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Hunting & Fishing 6.5x47 for elk?
- Thread starter Widowmaker300
- Start date
A buddies wife just killed a nice 6x6 bull at 400yds with a 6.5creed so I don't think you'll have any issues. Keep your distance reasonable.
Xdeano
Xdeano
I've heard minimum energy to kill an elk is 1,500ft lbs
That would be around 250yds on an elk and around 600yds on a white tail. Numbers can vary depending on conditions, velocity, etc.
That would be around 250yds on an elk and around 600yds on a white tail. Numbers can vary depending on conditions, velocity, etc.
We've killed a few elk with 6.5 CM and x47. My kids loved shooting them with suppressors. Mild recoil, accurate, and effective. Farthest shot was around 500.
I use 6.5x47 for my match rifle. And see Berger’s 156 grain EOL bullet and seeing I have everything in front of me to load and make a round and it’d be easier on my pockets instead of spinning a new barrel or a new rifle for a once in lifetime fun hunt.
We've killed several elk with 6.5's, last year we killed two with my 25 creedmoor. A 6.5x47 should do fine as long as you hit them properly.
ok, 1500ft/lbs is not scientific or correct....thats a number created by knuckle draggers....
However, even if it were correct? a 143grain eld-x at 2800fps will still have 1500ft/lbs of energy to 500 yards at just above sea level....which is more than what most would consider ethical range for a humane kill....plus, add in the extra altitude that elk typically call home and that distance extends another 50-100 yards
bench
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I have been having an ongoing argument lately with a buddy that is saying the same shit about the 6.5 calibers...so, I had the info handy lol
bench
I had a clean kill at 525 yards on Bull elk using a 6.5 SAUM's (which has a lot more giddy-up than a 6.5x47). I hit him right behind the shoulder blade with a 140 grain Berger bullet. I really question what would have happened if I had hit the shoulder blade.
I shot a cow elk just this past Saturday with my 6.5 PRC running 143 eldx pills. Shot was only 100yds give or take a few. Bullet went in just behind the R-shoulder, it couldn’t have centered a rib any better. Angle of the shot should have taken the bullet to/through the off side shoulder area. The bullet hit the R-lung and turned left, puncturing the diaphragm and stopping in the liver. While yes, it did kill her, I find myself wishing I had my 300 PRC as I am sure it would have exited the other side. In my opinion there is no replacement for displacement, especially when shooting big critters.
just my opinion...
just my opinion...
This is wisdom.
When everything goes according to plan a 6.5cm, or x47 or x55 or . . . Will work.
Fire away. Close enough to the 6.5 CM. Just have a good bullet and be careful with the distance. Good hunting.
I know you can kill an Elk with most any caliber - or even as a guy did here a few months ago...a Grizzly (1 shot .22 rimfire).
However, as already mentioned, you must be willing to pass up on shots that you should not take with a 6.5x47 or similar.
One reason I use a .338 Lapua; .300 win mag or a .300 Norma is because of my frequent encounters with the Griz.
Even if the bear was not an issue I would use my current Elk arsenal because I am not willing to hike several days for miles @ 7-9K elevation and pass up a quartering shot on an animal that I really want in the freezer.
I have killed over 25 elk from 18-900 yards and everything in between. On a cow I can wait for that ideal double lunger under 200 yards with a 30-30. Bulls, not so much, after eating all night long with a rearward quartering shot where I can take out the liver and one lung I may have to pass through some pretty heavy innards.
I can and have done it often with the cartridge combinations I use; shots that I would not ever take with the lesser 6.5’s or similar.
It is like archery hunting, you are going to pass on that big bull @ 100 yards that you could easily kill with your x47, so it is a choice. (One that I have made)
I just hunt solo on foot the mountain across from my house and am getting up there in years, so I want the velocity, mass, sectional density and toughness it takes to get it done with one well placed shot that will get it done.
My 2017, 2018 and 2019 bulls are not B&C bulls, but good ones for my region and not one of them would I have been able to get closer or had better angle - hence no bull with a more moderate cartridge.
Hunting, simply a personal choice.
However, as already mentioned, you must be willing to pass up on shots that you should not take with a 6.5x47 or similar.
One reason I use a .338 Lapua; .300 win mag or a .300 Norma is because of my frequent encounters with the Griz.
Even if the bear was not an issue I would use my current Elk arsenal because I am not willing to hike several days for miles @ 7-9K elevation and pass up a quartering shot on an animal that I really want in the freezer.
I have killed over 25 elk from 18-900 yards and everything in between. On a cow I can wait for that ideal double lunger under 200 yards with a 30-30. Bulls, not so much, after eating all night long with a rearward quartering shot where I can take out the liver and one lung I may have to pass through some pretty heavy innards.
I can and have done it often with the cartridge combinations I use; shots that I would not ever take with the lesser 6.5’s or similar.
It is like archery hunting, you are going to pass on that big bull @ 100 yards that you could easily kill with your x47, so it is a choice. (One that I have made)
I just hunt solo on foot the mountain across from my house and am getting up there in years, so I want the velocity, mass, sectional density and toughness it takes to get it done with one well placed shot that will get it done.
My 2017, 2018 and 2019 bulls are not B&C bulls, but good ones for my region and not one of them would I have been able to get closer or had better angle - hence no bull with a more moderate cartridge.
Hunting, simply a personal choice.
- Nov 3, 2010
- 9,704
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What if the knuckle draggers that say there is a minimum ft/lb legal to shoot elk are the state parks and wildlife? Not necessarily what it a takes to kill one but what they say it takes so it’s the law
I love my 6.5-284 Norma shooting 140's. Damn deadly on coyotes and deer. But if I were to go elk hunting, Id take my 308. I like that bigger bullet.
Everybody thinks theyre a "sniper" with their 6.5's and can hit a fly in the eye at any range. Always hear, "bullet placement" from them. No shit. Just theyre way of admitting a 6.5 doesnt have enough ass compared to a legit big game caliber. "Bullet placement" is code for = "I never miss". Ok, Lucas McCain.
Everybody thinks theyre a "sniper" with their 6.5's and can hit a fly in the eye at any range. Always hear, "bullet placement" from them. No shit. Just theyre way of admitting a 6.5 doesnt have enough ass compared to a legit big game caliber. "Bullet placement" is code for = "I never miss". Ok, Lucas McCain.
- Nov 3, 2010
- 9,704
- 20,407
did you really condemn hunting with a SA 6.5 round, then go on to say you choose a 308? You do realize your 6.5-284 w/ a mid/heavy for caliber bullet is going to carry more energy, be flatter, and less drift than a typical 308 w/ mid/heavy for caliber bullet right?
More moose have been killed with a 6,5 Swede than any other caliber.
Hit them in the heart or let out the air and any animal will die.
It is about angle, energy and placement.
I choose the big guns for Elk, or limit myself with archery - which is no different than limiting yourself with a x47 or similar.
There is an elderly woman here that has killed over 60 elk with her .243 win factory Winchester loads.
Not my cup of tea, but my hat is off to her - especially if she has never wounded one (which of course only she knows).
Hit them in the heart or let out the air and any animal will die.
It is about angle, energy and placement.
I choose the big guns for Elk, or limit myself with archery - which is no different than limiting yourself with a x47 or similar.
There is an elderly woman here that has killed over 60 elk with her .243 win factory Winchester loads.
Not my cup of tea, but my hat is off to her - especially if she has never wounded one (which of course only she knows).
I've shot my share of elk and I've seen them shot with a huge range of cartridges. My recommendation is to use a fast 7mm as the minimum.
6.5X47, 6.5 Creedmoor, or 260 Rem with a good bullet and a competent marksman will absolutely put elk down.
I said I like a bigger bullet. Bigger bullet = bigger wound cavity. No way around it. Said nothing about drift. I didnt condemn anything. Try reading first, before you geek out on ballistics.
Damn, my 6.5-284 will drift less than my 308?!? Ok, thanks!
Sure reads like a condemnation on both the caliber and the hunters....
Energy on target be damned right? (you do realize wound channel is a function of many factors, with bullet diameter being one of the most insignificant, right?)
Have I got the perfect elk round for you, its gotta blow your 308 out of the water since it has a massive .030" more bullet diameter......
My favorite round is a 260. I have hit a sporting clay with it at a mile. I have shot so many times at 1000 yards I have lost count. Killed groundhogs over 600 with it. I can hit just about anything with a 260 inside of a 1000y. Did I mention it's my favorite round?
When I got to shoot anything bigger than a whitetail, I take 30 caliber and larger. Why, simply just because you can do something, does not mean there is a better way. Will a 5lbs sledgehammer drive a stake in the ground. Sure with the right hit, more velocity. Will a 20lbs sledgehammer work better. It should. Plus I am lazy and don't like to track shit.
When I got to shoot anything bigger than a whitetail, I take 30 caliber and larger. Why, simply just because you can do something, does not mean there is a better way. Will a 5lbs sledgehammer drive a stake in the ground. Sure with the right hit, more velocity. Will a 20lbs sledgehammer work better. It should. Plus I am lazy and don't like to track shit.
Sample of 1 with a 105gr VLD at nearly 700yds, but poke holes where they need to go. End of story. I'm not saying stretch it with a 22-250 but 6.5x47, 6.5CM, and 6.5 Swede will adequately take anything in NA if placed correctly. Coldbore kills a lot of animals out west routinely using SA 6.5s, matter of fact isn't there a new 127gr hunting projectile coming out? I'd listen to that man.
Indeed there is a 6.5mm 127, Im fixin to put down another elk here shortly with it.
Furthermore, my 25 Creedmoor is making the 6.5 look a little weak. With the right bullet it spanks the 6.5 in everyway. Last year it killed three mulies and two elk, this year its claimed two more mulies with a cumulative distance covered being 1500yds. Haven't shot the same animal twice yet.
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Not trying to hijack but has anyone here personally had success with .257 Wby for elk? I’ve heard it every which way on this matter looking to see if someone knew without it being the brother in law of a friend of a friend.
Agreed, but my understanding, and no, I have not actually been to Sweden, is that its mainly what we in the USA would call a "short range affair". They apparently are not typically using 6.5 at long range to kill animals like moose.
What I look at in addition to energy when deciding what effective range my chosen cartridge has, is what is the impact velocity of the bullet and how well will the chosen projectile expand at that velocity. All of that, coupled with energy, will effect how well the bullet penetrates to vital parts and whether it will cleanly kill or not. I've killed three elk in my life time, two with a 7mm Rem Mag, and one with a 300 Win Mag. I like my 300 with a 200 partition although I'm tempted to try the ABLR in the future. I would never shoot at an elk over 500 yards even with it. My longest shot on an elk was 250 yards and that was with my 300. I like to actually "hunt" and get a lot closer than 500 yards. The other two were less than 75 yards. At those ranges, given the right shot angle, I believe a 6.5 with a good bullet placed correctly would have yielded the same outcome.
I have been blessed with having killed 30-40 elk (probably more but who's counting)? Most years I'll shoot a bull and two cows. With that in mind, I spoke with one of the game wardens who promoted hunting deer and antelope with a .22 caliber centerfire cartridge. Several years after the change, I asked him if using a .22 centerfire had proven problematic? He replied something to the effect of, "Not nearly as problematic as the wannabe snipers that think a 6.5 Creedmoor is a 600 yard elk cartridge." I would dare say most, if not all game wardens and enforcement specialists in the state of Wyoming would agree.
The OP stated, "...once in lifetime fun hunt." I have used 6.5-285 and 6.5X55 on cow elk at reasonable yardage without issue, but I really do prefer something larger. Heck, It's your hunt, use a .243 if you like. Not a problem so long as you don't fuck it up.
The OP stated, "...once in lifetime fun hunt." I have used 6.5-285 and 6.5X55 on cow elk at reasonable yardage without issue, but I really do prefer something larger. Heck, It's your hunt, use a .243 if you like. Not a problem so long as you don't fuck it up.
While I dont disagree, this is a akin to asking advice from the gunshop counter guy. Its in the best interest of the game wardens to have hunters use the most efficient cartridges to bring game down as possible. if they had their way, theyd probably like to see every elk hunter head out w/ a 300WM as a minimum
FFS. Its plenty as long as you accept and acknowledge the limitations. If you are asking then you probably dont hunt enough to understand them.
Elk are big tough animals, and don't always present a perfect broadside shot. It also depends on what you are willing to accept passing on a elk of a lifetime because it doesn't give you the perfect shot. If I was hunting for a trophy bull I would pack more.
Edit and BTW I found a nice dead elk while out for Late buck last weekend. It was shot but not recovered. I have no idea what it was shot with, but reaffirmed my opinion that people dont always make the right call.
Elk are big tough animals, and don't always present a perfect broadside shot. It also depends on what you are willing to accept passing on a elk of a lifetime because it doesn't give you the perfect shot. If I was hunting for a trophy bull I would pack more.
Edit and BTW I found a nice dead elk while out for Late buck last weekend. It was shot but not recovered. I have no idea what it was shot with, but reaffirmed my opinion that people dont always make the right call.
I would love for you to explain how bullet diameter is more important than bullet design & composition, weight, velocity & shot placement in regards to wound channel.
Sorry if Im unaware - are you affiliated w/ Blackjack? Is that what the 127 is coming out under? I have been looking at 25CM in the PX, so curious what else is out there other than the 131.
This is me with my orxy I shot at the end of September with my 6.5 creedmoor. 130gr barnes ttsx bullet exited opposite side. She dropped where she stood. 309yds. As most would know oryx (gemsbok) are considered some of the toughest game animals.
It's all about shot placement
It's all about shot placement
Attachments
I am vaguely affiliated, but the 127 I was referring to is not a Blackjack .257. The 127 I was talking about is a 6.5 solid copper hollow point.
6.5 mm calibers have been used successfully for well over a century in Germany and Austria to harvest chamois, ibex, and red stag in the mountains. While a red stag maybe a little smaller than a trophy elk you have to keep in mind that the precision we expect today did not exist for a long time. Therefore, pin-point shot placement was a little more of a gamble in the old days. But the advantages of the 6.5 mm projectiles like high sectional density for great penetration and good BC for flat trajectories are not a recent discovery.
If you step up to .30 caliber you really need the powder volume of the 300 Win Mag (called "Dreihunerscht" in the Alps) and long, heavy bullets to get comparable ballistics. The downside of this is that a substantially heavier gun is needed for the cartridge and to make the recoil bearable. Similar story with 7mm Mag.
In about 30 years I have seen dozens of hunters buying a "bigger" gun for a once in a lifetime hunt and then flinch already on the range even without being affected by exertion and buck/bull fever. With confidence in me in the rifle, I do not feel under-gunned with a 6.5 mm 130+- grain bullet (preferably a newer expanding solid) for any game in the Northern hemisphere with the possible exception of an irate Grizz close up.
Long story short, pick the caliber that you shoot best with in a rifle that you like to hump for days and then get close enough to have the necessary terminal effect. Stalking is what separates hunting from paper punching on the range.
PS: I stumbled upon this thread while searching for info on the 6.5x47. I am toying with the idea of turning a 6.5mm barrel for my trusty Savage 66 Takedown and the x47 case would fit in the magazine rotor. (6.5 Creed is a little too long with the heavier bullets)
If you step up to .30 caliber you really need the powder volume of the 300 Win Mag (called "Dreihunerscht" in the Alps) and long, heavy bullets to get comparable ballistics. The downside of this is that a substantially heavier gun is needed for the cartridge and to make the recoil bearable. Similar story with 7mm Mag.
In about 30 years I have seen dozens of hunters buying a "bigger" gun for a once in a lifetime hunt and then flinch already on the range even without being affected by exertion and buck/bull fever. With confidence in me in the rifle, I do not feel under-gunned with a 6.5 mm 130+- grain bullet (preferably a newer expanding solid) for any game in the Northern hemisphere with the possible exception of an irate Grizz close up.
Long story short, pick the caliber that you shoot best with in a rifle that you like to hump for days and then get close enough to have the necessary terminal effect. Stalking is what separates hunting from paper punching on the range.
PS: I stumbled upon this thread while searching for info on the 6.5x47. I am toying with the idea of turning a 6.5mm barrel for my trusty Savage 66 Takedown and the x47 case would fit in the magazine rotor. (6.5 Creed is a little too long with the heavier bullets)
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