6.5 Creedmoor: Maximum Lethal Range for Whitetail

[General RE LEE]

I've spent the past couple days browsing forums on this very topic. Based off what I read 500-600 yards is going to be the max distance many would feel the 6.5 Creedmoor with the proper bullet can reliably take down a whitetail.

I just got a Tikka T3x in 6.5 with a Leupold Mark5 HD 3.6-18X44 scope. I am going to try 3 different factory loads: Federal Terminal Ascent 130 grain, Nosler Accubond Long Range 129 grain and Hornady Precision Hunter 143 grain ELD-X. All three are softer construction designed to expand at long range.

With the proper bullet for long range terminal performance, what do you folks think the max lethal range a 6.5 Creedmoor could be on whitetail?

 

[bomberodevil]

A lot of people consider 1000 ft/lbs of kinetic energy to be the minimum amount of power to humanely kill a deer. If you believe this, then the yardage to make this shot is dependent on your load and velocity. The chart I attached figures a 142 grain bullet with a MV at 2700 (which is a pretty conservative speed). That load will maintain at least 1000 ft/lbs of KE out to 700 yards. That would be a good baseline for you.

New Zealand 6.5 Creedmoor Tests — Ron Spomer Outdoors

The 6.5 Creedmoor tests itself and Nosler bullets against New Zealand tahr, fallow, and red stag from a Legendary Arms Works rifle and Sig Sauer scope.

ronspomeroutdoors.com

 

[General RE LEE]

A lot of people consider 1000 ft/lbs of kinetic energy to be the minimum amount of power to humanely kill a deer. If you believe this, then the yardage to make this shot is dependent on your load and velocity. The chart I attached figures a 142 grain bullet with a MV at 2700 (which is a pretty conservative speed). That load will maintain at least 1000 ft/lbs of KE out to 700 yards. That would be a good baseline for you.

New Zealand 6.5 Creedmoor Tests — Ron Spomer Outdoors

The 6.5 Creedmoor tests itself and Nosler bullets against New Zealand tahr, fallow, and red stag from a Legendary Arms Works rifle and Sig Sauer scope.

ronspomeroutdoors.com

Thank you I've always used 1800 fps/1000 ke as a baseline but I've been reading that these newer long range bullets that have good expansion well below 1800 fps can be lethal even below 1000 lbs of KE on whitetail.

 

[bomberodevil]

Thank you I've always used 1800 fps/1000 ke as a baseline but I've been reading that these newer long range bullets that have good expansion well below 1800 fps can be lethal even below 1000 lbs of KE on whitetail.

Who knows, this isn't mathematics, it's not an exact science or formula. Is 1000 KE written in stone? Would 950 KE work on some deer, and 1100 KE not work on others? I haven't seen a large population field experiment that tried to determine the exact KE, so most folks just use 1000 KE for deer, and 1500 KE for elk. Your results may vary.

 

[entoptics]

Ran some simulations courtesy of MERC - Maximum Effective Range Calculator. I'm biased of course, but highly recommend you try it out for yourself!

Simulations used 1MOA rifle, 10 ± 3 mph crosswind shifting ± 30°, ± 5 yards range uncertainty, and muzzle velocity SD of 10 fps. I used velocities from MidwayUSA's product pages for the trajectory inputs. The target size for the hit probabilities is 9" in diameter.

Federal Premium 130 Terminal Ascent @ 2825 fps

Nosler Trophy Grade 129 Accubond Long Range @ 2850 fps

Hornady Precision Hunter 143 ELD-X @ 2700 fps

Hope that helps. As mentioned, to really see what variables affect each load, download a copy of MERC for yourself from the link below, and play around with target sizes, uncertainties, and ranges.

MERC - Maximum Effective Range Calculator

Over the past couple of months, I have been creating a Microsoft Excel based tool that calculates your probability of hitting a target. It allows study of the effects of rifle and environmental variables and uncertainties on hit percentage. Fellow LRH member Scott B. (entoptics) convinced me...

www.longrangehunting.com

 

[General RE LEE]

Wow very cool^^^^

I do wonder with the softer long range bullets if they are able be sufficiently lethal below 1000 fps due to lower speed/energy expansion.

 

[entoptics]

Wow very cool^^^^

I do wonder with the softer long range bullets if they are able be sufficiently lethal below 1000 fps due to lower speed/energy expansion.

I presume you mean 1000 ftlbs energy, and not actually 1000 fps velocity?

I have no doubt that 1000 ftlbs is more than enough to kill a deer (44 Mag at 50 yds has only 750 ftlbs), but getting reliable expansion from skinny, pointed, rifle bullets at low velocity is non-trivial. It also usually sacrifices performance at close range, as bullets that frangible or soft can really grenade with high speed impacts.

I personally wouldn't want to be hunting with "how low can I go" in mind, and never want to worry about "is my bullet too soft/hard" for the job, but to each their own.

For me, I want enough gun to put >2000 fps on target, along with fur to fur penetration with at least a thumb sized wound track, at whatever range I know I can make the shot.

 

[Quintus]

Wow very cool^^^^

I do wonder with the softer long range bullets if they are able be sufficiently lethal below 1000 fps due to lower speed/energy expansion.

That is more the issue than killing energy if there is such a thing. I have pushed a 158gr XTP through a bucks lungs with about 600 ftlbs of energy and got complete penetration. minimal expansion but adequate tissue damage and after about 35 seconds blood shooting out both holes and dead deer in 45 seconds. A whitetail at full tilt can go a long ways in 45 seconds and if there was no snow I would have had a tough track to follow. Without good and rapid expansion you will still end up with a dead animal, but you are depending on blood loss from a less traumatic wound. I would stay within 600 yards with the Creed myself.

 

[dogz]

Don't think I've looked at energy tables since about 8th grade...

Killing is easy, put the bullet in right place, have enough speed for the bullet to open up and tear things up and things die! Pretty much like taking the battery out of a truck, once it's gone it aint going anywhere...

 

[Quintus]

Don't think I've looked at energy tables since about 8th grade...

Killing is easy, put the bullet in right place, have enough speed for the bullet to open up and tear things up and things die! Pretty much like taking the battery out of a truck, once it's gone it aint going anywhere...

Yeah, but that's the OPs question, what's enough speed? And as easy as killing is the goal in this case with white tail deer you also have to consider recovery. I've driven a long ways on just the alternator.

 

[dogz]

obviously bullet construction will dictate a goodly share of this. I like the 140 Berg in the 260 and CM. It generally begins at 2700 give or take barrel length and ones comfort level with stepping on the gas...

Based off my time with that bullet I'd be comfy going to 800 give or take if the conditions and the shooter were up to to.

For darn sure it'll have the speed to open up that bullet and tear up the goods a long ways past 500-600.

 

[dogz]

side not I know of a couple or so elk that have went to Croak City Wyo in the 600 yard arena with zero problems with the CM (aka, short action Swede.

Point being I'd not worry one bit to going past 6 with the CM on small big game like a deer

 

[TXAoudadKlr]

killed a doe at 400 with an ELD-X damage was impressive. mine is only coming out at 2615fps so it was 2150 for impact velocity and 1460ft lbs. I'd be very comfortable to 600. if I had more speed (2700-2800fps) 700 or more would not be off the table.

With my velocity at 600 it will impact with ~1920-1930fps. I'm aware the Eld-X is softer but it gives me some cushion for my 1800fps cut off

 

[25WSM]

If you reload the 6.5 Creed does impressive things with rl26 powder.
My Tikka factory barrel does over 2900 fps easy with the 140 Berger. I've shot 147eldms at 2975 in my 1000 yard comp gun with 29 inch barrel.
My Tikka load has 1000 foot-pounds and still doing 1800 fps at 875 yards.
It wouldn't be my first choice for elr hunting but it can get it done.
Shep