For all those that hunt…6.5 CM

[Xp29h]

For all you that hunt and maybe contemplating the 6.5 creedmoor. Sitting yesterday I’ve a 100 yard long food plot and a weird 5 point rack steps out about 80 yards. Broadside! My 6.5 cm in on the Bergara B-14 platform with a Vortex strike eagle on top. Easy 80 yard shot. Got it in the crosshairs right on front shoulder, great squeeze and could see impact. He did the bucking bronco, drove his chin into the ground and it looked like he would drop right there. Nope, he got his feet underneath him and was off to the races.

Disbelief to say the least. I let it relax for a few minutes. I got out of the stand and walked to impact point. No hair, no blood only tracks in the plot. I knew it was hit. It was getting dark and hard to see. I searched the area for about an hour. I didn’t go out of the plot to chase it.

A good friend has a tracking dog that he is training. I called and he was there in 10 minutes. Dog went into the plot, caught the track and right into the woods where the deer ran. I followed. I only found 2 very small drops of blood along the 120 yard path. Within 2 minutes we were on the deer and it was dead. The only hair I found was in the dogs mouth!

I wanted to use the B-14 this year because I heard it was a good round and would do the trick. Well, I did, got the deer but will never use it for deer hunting again. We need hair and blood to do a decent track, obviously! Without those, it get really tough here in Maine and most anywhere. Less than impressed. Yes, recovered the deer, which was awesome. Make me sick to think about losing it wounded! But, compared to other calibers, not good!

Think carefully if using the 6.5 creedmoor!

 

[padam]

Did the bullet just go straight through without expanding?

 

[Don Frelier]

He wouldn't go far if you hit him with one of these:

 

[cal30_sniper]

What ammo?

Hard to see why 6.5CM would be your choice for that kind of hunting. It really only shines at longer range, and even then when windy conditions warrant a higher BC. I’d think that .308 would be a much better choice for shorter range woods hunting like that.

I’ve carried a 6.5CM as a backup rifle on most of my western hunts, but it’s never left the scabbard. It’s bigger 6.5x55, .270, and 7mm Rem Mag companions have never failed to anchor deer or elk on the first shot using hand loaded accubond or ELD-M loads. I might try a 6CM on my next Coues deer hunt with 109 ELDMs if I haven’t finished my 6mm-284 build by then.

With smaller calibers you want high velocity and thin jacket bullets. A 6.5CM with cheap cup and core soft point bullets does neither of those.

 

[Budnicks]

I like my Winchester Model 70 .270 Winchester, bought in 1982-ish
Leupold scope with see through scope mounts so I can use the iron sights too
Federal Fusion 130 grain jacketed or my own hand loads
(not a huge bullet for sure, no problem even hunting game in Alaska, where I bought that riffle)
will usually drop them, if hit just behind the shoulder broadsided
especially at 80-100 yards

I haven't deer hunted now for years,
I like the hunt/walk stalking, not the sit & wait deal

I'm more into Bird hunting, with the dog now

 

[padam]

These work pretty good at that range.

 

[cal30_sniper]

I like my Winchester Model 70 .270 Winchester, bought in 1982-ish
Leupold scope with see through scope mounts so I can use the iron sights too
Federal Fusion 130 grain jacketed or my own hand loads
(not a huge bullet for sure, no problem even hunting game in Alaska, where I bought that riffle)
will usually drop them, if hit just behind the shoulder broadsided
especially at 80-100 yards

I haven't deer hunted now for years,
I like the hunt/walk stalking, not the sit & wait deal

I'm more into Bird hunting, with the dog now

View attachment 1753969

130-150gr bullets out of a .270 pushing 3000fps are no joke. My longest shot on a Muley was a clean kill at 386yds with a single Accubond. He never left his bed. Rifle is a 1950 manufacture Husqvarna 640 (FN Supreme commercial Mauser 98 action) in .270 Win.

 

[Sahara]

My buddies grand kids kill elk with the 6.5CM, I’ve killed a bunch of elk and a few tons of deer with a 260 Remington. I wasn’t with you, so I can’t really say, but I wouldn’t have done the shoulder shot unless you’re shooting a 140 gr. bullet. The crease right behind the shoulder takes the lungs without hitting bone. If you’re shooting through bone you need a heavy bullet. My 375 Whelen Improved is a death ray that doesn’t wreck a lot of meat. I shoot 140’s in my 260 but I like to shoot elk in front of the shoulder, in the base of the neck with it. Glad you toughed it out and found your deer, though.

 

[70ChargerRT]

Sounds like bad shot placement and or the wrong bullet choice. My boy has hunted with a 260. Rem. The gun that Hornady
copied the CM after, for years and have never lost a deer. I’ve always stressed to him when using ballistic tips always aim for the vitals. Only take shoulder shots with fully lead tipped bullets. Me personally I hunt with the best all around gun for deer hunting that has ever been made. The Legendary 30-06.

 

[Xp29h]

Did the bullet just go straight through without expanding?

Bullet did not! Hit front exploded both lungs but never found it in gut pile! Primarily why no hair and very little blood! Found the few drops about 15 yards from him. He traveled over 100! That was Wednesday the 6th, Veterans Day my guide business partner got this one with a 270 at about 30 yards same location almost same result. Hit and double lunged it and very little hair and some blood went over 100 yds before crashing. I was also able to track and find this one!

I think I’m going back to 30-06, .308 or maybe my .450 bushmaster!

Those will leave a hole for sure!

 

[barbee6043]

Back home in Missouri, more deer was taken with a 22 LR than anything! But you could not swing a dead cat without killing a deer wither.

 

[Xp29h]

Sounds like bad shot placement and or the wrong bullet choice. My boy has hunted with a 260. Rem. The gun that Hornady
copied the CM after, for years and have never lost a deer. I’ve always stressed to him when using ballistic tips always aim for the vitals. Only take shoulder shots with fully lead tipped bullets. Me personally I hunt with the best all around gun for deer hunting that has ever been made. The Legendary 30-06.

Wrong caliber for sure.. Federal Fusion 140 gr and a good solid shoulder shot! When you’re using a caliber like the 6.5 cm, it’s smaller, speedy but things can go wrong must have hit something and didn’t get pass thru. I wanted to try the bergara b14 this year as I’ve only put it on paper. So I did. I think I’ll keep it on paper in the future!

 

[Xp29h]

What ammo?

Hard to see why 6.5CM would be your choice for that kind of hunting. It really only shines at longer range, and even then when windy conditions warrant a higher BC. I’d think that .308 would be a much better choice for shorter range woods hunting like that.

I’ve carried a 6.5CM as a backup rifle on most of my western hunts, but it’s never left the scabbard. It’s bigger 6.5x55, .270, and 7mm Rem Mag companions have never failed to anchor deer or elk on the first shot using hand loaded accubond or ELD-M loads. I might try a 6CM on my next Coues deer hunt with 109 ELDMs if I haven’t finished my 6mm-284 build by then.

With smaller calibers you want high velocity and thin jacket bullets. A 6.5CM with cheap cup and core soft point bullets does neither of those.

Federal fusion 140 grain. 6.5 does do better at distance. Like stated in another reply I wanted to use the Bergara B14. It’s only been on paper so I wanted to try it. The deer came out a lot closer than I wanted it to but he tempted me so I hit it really good.. but the distance was about 85 yard broadside. Hit that front shoulder good. He bucked the bronco, drove his chin into the ground got his feet underneath him and was off!

I usually use my 308 or 30-06 but had to try the 6.5. But he came out too close. I may try again someday overlooking some better distances.

 

[padam]

A lot of variables with high velocity jacketed bullets.

 

[3sloppydogs]

I am a scoped lever gun fan. Having said that when I used to hunt around here a 150 yard shot was rare and 200 was even more rare. So i used either my trusty 30-30 with a 160gr FTX bullet or my 45-70 with a cast 405gr.
Both of those rounds carry more then enough energy to drop anything in these woods.
I know a guy that used a 243 and always had the tracking issue. He never tried anything else because of the light recoil it had.

 

[moparwacko]

I haven't whitetail hunted in a few years, but it depended on the stand/type you were hunting that day.
Close/brush/walking was a Winchester 30-30 -170g.
Open fields up to 200 yards, Remington 760 - 308 180g, sometimes 150g.
Long range, Remington 700 mountain 280- 140g or 308 125g custom loads.

 

[70ChargerRT]

Wrong caliber for sure.. Federal Fusion 140 gr and a good solid shoulder shot! When you’re using a caliber like the 6.5 cm, it’s smaller, speedy but things can go wrong must have hit something and didn’t get pass thru. I wanted to try the bergara b14 this year as I’ve only put it on paper. So I did. I think I’ll keep it on paper in the future!

If I’m hunting for horns with my 30-06 and using fusions I’ll never take a shoulder shot again. Neck shot maybe, but not shoulder. I’ve used fusions since they first came out. I made a quick judgement shot years ago thinking It was shooter. Squeezed the trigger and he dropped. When I waked over to him the bullet hit his shoulder and exited toward the neck and it absolutely destroyed the cape lol. Fusions will
absolutely destroy a deer lol. These new 30-06 rounds are bad ***. I dropped a wide 8-point at 402 yards and he just folded. The one I shot Wednesday was at 30 yards lol.