6.5x55 stopped by elk shoulder?

Elk are very good reason to use premium controlled expansion heavy for caliber bullets. I didn't notice the bullet weight the OP used if there was one listed. I personally would not shoot anything under 140 grain for elk in a 6.5MMM. And if I did I would use a Nosler partition or Accubond, Norma Oryx, TSX, Aframe, or similar tough bullet. It also depends a LOT on exactly where you hit them. At our camp we have taken well over seventy elk in the past 20 some years. I have seen several elk that have stopped regular cup and core bullets in the humerus/scapula joint. Two of them were 150 grain .308 bullets at 2800 fps muzzle velocity. I once had a .375 H&H 260 grain Nosler Partition that bounced off that joint and failed to penetrate. A 6.5 x55 is adequate for elk, but you can't shoot them in the shoulder joint with that cartridge with any commonly used bullet and expect consistent good results.
So my question is - did you hit the scapula/hunerus joint? and what weight bullet?
 
I Hit the shoulder blade close to the center with 140 grain. the same round gave me a thru the blade and out the other side shot a few years ago, as I say i have take 3 other elk and a moose with this same round and not had a issue, it is the most accurate round I have shot with this gun and have always been very happy with it. between my old 96 and this gun (sako 85) I have over 30 kills blacktail, mule, white tail black bear elk and moose. this round has been very deadly for me and I have only had to track two animals and never lost one. All that being said I think I need to get to work on a custom round for my gun for elk and moose unless someone can offer up a readily available factory round.

This is where I can really use some help, I had a old friend do a few loads for white tail for me before but never tried only used at the range and the fusion shot better. I have always been afraid of reloading myself I want a sub moa round that will not be stopped by a shoulder of a moose or elk but will not split a whitetail in half. can I make this happen?
 
Any of the "controlled expansion" bullets will do what you want. The Partition is the gold standard, mono-metal bullets are the new kids, other bonded types like Accubonds (I've used Nosler bullets for years but there are others) seem to be doing what you ask. The secret for me was to start loading my own many years ago after a Remington Bronze point splashed at about 10 yards on a deer's shoulder. The answer to your problem is a bullet, not a new cartridge.
 
jogforfun said:
I have taken lots of elk with fusion. this is off the their website

Fusion® technology has transformed hunting—whether you hunt whitetails or coyotes; elk or bears. The construction process electrochemically fuses the bullet jacket to the core for impressive weight retention and game-dropping energy transfer.
Click to expand...

For what it's worth, on calibers with more bullet options Federal doesn't recommend using Fusion on heavy game like Elk.
 
" I want a sub moa round that will not be stopped by a shoulder of a moose or elk but will not split a whitetail in half."
the perception that a bullet that will do a lot of instant damage to a whitetail is the same that will penetrate deeply in a much bigger elk is not correct. You can have one or the other, but a quick expanding bullet that will kill a deer in its tracks is not the same bullet that will penetrate an elk or moose from reasonable hunting angles and still produce an efficient kill. It takes a much much bigger and similar speed bullet to get a "quick" kill on an elk or moose, and that effort is rewarded with more recoil, meat damage, and less reliable results from angling shots. Your goal should be to penetrate and destroy the vitals from any reasonable angle, regardless if major bones are in the way. Blood tracking is a good skill to learn for bigger critters.
 
Barnes TTSX takes care of the penetration with minimal meat lose for the bigger stuff unlikely bangflops on deer.
 
mbogo3 said:
Barnes TTSX takes care of the penetration with minimal meat lose for the bigger stuff unlikely bangflops on deer.
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Agreed, I took 2 bucks this year with 140 TTSX'S out of a 7 rem mag....both were at less than 50 yards range.
The 1st one was knocked down when hit, it got up took a few steps and expired.
The 2nd one bucked when hit went about 30 yards and expired.
Both were slightly angled broadside shots complete pass through with only ribs being broken. ..massive blood trails a blind man could follow in a rain storm.
 
Some good reading on terminal ballistics and real world applications. This may enlighten you on various bullets and realistic kill distances in regard to bullet performance. In the end when the bullet strikes at distance all bullets are not created equally. Fit the bullet to the intended application. A world of good knowledge here. http://www.ballisticstudies.com/
Elky...
 
Am I the only one wondering why the OP is shooting the shoulder instead of the heart/lung/liver through the ribs?

While I understand that 'excrement eventuates', if the ammo is accurate, may as well pick an aiming point that isn't armored by extra layers of meat and bone.

"Course, the old adage that sometimes the Angels have had a pee in your powder, applies at all times too. Odd things happen.
 
I’ve found the federal fusion shoot well from my Swede but lose a lot of mass when shooting a whitetail that was facing me, hit the collarbone? Pulled a 90 grain fragment from under the hide on the opposite ham, dropped on the spot still. The buck I shot this year was with a Nosler Accubond factory load and it punched through both shoulders and kept going, this was at twenty yards or so. I was trying for lung but had to switch to shooting left because of the deer and my position. I know a whitetail is a lot smaller and softer than an elk just thought I’d chime in. I’m going elk hunting in a month and I’m probably gonna use the accubonds for them also.
 
Sometimes bullets just do strange things, I shot a big muley once in the back of the head (don't get all up on me about that, I really had no other option) with a 7 mm mag, Federal 140 grain Sierra boat tail from about 60 yds. The deer dropped in its tracks and when we caped him out we found the bullet did not penetrate the skull, hit him square in the back of the head about 2 inches below the line of the antlers, went around between the hide and the skull and fetched up under his eyebrow.
 
Glad that you got the elk. I’m a big fan of the Swede round but realize it isn’t magic though. It’s modest velocity and bullets with good sectional density are a great recipe with normal bullets. I’ve had great results on deer, caribou, and black bears with Hornady 129 and 140 soft point loads but find the SST too fragile for my comfort even though they have killed everything I fired them at. The Nosler partitions in 125 and 140 grain have always been perfect for me. Always good expansion about 1/3 into the vitals and an exit hole. I must say that I don’t (intentionally at least) shoot for the front should though. I have some old 156 grain Hornady bullets but never really tried them. My Swede recommendations usually include Lapua brass, Nosler partitions, and H4831sc powder. I load warm for good actions such as FN98, model 70s, etc but keep it reasonable and brass seemingly last forever. If I need more range or punch I would reach for my .300 H&H or 9.3x62 but truthfully, they almost never get used. Ok, perhaps the Swede is a bit magical, ��
 
What exactly does "electrochemically fuses" mean ?

Electric hot glue gun ?

Personally I wouldn't use anything less than a Norma 156 gr Onyx or a 160 gr RN for Elk in a 6.5 x 55

Glad you got him in the end.
 
9.3 Hunter said:
Fusion are not for larger big game, they will blow up and stop on elk and moose shoulders.... great for deer
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I disagree.

300 wsm in 180 fusion. Shot Elk with quartering towards shot went through shoulder, hit heart and Elk ran 75 yards toward me and died at my feet.

Same year.

46 inch bull moose. 100 yards broadside. Shot through both lungs and exited. Bang flop kill.
 
I like you also use a sako 85 in 6.5x55 for my hunting, but i stick with heavy bullets at around 2500 fps, either factory 156 grain cartridges or i use hornady (160) or lapua (155) hand loads with good results. They don't tend to make a big mess when i shoot something and they get great penetration which also leaves a nice blood trail when it goes right thru. I have also heard great things about the all copper bullets, unfortunately they only go up to 140
 
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