from 12-400+ yds and have never used used a "magnum round"[as i simply dont shoot them as proficiently] ,and very rarely have required a 2nd shot.i thank you for pointing out that in your opinion i may be undergunned.the point of the post was simply input on bullet selection[who is using what?and the results]ty-Dave
 
To the original poster

Try the 140 Gr Sierra Game King in your 6.5/284 Rifle and hopefully it has the 8 twist barrel.

That bullet has a BC of .533 and will do the job for you.

If you had the 6.5/300 Weatherby with an 8 twist as I do, I would say use the 142 or 155 gr Match King because of the additional velocity I can obtain.

About 20 elk have fallen to Match Kings from my Longrange rifles, so far.

Good hunting.
DC
 
I'm taking my 6.5 x 284 and have loaded it with the Sierra 140 GameKing... I'll let you know in a few weeks how the elk responded if I use it. (I used the same load as for the 142 MatchKing, just a little different OAL.)
 
If for some bizarre reason the MK do not shoot for you, try the 140gr SST. The construction is well proven and has a very high BC (1.5"long). From the 6.5-284, I would expect muzzle vel to be in the 2900fps range so any shot out to your max range would be effective.

I am working with them in my 6.5 Mystic and they stabilize in my 1 in9 twist barrel.

Dantec, from what I have read, the Scandinavians shoot lots of moose with the 6.5X55 swedes each year. They shot them at relatively short ranges because they hunt from stands with others driving the animals to them. Very wooded areas too. I don't think they are allowed to shoot over 200yds (?).

There is an ongoing saga of hunters who have killed "dinosaurs" with 243's and others who couldn't break down a 65lb doe with a super magnum and the newest premium bullet. My hunting experience shows that as long as the heart or lungs are damaged sufficiently, the animal will eventually die. The big problem is that most species, like elk and whitetail, are tenacious and can survive a very long time without either or both of these organs.

That leads to the conclusion that maybe I didn't hit them hard enough (the rush to bigger and bigger magnums). Except for taking out the spine or brain, there is no hand held calibre (legal to hunt with anyways) that is going to drop an animal every single time with a boiler room shot. With well placed shots, the best we can expect is that the animal expires within easy tracking range. Or else, we go for brain/spine and "shoulder" shots only and that opens its own sets of problems.

Jerry
 
I agree that Nordic shoot in close range ( under 200 yards ) because long range hunting is not allowed

Main problem with 6.5 Bullet they are design to expand at 6.5x55 velocity and if you use them at close range with magnum velocity you get poor terminal balistic effect but at long range you can duplicate 6.5x55 velocity

good shooting

DAN TEC
 
6brguy

My wife has used her 6.5 x 55 for everything from Antelope to Moose with good effect.

Bullet used was the 140 Nosler partition and the bullet performed very well. This bullet is capable of rear end shots that make it into the boiler room of Moose so I know penetration is very good as is killing effect.

This is from the 6.5 x 55 loaded to pressures for todays guns, not the older 6.5 x 55 gun velocities.

I personally would not choose a bullet except one that will not break totally up on heavy bone of shoulders and hips which leaves you with a few good choices, among which is the Nosler partition....which has been very accurate in all the calibers I have used over the years.

Paul
 
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