Bergara

James B. said:
Here is my Ruger American .308 in the MDT LSS Chassis, I'm sure it has way more capability than i do. I have the Nikon M223 3-12x42 600 BDC on top. I know , the M308 is better suited, but this will work for now. Now all i gotta do is get out there & practice.
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Looks good. I have an American in .270 and the factory stock kicks like a mule! That chassis looks nice and should help with that. I thought about one, then decided to get a .223 that I could shoot a lot. 308 was a good choice - plenty of factory ammo to choose from to find your best shooter (mine likes Core Lokt the best so far, but I've had several people say theirs like Federal) plus a boat load of cheap 7.62x51 for just shooting (slight case of caliber envy here :/ as there is no cheap .270 ).
 
Regarding the price-- I can by the b14 hmr in 6.5 any day of the week for $850 brand new online-- even map pricing is $950 (just check gun.deals)

If you buy used, make sure you beat him up a little on the price for a better deal.
 
Uh-oh, I would use the 308 before the CM, and since you have no experience with elk, even more of a reason to do so.

The CM, and many other similar cartridges, will kill an elk, but that really isn't the right question. An elk cartridge should be one that can handle varied impact conditions and hunter errors in perfect placement with enough energy and bullet penetration to reach beyond the vital zone.

I've shot elk with my 25-06, but with a proven bullet and only when I had the best shot angle. I have also passed on questionable shots I would have taken with my 300RUM or 338 and tougher designed bullets.

A friend kills elk with a 243 at close woods ranges, but that does not make a 243 an "elk caliber". She is a great shot and passes on several opportunities.

Three decades ago while living in the SE US, I killed several deer with a 222Rem loaded with 63gr SMP's, but not many would class the 222 as a "deer caliber".
 
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I've killed 1 elk with a 6.5 creedmoor and 130 bergers. Shot just behind the shoulder, it died within 15 yards. That being said, I have shot an elk with a 243 and 95gr bullets with no issues. The bullet exited the bull at 350 yards on a broadside shot. My wife killed her bull ( a huge bodied bull estimated at 12-14 years old) last season with a 6 creedmoor using 105 hybrids. The bullet went through the heavy joint on the shoulder and wrecked the chest.

So to sum it up, in my experience, a 6.5 creedmoor with a Berger bullet or similar will work fine on elk to at least 600 yards.
 
iowacity said:
I've killed 1 elk with a 6.5 creedmoor and 130 bergers. Shot just behind the shoulder, it died within 15 yards. That being said, I have shot an elk with a 243 and 95gr bullets with no issues. The bullet exited the bull at 350 yards on a broadside shot. My wife killed her bull ( a huge bodied bull estimated at 12-14 years old) last season with a 6 creedmoor using 105 hybrids. The bullet went through the heavy joint on the shoulder and wrecked the chest.

So to sum it up, in my experience, a 6.5 creedmoor with a Berger bullet or similar will work fine on elk to at least 600 yards.
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Yes, they can kill an elk, but they can also cause tragic wounds in the wrong hands and in less than ideal conditions. I've seen and helped track elk hit with larger calibers that took sometime to die, and in at least one case, I watched a tough bull run away after taking a couple of 180's from a 300Win to the lungs. Granted they were the old factory Win PSP, but that was what the guy was sold for elk loads.

Point being, a few kills with smaller calibers in capable and cautious hands does not grant status. Many elephants have fallen to the 303 Brit, but I would not label it an "elephant gun". YMMV
 
In my experience, the choice in bullet and the abilities of the shooter are the two primary factors in lethality, within reason, not a cartridges head stamp. We are all victims of our own experience, and mine leads me to believe that a 6.5 Creedmoor is perfectly reasonable for elk at moderate ranges and I have no doubts that with the proper bullet, it will provide sufficient penetration and expansion through an elk.
 
James B. said:
I came across a used Bergara B14 HMR in 6.5 Creedmoore at my local gun store the other day,
I have done a little research & have heard both great things & not so great things about this gun, from one extreme to the opposite. I would like to hunt elk one day, my main question is :
Is this caliber enough for elk?
I have a Ruger American in .308, & recently put it in an MDT Chassis, but have not dialed it in at the range yet.....Should i stick with that for elk or trade in my Ruger for the more accurate 6.5.....
also, the used Bergara is only $799 with no glass., they usually go for $1150.
Any thoughts / suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.
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The 6.5 cm is a sweeeet elk gun. Shoot some quality ammo with the right bullets for your hunting style and keep it to a reasonable range (600-700 yards) and you will be ready to go!

Edit: 147 eldm's at elk elevation retain a lot of energy down range...if you think a 150gr 7mm bullet or a 150 gr .277 bullet is adequate for elk, you need start comparing some ballistics on the 6.5 bullets.
 
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del2les said:
Yes, they can kill an elk, but they can also cause tragic wounds in the wrong hands and in less than ideal conditions. I've seen and helped track elk hit with larger calibers that took sometime to die, and in at least one case, I watched a tough bull run away after taking a couple of 180's from a 300Win to the lungs. Granted they were the old factory Win PSP, but that was what the guy was sold for elk loads.

Point being, a few kills with smaller calibers in capable and cautious hands does not grant status. Many elephants have fallen to the 303 Brit, but I would not label it an "elephant gun". YMMV
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To your point - a bad shot is a bad shot be it with a 6.5 creedmoor or a 300 wm. Just don't suck and make a good shot.
 
SilverbulletMAG said:
Good looking rig James! Don't overlook the P308 with the 30mm tube either. Great scope for the money and obviously pairs nicely with the 308. Had one on an RPR for awhile...
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…………..Hmmmmm…….P308 uh?......how does that compare to the M308?? Which is the one i should have bought in the first place, but at the time, they did not have any in stock so i settled for the mis-matched M223.....the guy behind the counter, said" it would work", but now i wish i had waited for the proper one. Always pays to be patient in the long run.
 
James B. said:
…………..Hmmmmm…….P308 uh?......how does that compare to the M308?? Which is the one i should have bought in the first place, but at the time, they did not have any in stock so i settled for the mis-matched M223.....the guy behind the counter, said" it would work", but now i wish i had waited for the proper one. Always pays to be patient in the long run.
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I can't say for certain what the difference between the 2 are. I know the regular P308 has a 1" tube where the M308 has the 30mm. But, when you get the P308 with the 30mm, the main difference seems to be price.
 
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