Thoughts on Hammers on elk (out of a 6.5 CM)

[Barehandlineman11]

Shoot it hammers do damage on impact, my mom killed her bull last year 700 yardd with creedmoor not a hammer but a berger. Hammers do way more damage from what ive seen.

 

[laker]

This thread has me wanting to switch the wife's 6.5 creedmoor to the 124 hammer hunter load for the fall.

 

[dogz]

4 sure! Bring the wife and kiddo's

 

[Mike Matteson]

That fine and dandy, but if the shot placement isn't good then where are you at. It's worst with a small caliber rifle. Good luck in tracking it or them.

 

[dogz]

shot placement is always critical you're correct Mike.

What have you taken elk with? And what is your preference based on your experiences in taking elk?

 

[Varmint Hunter]

This thread has me wanting to switch the wife's 6.5 creedmoor to the 124 hammer hunter load for the fall.

Try a 85gr HH bullet while you're at it. Guys are getting 3,600 ft/sec in their Creedmoors.

 

[dogz]

I was just going to mention to Laker that we should try some 85's this winter on yotes. I emailed Steve at Hammer regarding this last week.

By my way of thinking I'm guessing (guessing being the key word...) that I'll be topping out closer to the 3400 range though out of my 23" barrel.

 

[bigngreen]

That fine and dandy, but if the shot placement isn't good then where are you at. It's worst with a small caliber rifle. Good luck in tracking it or them.

I've not seen reality bear that out, first by a WIDE margin I've seen better shot placement with chambering and bullet combos that the shooter are very comfortable with. By far I've put down more elk for guys that were shot with larger cals, more important than size is bullet function IMO. If you look at what it takes to just power down an elk it's far more than most guys are going to handle, much better to just shoot something you can recover from and put a fast quality second shot on to cover a poor first.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I was just going to mention to Laker that we should try some 85's this winter on yotes. I emailed Steve at Hammer regarding this last week.

By my way of thinking I'm guessing (guessing being the key word...) that I'll be topping out closer to the 3400 range though out of my 23" barrel.

This is a single example but it's worth a look. The shooter used a 24" bbl.

6.5 CM (Doug Herold) 85 HH 24", 1-8", Wby Vanguard Lapua 1X F 215 2.670 OAL

Varget 46.4 = 3,606 // .5moa
46.7 = 3,611
47.0 = 3,650 // no pressure signs from any

 

[dogz]

it'll be fun to work with no matter what the speed ends up. I know of a chuck colony or 3 that need to be taught the meaning of respect...

 

[laker]

Wife's 6.5 creedmoor pushes 124hh 2950fps. I just might run them this year

 

[donkeyman]

You realize a 6.5 Creedmore and 6.5 PRC are the same calibur right, just a little launch speed difference with the same bullets?!?!

Yes. The speed makes a big difference. That's why I shoot a 6.5-300 wby

 

[bigngreen]

Yes. The speed makes a big difference. That's why I shoot a 6.5-300 wby

Not really tracking with ya on that, the ONLY difference is effective range. That bullet does the same thing at an impact speed of 2400 on an elk regardless of if it's started out from a Creed or 6.5 RUM!!
A 6.5-300 WBY is just Creedmore with a couple hundred extra yards on it!!

 

[-JLS-]

If you've actually taken elk with a 6.5 CM and Hammer bullets please chime in a let me know how it went, ranges, and which bullet you used.

Many thx

I've shot two cows with a 6.5CM. Both with the 124 Hammer Hunter (have since went to the 123 Absolute Hammer at 3k fps).

One cow was 275, pass through. The other was 125, fronts shot. Bullet didn't exit, I didn't look for it. She was a true DRT.

Even as accurate as my 6.5 is (Kimber Hunter, 0.5 MOA) I would probably limit any shot on elk to 400ish, even though I have the velocity to get expansion at about 600.

As a close comp, I had a .280 Remington that I shot 136 Hammers out of (3100 fps). Killed two bulls with that rifle. One pass through frontal/quartering at 300 yards and a broadside pass through at 75 yards.