GSPKurt
Member
Buddy wants advice and I don't hunt elk. Would an AR in 6.5 Creedmoor be sufficient for elk? Given a range of, say 300 yards or less and good shot placement?
The 6.5 CM shoots the same bullet weights as 270 (6.8mm) about 150-200 fps slower at the muzzle. But the better aerodynamics of the 6.5 bullets mean it will be impacting at the same speeds, or faster than a 270 at some point beyond 200 yards. It will penetrate a little deeper than 270 assuming the same bullet construction due to the better sectional densities.
In a nutshell a 140 gr 6.5 bullet does pretty much anything a 150 gr 270 bullet does on game. And a 150 gr 270 bullet is considered more than adequate for elk, moose or bear.
The 6.5CM is the smallest cartridge I'd feel comfortable using for game larger than deer, but I'd use it on any animal in the lower 48.
I've included ranges to ridiculous distances for hunting (in my opinion) to clearly show how the superior Ballistic Coefficient of the 6.5 Creedmoor bullet enables it to begin catching up to the velocity of the 270 Winchester bullet. The Winchester's 250 fps velocity advantage at the muzzle has been reduced to just 54 fps at 800 yards. Note that, even though the .277" bullet leaves the muzzle with 497 foot-pounds more energy than the 6.5 Creedmoor, the superior aerodynamic shape of the .264" bullet enables it to conserve more energy. By 800 yards the 6.5 Creedmoor has cut the 270 Winchester's energy advantage to just 78 f-p.
Buddy wants advice and I don't hunt elk. Would an AR in 6.5 Creedmoor be sufficient for elk? Given a range of, say 300 yards or less and good shot placement?
As stated about can it kill an elk, sure. Should he use something bigger, probably. I know that they have been shot out of the cabin door with .30-30s an such, but it an effort for me to hunt them.
The two elk hunts I have made to Montana (unsuccessful both times do to weather) cost me ~$6,500 each time for the guide plus travel expenses. I would only take a rifle that gave me the best chance of being successful, not marginal.
The first trip we had torrential rain for the week. 1 out of 11 guys harvested an elk at long range with one of the guides .338 Remington Ultra magnum. I never saw an elk. Second trip we had a day of thick fog followed by 5 days of sub-zero blizzards. We saw dozens of elk, but between the fog, knee deep snow, and temperature we could not get anywhere near them for a shot.
Best of luck to him whatever rifle he takes.
And a 150 gr 270 bullet is considered more than adequate for elk, moose or bear.
That's perfectly understandable even though elk hunting for me doesn't require much, if any more "commitment" (financial or otherwise) than deer hunting.There is no way I would consider a 6.5 Creed after the kind of time and financial commitment that an elk hunt entails for me.
I'd be more worried about lugging around the ar-10....Buddy wants advice and I don't hunt elk. Would an AR in 6.5 Creedmoor be sufficient for elk? Given a range of, say 300 yards or less and good shot placement?
Now take the creed drop 48 grns of rl 26 or44 grns of rl 16or44", grns of h4350witb that same 143 grain bullet &Ya know I've read the bolded quite a few times. I load for both 6.5C and .270 and it's correct, but a ways further than 200 yards, out past normal hunting shot range is more like it a long ways in most parts of the country.
View attachment 1026250
My 24" barreled .270 is at 3000 with 150s, while my friends 6.5 is at 2730 with 143s in his 24" barreled 6.5C.
Here's a pretty good comparison that puts the .270 still ahead of the 6.5C out to 800 yds:
https://www.ronspomeroutdoors.com/blog/6-5-creedmoor-versus-270-winchester
Now take the creed drop 48 grns of rl 26 or44 grns of rl 16or44", grns of h4350witb that same 143 grain bullet &
A muzzle volocityof 2950-2975, and it will equal if not beat the 270 , handloading the creed makes it shine
I’ve pulled my muzzle velocities from Hornady’s Handbook of Cartridge Reloading, 10th Edition which, by the way, gives the wrong B.C. for the .277 bullet. According to the Hornady website, they now rate this 145-grain ELD-X .277 bullet B.C. .536, not the earlier .485 as listed in the Reloading Manual. Observant readers will notice that I used the top speed of 3,000 fps with the 270 Winchester, but only the second highest listed MV of 2,750 fps with the Creedmoor. I did this because, while shooting hundreds of rounds of 143-grain ELD-X bullets through six different 6.5 Creedmoor rifles, I’ve yet to see a chronograph reading above 2,750 fps — and rarely that. I have seen 3,000 fps with many 270 Winchesters. I don’t doubt Hornady engineers hit the 2,800 fps they list as a top load through their 24” 6.5 Creedmoor test barrel, but I doubt many of us can safely duplicate it.
Now take the creed drop 48 grns of rl 26 or44 grns of rl 16or44", grns of h4350witb that same 143 grain bullet &
A muzzle volocityof 2950-2975, and it will equal if not beat the 270 , handloading the creed makes it shine
Now take the creed drop 48 grns of rl 26 or44 grns of rl 16or44", grns of h4350witb that same 143 grain bullet &
A muzzle volocityof 2950-2975, and it will equal if not beat the 270 , handloading the creed makes it shine