Here's what I don't get...In all these coversations about what caliber to use on elk( or larger game), I never really see or hear anyone suggesting to just get closer to the animal before you take a shot. If a person is having poor penetration and shot placement issues at, say, 300 yards, why not level up your stalking skills and get into 150 yards? I realize that I'm probably bring a bowhunter's mindset to a rifle argument, but it doesn't make sense to me that the first thing everyone seems to go to is that you need a larger caliber. Just learn how to get closer.
Your not wrong about people trying to shoot further than limits. The problem is with a bullet like the eldx that can fragment and give poor penetration, getting closer will actually make it worse. The higher the impact velocity, the more resistance the bullet encounters and in turn will make it deform more and increase the chance of jacket/core separation.
My bigger question is why not just shoot an adequate cartridge for the ranges you’re comfortable taking a shot at game? Getting closer is always the easy answer, but not ALWAYS an option. I use a 6.5 creed for things like Mule deer, cous deer, antelope, small black bears, etc. much bigger than that? 300 win mag gets the knod. Not that I WOULDN’T shoot an elk with my 6.5 creed, just don’t see the need if the situation arises where I have a 400 yard shot, near last light, across a canyon and have to worry rather my cartridge is a good pairing or not. I say it’s similar to archery elk hunting! CAN you kill an elk with a 40-50# draw weight and a light arrow? Absolutely! Is it as well suited as a 70# bow with a heavy arrow? No.
Federal terminal accent is my favorite bullet for hunting with the 6.5 creed always get a exit wound I shot a 160 lb whitetail buck in the chest facing me and the terminal accent bullet shot threw the deer long ways and left huge exit hole out one of the back hams now that's penetration 🤘
Good review, would love to see you review more bullets. Shooting paper and gel blocks is great, but actual animals is the only thing that truly replicates how they perform.
This is the ammo I wanted from day one but I could not get due to the great ammo depression of the 2020's. It took a whole 3 years after I purchased my first rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor to finally get my hands on this ammunition. Maybe in the hands of an expert shot this ammo would work just fine on Elk but I don't feel I qualify as that kind of marksman. So for a critter the size of Elk and Moose I would opt for a 7 mm Rem Mag or a 300 Win Mag in that order. I will relegate the 6.5 Creedmoor to whitetail, mule deer and antelope.
My 2cents as well by anecdote: a 30-06 220gr RN broadside through a WT buck at 100yd and he ran that far; a 200# n 300# pigs and a 7pt buck DRT with 6.5 CM 140gr A-Maxs; a WT doe with a 120gr 6.5 CM ran 75yd. Ranges were 60yd to 300yd, the only noteworthy differences were the exact paths of upset upon impact. All were 1 shot stops on game much lighter than an elk.
I find it hilarious people Say the 6.5 is a coyote cartridge but I’ve seen videos of people hammering an elk with one and went down pretty quick. I’ve seen elk stand there for 3 minutes after getting thumped by a 300 win mag
I had a similar experience on a Bull Caribou with a 145gr out of my 270. Dropped the bull, did not exit, found the jacket and part of the core on the off side hide. My wife took a bull at about 60 yards with her 7mm-08 using 140gr Accubonds. She hit it three times and all shots exited. All shots were fatal but he was on a steep hill we had no desire to pack him up.
I have 135 grain terminal ascent Long Range I'm itching to try. 2820 ft per second. I know a highly experienced Elk hunter who swears by them. He's a big Nosler fan and gives a close second to the 140 grain accubond. He said he was having trouble with ELDX coming apart on him and fragmenting,especially if they hit a shoulder bone. I like bullets that hold together on big animals. Cup and core is okay for deer or antelope. I like a tough bonded bullets or fused bullets best. Just my 2 cents!
I have used the ELDX the last few years in my 6.5 CM. Nothing goes very far as long as you do your part. I do wish it was a bonded bullet. I picked up 4 boxes of Norma Bond Strike with all the same weight, BC etc. but the bullet is bonded. I will be trying them out this year.
Poor chose of ammo for such how far where you distance? I know you didn't mentioned. I'm glad luck was on your side where you could place the second shot. Quicker knock down and big leaking hole is a must with this 6.5 CM, so as on elk. The Hornady ELD Hunter is not a bonded bullet, especially to create a good solid rag hole exit shot like with a high quality bonded bullet such as the Federal Fusion, Terminal Ascent or the Norma Bond Strike with this capable 6.5 cm under 200 yards for such large size game. You got lucky he didn't ran away with the first shot since those cow elk made a difference as well.
Is there a factory cartridge in 6.5 Creedmoor that can be used on elk that performs better than the Hornady ELDX? I have a few boxes of the the ELDX''s, after watching your video, I'm having second thoughts. Do you think the same cartridge in 7mm-08 would have better results?
@@Bullets4Bucks I’m thinking another cartridge like an accubond would work better. If I get drawn, I’m going to buy a 7mm-08 Tikka TX3 Lite as backup for my old 700 ADL 30-06. Thanks!
Billy Balukos the 7mm08 is a great round can’t say a bad thing about it has performed outstanding for me and would never part with my Sako 85 love it cheers Yogi Australia 🇦🇺🤙🤙
@@brettstewart6036 The 7mm-08 seems like it would be a more versatile cartridge for hunting. I have a Browning AB3 Hunter in 6.5 Creedmoor and would like to add Tikka to my arsenal. Cheers mate!
Yes 6.5 prc is a better option but its difficult to find ammo. I don't have a lot of experience with the accubond but from what i have heard it works good.
Hi Bullets4pack great review on the 6.5 creedmoor, by chance do have any experience or review in 7mm remington magnum? And if so would care to elaborate the difference between them with also 300 prc and 7mm magnum?
@@Bullets4Bucks it’s the truth. I don’t understand what all the fuss is about the Creedmoor. There are so many others that do it better. Thanks for the chat.🇨🇦🤠
Yeah, I would wanna keep shots under 400 yards on elk size game myself with my 6.5CM. Any distance past that would be .300 win mag territory using the 220 ELDXs imo.
Looks like you didn't hit the bull in the chest.. it looks like you hit the bull way back just in front of the rear leg.. After the first shot the bull runs into screen and you can see the blood by his rear leg. Then you take the second shot on footage and you hit almost the same location.. you can see the impact if you look close.. 3rd shot I dunno what happened.. but I'm guessing ur scope is off or you had some wind but deffently looked like u hit back by rear leg.. even how the bull reaction says you hit far back.. Part of hunting tho and I appreciate the video..
Agreed. Can't shoot and blames the caliber and bullet.........and then claims he was solo even though someone is talking to him. Sooooo many things don't check out
I had pretty much the same results with 200gr ELD-X in my 300 wsm except the core separated on all 4 elk, I shot with that load and not one of them passed through. The shots ranged from 250 yds to 550 yds. The elk where on there feet for several minutes afterwards which resulted in one of them turning into a much longer pack out. I would not recommend the ELD-X for elk after my experience. It worked great on deer and antelope though
Quartering shots at 400 yards with a 6.5 cm……. Stretching it. Bullets held together though and did what they were supposed to do. Maybe broadside bullets would exit. Probably keep it to broadside only with elk and low recoil rifles. Just compare energies to traditional successful rounds and adjust your max yardages.
Great info. Appreciate the candor. This is a real help. No 6.5s in our family. But have been reluctant to choose the eldx myself. However, my daughter used the 300 Win Mag Precision Hunter on a cow elk at 300 yards. Bad hit but still recovered elk. Serious wound decent blood.
The fact it took 3 shots proves 6.5CM is not an Elk Caliber. Appreciate the video. I'm about to buy a 6.5 myself but I used 7mm Magnum on my last hunt so I'd never attempt this. I want the animal to drop right away. Too much time and money goes into it to injure it or lose it in the woods imo. For some people they may get 1 opportunity on elk every few years or once in a lifetime for others ...ask yourself is it worth that risk. I'm no expert but that's my 2cents.
Every old man at the camp always says it’s too small blah blah blah not enough punch 🙄 not a hunting caliber more blah blah you should get a .308 blah blah...But the 6.5 has been a big game slayer since 1890’s
@@Bullets4Bucks I’m in NY so big game for me is a whitetail or a 200 pound black bear and with the terrain the longest shot would be maybe 200 yards...no reason for 300 win mag here
Landing 3 gut shots on a Ferrell cat with a .416 rigby and waiting for it to die 45min doesn't make a .416 rigby a bad rifle. Baboons should not operate heavy machinery.
@@Bullets4Bucks Elk not saying you can't kill them with a 6.5 hell people kill them every year with 243win just saying a bigger caliber would be better
Quote of the day: "The shot placement wasn't horrible but it wasn't great. So obviously this could happen with a different caliber or a different bullet or cartridge or whatever. " ..... Yet you steadfastly proceed to blame the bullet and cartridge....for your obvious bad shot. Poor shoots, marginal shots with "bigger" guns guarantee nothing. Bad shots are bad shots, good shots are good shots. A good shot with a 6.5 Creedmoor will kill an elk pronto. A bad shot with a .300 magnum will cause a wounded animal to suffer and be wasted. That's what the issue is, not blaming marginal shooting on the gun when it's really the loose nut behind the trigger.
I wouldn’t use 6.5 for bigger game. Not ethical or humane. Pigs and Whitetails. Id use at least .30-06 for bigger game and above that for dangerous game. That’s just me. I feel bad for anything you’d have to shoot twice. Not fair to the animal. If you’re going to kill, make it quick.
@@Bullets4Bucks I’ve seen the tubes. 6.5 kills an Elk. But doesn’t always drop it like a bag of bricks. I’ve seen an Elk shot with a 6.5 standing there looking around and it took two more shots to drop it. Is that ethical? Not to me. Right tool for the job? I’d rather use a .30-06. I’ve see a guy take a moose with a .308? Ideal? Not really. A .300 Win Mag does the job better. I’ll use my 6.5 for White Tails this year because it drops them authoritatively.
@@cbwelch4 I may sound cold hearted but I worry more about potentially losing an animal if it doesn't drop and stay down or have a good blood trail than how many shots it takes. I hate chasing or losing animals.
All that being said, do not shoot elk with a BB Gun. Have some respect for the Animal. I would guess if that Bull runs off after the first shot, you would have never found him with out a dog.
![เป็นไปได้ไหม - WanMai [Performance Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Eh5hItD4Mr0/mqdefault.jpg)
Here's what I don't get...In all these coversations about what caliber to use on elk( or larger game), I never really see or hear anyone suggesting to just get closer to the animal before you take a shot. If a person is having poor penetration and shot placement issues at, say, 300 yards, why not level up your stalking skills and get into 150 yards? I realize that I'm probably bring a bowhunter's mindset to a rifle argument, but it doesn't make sense to me that the first thing everyone seems to go to is that you need a larger caliber. Just learn how to get closer.
No I agree with you 100% but... I too am a bowhunter. : )
I shoot a 6.5 creedmoor.
People need to know the limitations of the cartridge.
On elk, 200 yards max.
I agree 100% I've always been a believer in double lung shots that way you don't need much of a blood trail
Your not wrong about people trying to shoot further than limits. The problem is with a bullet like the eldx that can fragment and give poor penetration, getting closer will actually make it worse. The higher the impact velocity, the more resistance the bullet encounters and in turn will make it deform more and increase the chance of jacket/core separation.
My bigger question is why not just shoot an adequate cartridge for the ranges you’re comfortable taking a shot at game? Getting closer is always the easy answer, but not ALWAYS an option. I use a 6.5 creed for things like Mule deer, cous deer, antelope, small black bears, etc. much bigger than that? 300 win mag gets the knod. Not that I WOULDN’T shoot an elk with my 6.5 creed, just don’t see the need if the situation arises where I have a 400 yard shot, near last light, across a canyon and have to worry rather my cartridge is a good pairing or not. I say it’s similar to archery elk hunting! CAN you kill an elk with a 40-50# draw weight and a light arrow? Absolutely! Is it as well suited as a 70# bow with a heavy arrow? No.
Federal terminal accent is my favorite bullet for hunting with the 6.5 creed always get a exit wound I shot a 160 lb whitetail buck in the chest facing me and the terminal accent bullet shot threw the deer long ways and left huge exit hole out one of the back hams now that's penetration 🤘
Good review, would love to see you review more bullets. Shooting paper and gel blocks is great, but actual animals is the only thing that truly replicates how they perform.
This is the ammo I wanted from day one but I could not get due to the great ammo depression of the 2020's. It took a whole 3 years after I purchased my first rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor to finally get my hands on this ammunition. Maybe in the hands of an expert shot this ammo would work just fine on Elk but I don't feel I qualify as that kind of marksman. So for a critter the size of Elk and Moose I would opt for a 7 mm Rem Mag or a 300 Win Mag in that order. I will relegate the 6.5 Creedmoor to whitetail, mule deer and antelope.
My 2cents as well by anecdote: a 30-06 220gr RN broadside through a WT buck at 100yd and he ran that far; a 200# n 300# pigs and a 7pt buck DRT with 6.5 CM 140gr A-Maxs; a WT doe with a 120gr 6.5 CM ran 75yd. Ranges were 60yd to 300yd, the only noteworthy differences were the exact paths of upset upon impact. All were 1 shot stops on game much lighter than an elk.
220gr might not even expand on deer. Might need to step it down to 160-180.
@DayZSnob Those 220s were the only game bullets I had that weekend. Using my 190 Matchkings was not a viable choice in my mind.
I find it hilarious people
Say the 6.5 is a coyote cartridge but I’ve seen videos of people hammering an elk with one and went down pretty quick. I’ve seen elk stand there for 3 minutes after getting thumped by a 300 win mag
Actually just saw a vid today of an elk take three 300win mag shots.. shot placement
I had my son with a eldx in a Howa with Peterson doesn’t shoot well . Going to switch to Barnes or nosler accubonds with lapua brass
I had a similar experience on a Bull Caribou with a 145gr out of my 270. Dropped the bull, did not exit, found the jacket and part of the core on the off side hide. My wife took a bull at about 60 yards with her 7mm-08 using 140gr Accubonds. She hit it three times and all shots exited. All shots were fatal but he was on a steep hill we had no desire to pack him up.
I have 135 grain terminal ascent Long Range I'm itching to try. 2820 ft per second. I know a highly experienced Elk hunter who swears by them. He's a big Nosler fan and gives a close second to the 140 grain accubond. He said he was having trouble with ELDX coming apart on him and fragmenting,especially if they hit a shoulder bone. I like bullets that hold together on big animals. Cup and core is okay for deer or antelope. I like a tough bonded bullets or fused bullets best. Just my 2 cents!
Good info. Makes sense.
Great video. I appreciate the info regarding the blood trail.
Thanks
I have used the ELDX the last few years in my 6.5 CM. Nothing goes very far as long as you do your part. I do wish it was a bonded bullet. I picked up 4 boxes of Norma Bond Strike with all the same weight, BC etc. but the bullet is bonded. I will be trying them out this year.
Have you used it a lot on elk?
Hey Jeremy, How did those Norma's work out for you?
You have made a wise choice imo. At least in my sig cross, the norma load is just as accurate as the 143 ELDX.
Poor chose of ammo for such how far where you distance? I know you didn't mentioned. I'm glad luck was on your side where you could place the second shot. Quicker knock down and big leaking hole is a must with this 6.5 CM, so as on elk. The Hornady ELD Hunter is not a bonded bullet, especially to create a good solid rag hole exit shot like with a high quality bonded bullet such as the Federal Fusion, Terminal Ascent or the Norma Bond Strike with this capable 6.5 cm under 200 yards for such large size game. You got lucky he didn't ran away with the first shot since those cow elk made a difference as well.
I love mine , gets the job done.
Nice, nice. If you know your rifle, your ammo and your marksmanship no problem with me taking those shots. 🤙🏽
Is there a factory cartridge in 6.5 Creedmoor that can be used on elk that performs better than the Hornady ELDX? I have a few boxes of the the ELDX''s, after watching your video, I'm having second thoughts. Do you think the same cartridge in 7mm-08 would have better results?
7mm-08 would probably have better results but its hard to tell.
@@Bullets4Bucks I’m thinking another cartridge like an accubond would work better. If I get drawn, I’m going to buy a 7mm-08 Tikka TX3 Lite as backup for my old 700 ADL 30-06. Thanks!
Billy Balukos the 7mm08 is a great round can’t say a bad thing about it has performed outstanding for me and would never part with my Sako 85 love it cheers Yogi Australia 🇦🇺🤙🤙
@@brettstewart6036 it is a sweet cartridge.
@@brettstewart6036 The 7mm-08 seems like it would be a more versatile cartridge for hunting. I have a Browning AB3 Hunter in 6.5 Creedmoor and would like to add Tikka to my arsenal. Cheers mate!
Do you think 6.5 PRC is a better option for elk? Do you have hunting experience using nosler accubond?
Yes 6.5 prc is a better option but its difficult to find ammo. I don't have a lot of experience with the accubond but from what i have heard it works good.
That's what I have loaded for my wife's creedmoor for close range moose. 140gr Accubond.
It’s always about placement and ethics
I missed if if you told us, how far was the bull elk you shot on camera?
Hi Bullets4pack great review on the 6.5 creedmoor, by chance do have any experience or review in 7mm remington magnum? And if so would care to elaborate the difference between them with also 300 prc and 7mm magnum?
I have with the 300 prc but not the 7mm
What about hogs do you recommend that bullet?
That’s an honest video.
Thanks
@@Bullets4Bucks it’s the truth. I don’t understand what all the fuss is about the Creedmoor. There are so many others that do it better. Thanks for the chat.🇨🇦🤠
Same opinion on 6.5 eld-x, good for any game under elk size.... You think a 127 LRX would punch threw an elk? I think so.
Appreciate your honesty 👍🏼
I wouldnt be afraid to shoot elk with it. Its on the low end but under 400 yards it scores a high enough HITS score to take elk
Yeah, I would wanna keep shots under 400 yards on elk size game myself with my 6.5CM. Any distance past that would be .300 win mag territory using the 220 ELDXs imo.
Looks like you didn't hit the bull in the chest.. it looks like you hit the bull way back just in front of the rear leg..
After the first shot the bull runs into screen and you can see the blood by his rear leg. Then you take the second shot on footage and you hit almost the same location.. you can see the impact if you look close..
3rd shot I dunno what happened.. but I'm guessing ur scope is off or you had some wind but deffently looked like u hit back by rear leg.. even how the bull reaction says you hit far back..
Part of hunting tho and I appreciate the video..
Agreed. Can't shoot and blames the caliber and bullet.........and then claims he was solo even though someone is talking to him. Sooooo many things don't check out
Is the BDC chart for the stock on Amazon?
No. Google data patches for shooting.
@@Bullets4Bucks Thanks!
I like your matter of fact simple style. Good job!
Thank you
Steve glad c you doing well great video thanks 🤩
Thank you.
I had pretty much the same results with 200gr ELD-X in my 300 wsm except the core separated on all 4 elk, I shot with that load and not one of them passed through. The shots ranged from 250 yds to 550 yds. The elk where on there feet for several minutes afterwards which resulted in one of them turning into a much longer pack out. I would not recommend the ELD-X for elk after my experience. It worked great on deer and antelope though
@Bill Madd I use barnes now
Interesting great info
Distance?? What is the distance. Matters greatly
Neck shot... only way to go partner..
Quartering shots at 400 yards with a 6.5 cm……. Stretching it. Bullets held together though and did what they were supposed to do. Maybe broadside bullets would exit. Probably keep it to broadside only with elk and low recoil rifles. Just compare energies to traditional successful rounds and adjust your max yardages.
Would like to know your shot distances
Depends on which shot but usually between 250 and 400
Good video 👌👌
Thank you
Great info. Appreciate the candor. This is a real help. No 6.5s in our family. But have been reluctant to choose the eldx myself. However, my daughter used the 300 Win Mag Precision Hunter on a cow elk at 300 yards. Bad hit but still recovered elk.
Serious wound decent blood.
Glad she found her elk. I think on bigger calibers its a little less crucial with the eld x.
Great video on why you shouldn't use a 6.5 CM for elk..
Thanks for this. Real world data helps.
No problem 😊
The fact it took 3 shots proves 6.5CM is not an Elk Caliber. Appreciate the video. I'm about to buy a 6.5 myself but I used 7mm Magnum on my last hunt so I'd never attempt this. I want the animal to drop right away. Too much time and money goes into it to injure it or lose it in the woods imo. For some people they may get 1 opportunity on elk every few years or once in a lifetime for others ...ask yourself is it worth that risk. I'm no expert but that's my 2cents.
Better safe than sorry isn't a bad way to go
That’s my round bruh 🙌🏽
Nice!
Every old man at the camp always says it’s too small blah blah blah not enough punch 🙄 not a hunting caliber more blah blah you should get a .308 blah blah...But the 6.5 has been a big game slayer since 1890’s
@@yurikfarba7169 i love 6.5 ... started out using it more but now see the benefits on big game of sometimes using other calibers.
@@Bullets4Bucks I’m in NY so big game for me is a whitetail or a 200 pound black bear and with the terrain the longest shot would be maybe 200 yards...no reason for 300 win mag here
Try getting under 200 yds next time.
Will see
Why do you keep using the 6.5 Creedmoor on elk when you continually get such terrible performance?
I rarely do any more
I’d use my .308 at those distances. That’s about as low as I’d go.
Landing 3 gut shots on a Ferrell cat with a .416 rigby and waiting for it to die 45min doesn't make a .416 rigby a bad rifle. Baboons should not operate heavy machinery.
Huh?
6.5Creedmoor or 6.5 PRC is As you can tell from this video definitely not enough gun 7mm rem mag or 300win mag Would have been a way better choice
For which animal?
@@Bullets4Bucks
Elk not saying you can't kill them with a 6.5 hell people kill them every year with 243win just saying a bigger caliber would be better
Shit I’ve seen hunters in nm hunt bulls and sat I’m down @ 300 yards no problem
Sometimes that happens
Get closer -- you are shooting to far. I have shot elk within 150 yards-- they have all died with ten yards with eldx. Wyoming guy
Nice
Quote of the day: "The shot placement wasn't horrible but it wasn't great. So obviously this could happen with a different caliber or a different bullet or cartridge or whatever. " ..... Yet you steadfastly proceed to blame the bullet and cartridge....for your obvious bad shot. Poor shoots, marginal shots with "bigger" guns guarantee nothing. Bad shots are bad shots, good shots are good shots. A good shot with a 6.5 Creedmoor will kill an elk pronto. A bad shot with a .300 magnum will cause a wounded animal to suffer and be wasted. That's what the issue is, not blaming marginal shooting on the gun when it's really the loose nut behind the trigger.
I wouldn’t use 6.5 for bigger game. Not ethical or humane. Pigs and Whitetails. Id use at least .30-06 for bigger game and above that for dangerous game. That’s just me. I feel bad for anything you’d have to shoot twice. Not fair to the animal. If you’re going to kill, make it quick.
I kinda agree ... kinda
@@Bullets4Bucks I’ve seen the tubes. 6.5 kills an Elk. But doesn’t always drop it like a bag of bricks. I’ve seen an Elk shot with a 6.5 standing there looking around and it took two more shots to drop it. Is that ethical? Not to me. Right tool for the job? I’d rather use a .30-06. I’ve see a guy take a moose with a .308? Ideal? Not really. A .300 Win Mag does the job better. I’ll use my 6.5 for White Tails this year because it drops them authoritatively.
@@cbwelch4 I may sound cold hearted but I worry more about potentially losing an animal if it doesn't drop and stay down or have a good blood trail than how many shots it takes. I hate chasing or losing animals.
So bow hunting an elk is unethical to you? What a genius you are...
elk? terrible choices with an under powered rifle ,shot placement and back stop!
6.5CM should not be used on elk. Elk are large animals and the 6.5 CM is not ethical on game that size. There are many better options for elk.
Not if all you have is a 6.5….Just take closer shots.
This is useless without range information. Also, it would have been better with overlays. Showing which animal to look at before the shot
You had nothing but bad shot placements
Strange considering when I recovered the bullets they were all in the chest area but whatever
All that being said, do not shoot elk with a BB Gun. Have some respect for the Animal. I would guess if that Bull runs off after the first shot, you would have never found him with out a dog.
Lol a BB gun...