6.5 Creedmoor for moose?

The 6.5 Creedmoor should work just fine to kill a moose with. Many have mentioned shot
placement, and that is critical to success with the smaller bores.

I have shot several moose with the 6.5x55, and a couple with the 6mm Remington, a
couple with the 257 Roberts. Never needed a second shot on any of them. All were
shot inside of 200 meters, except one with the 6.5x55....275 yards.

All these were shot with Nosler Partitions, which worked admirably, as expected. Dave
 
BearClan said:
I considered getting a 6.5 CM for my daughter for moose hunting. Was planning on loading it up with 127 g Barnes LRXs.

However, after a little research and after learning that some Elk Hunting outfitters are now prohibiting the use of 6.5 CM for ELK (source - Oct 21, 2021 episode of the "Backcountry Hunting" Podcast), I opted to get her a Tikka Lite Veil Wideland in 308 (comes with muzzle break). I also considered the 7-08, but since I have all the gadgets for loading accurate 308 rds, I selected the .308. In the Ontario woods I hunt, a 300 yard shot would be a very extremely long and rare opportunity (i.e., the long-range advantages of the 6.5 CM would be irrelevant).
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Avoid outfitters that require a caliber size. They want you to shoot at all ranges and all costs to get “the kill”.

I have bow hunted many elk and killed many others with 6.5’s. It’s hunting. Get in range for your caliber and wait for the shot, if it happens. If not hunt tomorrow.
 
No problem I've taken them with 280Rem, 308, 30-06, 30-30,7.62x39, 357mag and most with 25-06, all worked equally well..
 
243 with the right bullet is also fine. But at the end of the day, I stay in the 30-06 and 8x57 camp, using well constructed bullets.
 
BearClan said:
I considered getting a 6.5 CM for my daughter for moose hunting. Was planning on loading it up with 127 g Barnes LRXs.

However, after a little research and after learning that some Elk Hunting outfitters are now prohibiting the use of 6.5 CM for ELK (source - Oct 21, 2021 episode of the "Backcountry Hunting" Podcast), I opted to get her a Tikka Lite Veil Wideland in 308 (comes with muzzle break). I also considered the 7-08, but since I have all the gadgets for loading accurate 308 rds, I selected the .308. In the Ontario woods I hunt, a 300 yard shot would be a very extremely long and rare opportunity (i.e., the long-range advantages of the 6.5 CM would be irrelevant).
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The outfitters sound like urban leftists! "There's a gang problem in Toronto so we need to ban guns in the whole country!" Laugh2

They would have done better by ensuring their hunters were using hunting bullets rather than long range target bullets and taking their shots at reasonable distances. But they should do that with every cartridge and every hunter.
 
Consider checking out these threads too about the 6.5 and moose:
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/2239241-308-6-5CM-6-5x55-7x57-7-08-For-moose
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/2225985-Another-Churchill-moose

When I got my PAL last year I wanted a rifle that would be decent for both hunting and target shooting (bought a smaller “10” gun safe, so don’t want too many firearms) so decided to get the same Benelli in 6.5 creedmoor, seeing these threads after the fact kinda reassured me about my decision making haha.
 
I have a .260 REM and my daughter has a 6.5CM and I wouldn't hesitate to use either on moose. I load 100gr partition in hers for deer, but for moose I'd go with 120ttsx or 140 partition.
 
No expert here...always had a 6.5 Swede... a bit different than the CM I read.
Like a damn idiot I picked up a Cooey in 6.5 MS...be studying it. If you can group the 6.5 CM in with the MS gang...well it was designed to be the lower end of what is effective to put down a horse at 2-300.
Historical fact some might say... not worth arguing about IMO.
Newest 'Reloading' magazine has a good on the 6.5's...then and now.
 
cuslog said:
No doubt, any 6.5 mm center fire is capable -BUT- as bullet size goes down, importance of shot placement goes up. Good news is: less recoil = better chance of good shot placement. Take that girl to the range and practice, practice.
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This is advice every hunter should heed.

Relying on energy from large cartridges that are hard to shoot is no replacement for actual marksmanship skills.
 
If you're a handloader, Slamfire, I'd recommend a heavy bullet in any 6.5 if hunting moose at ranges under 300 yards. My choice would be something similar to the 155-gr. Lapua Mega softpoint pictured:
5Q7LM2O.jpg

This would be my choice in my 6.5x55 (another cartridge you might want to consider), and should also do well in the 6.5CM. Its great sectional density of .318 should produce reliable penetration through the large bones and musculature of a moose, and should be able to be pushed to around 2700 fps at safe CM pressures with the right powder.

Edit. It might be worth mentioning that the 6.5x55 achieved almost-legendary status among Scandinavian moose hunters. They liked the cartridge with the long 160-grain bullets available to them. Their 6.5s had a 1 in 8" twist, and I'd guess that most all modern 6.5s--6.5x55, 6.5 CM, etc.--would have this same twist, making them fully capable of stabilizing 160-gr. bullets.
 
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kthomas said:
This is advice every hunter should heed.

Relying on energy from large cartridges that are hard to shoot is no replacement for actual marksmanship skills.
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Yes, every hunter should know the limitations of what they use. Back in the day, when way up north, the people of the place used a .222 rem for everything from seals to caribou to polar bears. It’s hunting, and like the gambling saying goes, “know your limits and play within it”
 
If it was me I would just buy a fuggen moose rifle and put that little 6.5 away and use it for coyotes or something.
Do the moose a favor and use a cartridge with some weight and authority to it so you at least stand a chance of giving it a quick death.

As a hunter who has killed moose , I get a kick out of these dumb threads sometimes
 
45ACPKING said:
If it was me I would just buy a fuggen moose rifle and put that little 6.5 away and use it for coyotes or something.
Do the moose a favor and use a cartridge with some weight and authority to it so you at least stand a chance of giving it a quick death.

As a hunter who has killed moose , I get a kick out of these dumb threads sometimes
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More moose have been killed with 6.5mm's than probably all over cartridges combined.
 
Southcountryguy said:
Don’t forget there are moose in europe where the 6.5 was the most popular cartridge for a very long time.
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Yes, I think there's something to kthomas's assertion about 6.5x55 use on moose--in Norway, Sweden, and Finland over the 128 years since its introduction. As I noted earlier it was by far the choice of Scandinavian moose hunters particularly with the deep-penetrating 160-grain bullets.
 
It was, is it still? The other thing to consider is moose in Scandinavian countries are quite smaller than what we have here! I’ve seen moose not move with perfect shot placement with 270…. So if you don’t reload I would definitely go a bit bigger like 308, but that is just me !!
 
South Pender said:
Yes, I think there's something to kthomas's assertion about 6.5x55 use on moose--in Norway, Sweden, and Finland over the 128 years since its introduction. As I noted earlier it was by far the choice of Scandinavian moose hunters particularly with the deep-penetrating 160-grain bullets.
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Agreed, back in the day people hunted within their cartridge limitations while these days people seem to want a cartridge that they don’t have to really hunt. I’ve killed nearly everything in North America with archery equipment…. A 22 hornet would have worked in same ranges.
 
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