6.5CM hunters, what ammo do you recommend?

The last (and first) deer i took with a 6.5cm was an impressive display of how far a deer can walk without lungs.

That said ... it was a 30m shot.
 
SilentKnight said:
I am not worried about cost at all. I am focused on buying the appropriate cartridge for the task, the price will be what it will be and does not concern me in the slightest. I actually never said I was worried about anything...
I am also already very aware that shot placement matters more than what cartridge used, however just because the cartridge may be the cheapest part of the hunt, does not mean it is the least important.
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RELAX. Reading way too much into this. I just gave my opinmion cuz many make a big deal about how much a box of shells cost. Its the cheapest part of the whole equation. Ill drink more in one night than almost any quality ammo costs. ITS ALL RELATIVE. You also mentioned " I DONT THINK FMJ WOULD BE THAT GREAT FOR HUNTING". This shows you literally know nothing. The cheapest part of the hunt and the price of the ammo was exactly the point I was making. My point was to buy quality ammo that shoots well in your firearm.
 
I definitely agree. Most important part is a round that's shoots great in your rifle. Then you need a rifle that you can shoot good in hunting positions, which the Creedmoor should punch the ticket in the recoil department.
I have been shooting a 6.5 creed since 2012, i own quite a few, well quite a few other 6.5 cartridges as well, excellent caliber. Every single one of them has been a shooter. And can send bullets downrange all day without noticing it in the shoulder at all. From any position. I fully understand it's popularity even though it took quite awhile to catch on.
Only other gun of mine that out shoots all my creeds with virtually all rounds I load for it is my 300 RUM, it just plain loves 101.0 grain of US869 powder, with every heavy bullet. But, it's not nearly as fun to shoot all day, and is quite pricy when it's burning over double the amount of powder.
Good luck at finding some hunting ammo that works well in your gun. I find the factory Hornady precision 143 eld-x shoots alright, but not as well as most Federals and noslers. And as others have commented, it is quite explosive. It gets the animals, but the bullets does like to seperate it's jacket from the core. I usually choose a bonded bullet. But cup and core will work perfect for what your after.
Also don't overlook the Nosler 140 grain ballistic tip factory rounds. They are insanely accurate in everything I have shot them in, and that 140 grain ballistic tip is actually quite stout. That's all my buddy uses for elk. Perfect mushroom everytime a bullet is found.
 
OP-Rifles will generally "tune" to a particular bullet weight. Your rifle shoots well with your current FMJ selection, I would expect the equivalent weight soft point bullet by S+B would shoot equally well, and to the same POI. I would also try the Federal blue box stuff in the same weight. Oh, and save your brass...
 
cosmic said:
OP-Rifles will generally "tune" to a particular bullet weight. Your rifle shoots well with your current FMJ selection, I would expect the equivalent weight soft point bullet by S+B would shoot equally well, and to the same POI. I would also try the Federal blue box stuff in the same weight. Oh, and save your brass...
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That's what I was learning as well... I talked to a guy who uses the same S&B for target shooting as me, and he uses the soft point S&B for hunting, as you said, it has the same POI, same zero. He said he's had good success with it on big game. It's worth taking a look at and testing, I think.

Yeah, I generally am saving my brass from higher end factory ammo now. I don't save all brass, like the Hornady Outfitter I used in my .243 was nickel plated brass so I didn't bother saving it.
 
To date I have used the Hornady 143 gr ELD-X and Federal 130 gr Terminal Ascent ammunition on big game in my 6.5 Creedmoor (LH Browning X Bolt All Weather).

The Hdy 143 gr ELD-X was used an a young bull moose at 20 yards with a frontal shot. The mosse dies within 5 yards of where it took the shot. The bullet was not recovered in the mess in the vitals. I found a bit of jacket that swiped the edge of the ribs as it entered the chest cavity beside the trachea/esophagus, but did not penetrate the diaphragm. While effective and a quick kill, and its high impact velocity at approx 2800 fps, I was not impressed as to how frangible this bullet is. This ammo produces 0.454"' groups @ 100 yards, but is slow at 2510 fps out of my 24" Benchmark 5 R barrel. (Ammo rated for 2700 fps - finding this ammo consistently slower than rated in all rifles/calibers tried to date) I have chosen not to hunt with this bullet moving forward, although happy to use remaining ammo on hand for target practice, and reloading for further target practice.

The Federal 130 gr TA has been used on red stag, fallow buck, 2 arapawa rams and caribou, at ranges from 43 (caribou) to 296 yards (red stag).
All were one shot kills, with complete penetration. And 3 were DRT, while the red stag fell within 5 yards of where it took the shot, and the fallow buck jumped at the shot, and fell 15 yards downhill of where it took the shot. (The two arapawa rams were the first two the guide had ever seen DRT, as they usually run 100-400 yards despite being dead on the hoof). This ammo produces 0.291" groups @ 100 yards art 2855 fps in my barrel. I also have a Winchester Model 1885 High Wall in 6.5 CM and this ammo produces 0.599" groups @ 100 yards at 2911 fps out of its 28" barrel. As a note, red stag and caribou weigh approx 400-450 on the hoof, which is a little larger than mule deer - although I have taken two mule deer bucks over the years that were approx 400 pounds on the hoof! And I wouldn't hesitate to use this ammo on black bears, as this is the ammunition my wife is using in her LH Browning X Bolt Hunter in 6.5 CM for her bear hunting now. Her factory 22" barrel shoots this ammo into 0.420" groups @ 100 yards at 2755 fps. I am very impressed with this bullet and ammo to date; performance wise for accuracy and on-game performance!

While I have not yet taken game with the Nosler 140 gr AccuBond ammo in the 6.5 CM (it is my favourite hunting bullet over the past 20+ years on big game ranging from pronghorn to bison), and produces 0.248" groups @ 100 yards in the High Wall at 2826 fps. I wouldn't hesitate to use this for big game, within reasonable distances where the retained velocity and energy is proper for the animal (1000 ft. lbs for deer/bear, 1500 ft lbs for moose, and 2000 ft lbs for elk/bison).

While the Winchester 129 gr Power Point ammo is not as accurate in my rifles, 1.251" and 1.165" groups @ 100 yards at 2810 and 2941 fps respectively from the Browning and Winchester rifles. While I have not taken game with these from the 6.5 CM, I have used Power Point bullets in other rifles/cartridges over the years and have always been happy with the performance of this cup and core bullet. Again, I wouldn't hesitate to use it on big game, given the same parameters as stated above with the AccuBond.

While not the 6.5 CM, I have used 140 gr Nosler Partitions and the older Barnes X bullets on stones sheep, moose, whitetail, and a cow elk out of the 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser over the years. I wouldn't hesitate to use the Partition in the Creedmoor too.

While I have not used Sellier & Bellot ammo in the 6.5 CM, I did use their ammo in the PH's rifle (300 Win Mag) in Africa last year and was impressed by the performance of the SPCE (controlled expansion) bullet on the game ranging from springbok to kudu, at distances from 77 to 235 yards. All were one shot kills, with only 3 of 7 bullets recovered. Avg weight retention 48.7% and 2 times expansion. I wouldn't hesitate to use this ammo in the 6.5 CM on big game.

As stated above, I do prefer a larger caliber and/or cartridge for elk...but if within 200 yards on an unwary elk, I would use my 6.5 CM, and stay off the shoulder. For my wife or another less experienced hunter, I would likely limit them to 100 yards on unwary elk. On a rut crazed bull or wary animal, I would pass on the elk with the 6.5 CM. But this is my experience, having taken more than 20 elk over the years.

In the end, find the bullet , or ammo that performs best in your rifle and go forth with confidence, that when you place these bullets in the vitals of a big game animal, with sufficient retained energy for proper expansion and penetration, produces a quick kill, that you will need to put your knife to work!

PS, if you are new to hunting, check your provincial hunting regs, as in most places fmj bullets are not legal for hunting
 
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I've killed a few blacktails with 140gr ELDMs, all inside 300yds though. All of them dropped on the spot but shot placement was perfect. I wouldn't hesitate to push out further as well. I've got a few loads that all shoot great in a variety of barrel lengths (from 18 to 26") on a few different rifles. I find 140 ELDM handloads or even the factory ammo is the easy button for a 6.5 Creed for both hunting and target shooting. If you can't get them to shoot in your rifle, theres something wrong with the barrel, and if you put the bullet in the right spot, they kill plenty good, haha. At this point I've gone through well over 10k of them (burnt out a few barrels and have a few more on the go).
 
Cup and Core bullets make a mess - But Kill Good ! Monos and Bonds Kill good too BUT
Limit the Mess and no lead in the meat . 🥩
Shot placement is the Key to a good Fast Kill . Monos and Bonds will do a much better job of killing your game With a POOR shot then do the cup & core bullets that come apart .! JMO RJ
 
I have killed animals with more than 7 different 6.5 cartridges and know people that have done the same .
At some point , the impact velocity was close to identical in all of them , depending on the distance.
The closest was 40 feet and the furthest was way past what many hunters would either consider as ethical or in their max distance capabilities .
The deer and moose were killed with a variety of bullets from cup and core 120's and 160's to monometal 140's and from round nosed to hollow points.
The only constant was the shot placement , as has been noted many times, both in this thread and others.
My best advice ( as well as other members here have stated), is to not get too wrapped up in the minutiae of bullet types , designs or construction, and pick a hunting bullet that shoots well out of your rifle at the distance you are capable of shooting accurately from a field position - NOT from a bench rest and hunt with that.
The Creedmoor is pretty much in the middle of the velocity range of the various 6.5 cartridges, so danged near any hunting bullet will work fine.
Cat
 
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BlackRam said:
To date I have used the Hornady 143 gr ELD-X and Federal 130 gr Terminal Ascent ammunition on big game in my 6.5 Creedmoor (LH Browning X Bolt All Weather).

The Hdy 143 gr ELD-X was used an a young bull moose at 20 yards with a frontal shot. The mosse dies within 5 yards of where it took the shot. The bullet was not recovered in the mess in the vitals. I found a bit of jacket that swiped the edge of the ribs as it entered the chest cavity beside the trachea/esophagus, but did not penetrate the diaphragm. While effective and a quick kill, and its high impact velocity at approx 2800 fps, I was not impressed as to how frangible this bullet is. This ammo produces 0.454"' groups @ 100 yards, but is slow at 2510 fps out of my 24" Benchmark 5 R barrel. (Ammo rated for 2700 fps - finding this ammo consistently slower than rated in all rifles/calibers tried to date) I have chosen not to hunt with this bullet moving forward, although happy to use remaining ammo on hand for target practice, and reloading for further target practice.

The Federal 130 gr TA has been used on red stag, fallow buck, 2 arapawa rams and caribou, at ranges from 43 (caribou) to 296 yards (red stag).
All were one shot kills, with complete penetration. And 3 were DRT, while the red stag fell within 5 yards of where it took the shot, and the fallow buck jumped at the shot, and fell 15 yards downhill of where it took the shot. (The two arapawa rams were the first two the guide had ever seen DRT, as they usually run 100-400 yards despite being dead on the hoof). This ammo produces 0.291" groups @ 100 yards art 2855 fps in my barrel. I also have a Winchester Model 1885 High Wall in 6.5 CM and this ammo produces 0.599" groups @ 100 yards at 2911 fps out of its 28" barrel. As a note, red stag and caribou weigh approx 400-450 on the hoof, which is a little larger than mule deer - although I have taken two mule deer bucks over the years that were approx 400 pounds on the hoof! And I wouldn't hesitate to use this ammo on black bears, as this is the ammunition my wife is using in her LH Browning X Bolt Hunter in 6.5 CM for her bear hunting now. Her factory 22" barrel shoots this ammo into 0.420" groups @ 100 yards at 2755 fps. I am very impressed with this bullet and ammo to date; performance wise for accuracy and on-game performance!

While I have not yet taken game with the Nosler 140 gr AccuBond ammo in the 6.5 CM (it is my favourite hunting bullet over the past 20+ years on big game ranging from pronghorn to bison), and produces 0.248" groups @ 100 yards in the High Wall at 2826 fps. I wouldn't hesitate to use this for big game, within reasonable distances where the retained velocity and energy is proper for the animal (1000 ft. lbs for deer/bear, 1500 ft lbs for moose, and 2000 ft lbs for elk/bison).

While the Winchester 129 gr Power Point ammo is not as accurate in my rifles, 1.251" and 1.165" groups @ 100 yards at 2810 and 2941 fps respectively from the Browning and Winchester rifles. While I have not taken game with these from the 6.5 CM, I have used Power Point bullets in other rifles/cartridges over the years and have always been happy with the performance of this cup and core bullet. Again, I wouldn't hesitate to use it on big game, given the same parameters as stated above with the AccuBond.

While not the 6.5 CM, I have used 140 gr Nosler Partitions and the older Barnes X bullets on stones sheep, moose, whitetail, and a cow elk out of the 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser over the years. I wouldn't hesitate to use the Partition in the Creedmoor too.

While I have not used Sellier & Bellot ammo in the 6.5 CM, I did use their ammo in the PH's rifle (300 Win Mag) in Africa last year and was impressed by the performance of the SPCE (controlled expansion) bullet on the game ranging from springbok to kudu, at distances from 77 to 235 yards. All were one shot kills, with only 3 of 7 bullets recovered. Avg weight retention 48.7% and 2 times expansion. I wouldn't hesitate to use this ammo in the 6.5 CM on big game.

As stated above, I do prefer a larger caliber and/or cartridge for elk...but if within 200 yards on an unwary elk, I would use my 6.5 CM, and stay off the shoulder. For my wife or another less experienced hunter, I would likely limit them to 100 yards on unwary elk. On a rut crazed bull or wary animal, I would pass on the elk with the 6.5 CM. But this is my experience, having taken more than 20 elk over the years.

In the end, find the bullet , or ammo that performs best in your rifle and go forth with confidence, that when you place these bullets in the vitals of a big game animal, with sufficient retained energy for proper expansion and penetration, produces a quick kill, that you will need to put your knife to work!

PS, if you are new to hunting, check your provincial hunting regs, as in most places fmj bullets are not legal for hunting
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Excellent write up man. Appreciate the time you took to compile all that info for me, thanks!

Yeah, I know about the regs and I know about not using FMJ as it's not legal where I am. That's why I found it so funny when another user told me I know nothing about hunting because I said FMJ wouldn't be a good choice for hunting here lol.

Anywho, thanks for the info again!
 
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