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6.5 Creedmoor Penetration on Deer Question

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    6.5 Creedmoor Penetration on Deer Question

    Another question for those experienced with 6.5 Creedmoor and it's performance on deer. With good hunting bullets (not target rounds), do you typically get full pass throughs on shots, either shoulder shots, or behind the shoulder lung shots?

    I gave up using a .243 Win with 100 grain soft points (both Federal Premium and Hornady Custom) years ago after difficulty tracking several deer that were shot behind the shoulder. Both deer were eventually recovered after running into thick brush with absolutely zero blood trails. Both deer had .243 inch entrance holes, but no exit holes, which resulted in no blood trails. Vitals were destroyed, but one deer managed to run just over 100 yards, and the other about 50-75 yards. Getting torn up in thorn thickets wondering if you are ever going to be able to find the deer was very disheartening.

    My thoughts are that with the slightly larger diameter and heavier bullet (129 -143 grains), there would be enough weight retention, even after expansion, to push through and exit the deer's body on a typical broadside shot. That is just my theory so that is why I am asking those of you with real world experience with the 6.5 Creedmoor for your observations and experiences on full pass through shots on deer.

    If you guys typically get pass throughs, does it appear the rounds dump a significant amount of energy and transfer it to the vitals while passing through. I know there is a fine line where you want a round to dump most of the energy into the target, while holding together and punching through the opposite side to offer a decent blood trail if the deer doesn't drop within sight. If the latter has been your experience with the 6.5 Creedmoor, what factory rounds do you use to achieve this performance?

    I grew up hunting with a .243 Win. hunting over big wheat and oat fields in north Texas. Deer would typically run 25-50 yards after being lung shot. I was always able to watch them fall in those fields, and never had any concerns using the .243 Win for deer. After switching over to hunting east Texas thickets, mainly hunting narrow roads, is when the lack of visibility and pass through shots became problematic. Switched to a .270 Win and the problem was solved. Issue now is getting my wife, daughter-in-law, and growing grandson interested in deer hunting, but with a round that has relatively low recoil, good performance on game, to include full pass throughs, and really good selection of available factory hunting rounds found on shelves (during normal times). Shots will be under 300 yards.

    Looking forward to your feedback.
    Last edited by Bigfootwolff; 10-15-2021, 09:35 PM.

    #2
    My experience is limited, but the remington core lokt in 6.5 is one of the cheapest yet my favorite for whitetail under 200 yards. Blows holes through both sides with awesome blood trail. Others I've used have gone straight through without much energy transfer, little blood.

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      #3
      I would say bullet selection will be key here along with distance of shot.

      Your soft points will be more likely to come apart and not pass through the opposite side. Whereas your tougher bullets (any Barnes, Noslers partition/accubond, copper bullet, bonded, a-frame, etc) will likely stay together and retain enough energy to pass through a whitetail.

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        #4
        Change your shot placement to high shoulder and you won’t need to track.

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          #5
          High shoulder or where the neck meets the shoulder DRT no tracking needed

          I use the 143 ELDX in my Creed. I'm typically a head & neck shooter, however the times that I've had to take a shoulder shot I shoot high & anchor them right there. I did hit one a lil low & deer ran 50 or so.....no exit & not much of a blood trail, but extensive internal damage. I'm wanting to try some nosler partitions to see what kind of performance I get with those
          Last edited by Mr. Stickers; 10-16-2021, 07:29 AM.

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            #6
            Pin the shoulders and break the spine and butt hits the ground first. DRT
            Just don't be using them SST bullets in small diameter light weight because they will blow up on the skin. Shoot something that will penetrate through the point of the shoulder and break that spine.

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              #7
              Originally posted by M16 View Post
              Change your shot placement to high shoulder and you won’t need to track.
              X2. Behind the shoulder shots will rarely result in the deer dropping. 243 is plenty good enough for deer.

              A bullet not exiting means you dumped all of that bullets potential energy into that animal. Shoot em in the front shoulder. Hard for em to run on only their back legs.

              6.5 creed isn’t a huge step up from a 243.

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                #8
                My wife has only had issues with the Hornaday sp in the American whitetail loads. Shot multiple deer and pigs full pass through but the blood trail was little to none I switched her the the whinchester deerseason xp and it looked like someone dumped a bucket of red paint out the whole 30yards the deer went. I still have some 120gr copper rounds for it to try but have been holding off since can't find them anymore.

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by topshot View Post
                  My experience is limited, but the remington core lokt in 6.5 is one of the cheapest yet my favorite for whitetail under 200 yards. Blows holes through both sides with awesome blood trail. Others I've used have gone straight through without much energy transfer, little blood.

                  https://www.outdoorlimited.com/rifle...int-20-rounds/
                  I have shot 2 deer with this round. Both had two holes.

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                    #10
                    Try the hammer bullets, 95% of the time get an exit even with the 243 on mule deer. I am now going try the 110 gr and 124 gr. in a 6.5 cm. But back to the 243, I have shot a number of elk with it, using 100 gr. Nosler partitions. Not all of them exited but most didn’t make it very far, and bullet recovered on off side just under hide. The hammer seems to penetrate better, ( retain more weight) in my limited experience so far. And I believe two holes with a 243 through whitetail would be normal, with the hammer bullets. Not to much difference between the 6.5 cm and 243 really. ( kinda like a 243 ackley improved)
                    Last edited by critter69; 10-16-2021, 08:30 AM.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by Mr. Stickers View Post
                      High shoulder or where the neck meets the shoulder DRT no tracking needed

                      I use the 143 ELDX in my Creed. I'm typically a head & neck shooter, however the times that I've had to take a shoulder shot I shoot high & anchor them right there. I did hit one a lil low & deer ran 50 or so.....no exit & not much of a blood trail, but extensive internal damage. I'm wanting to try some nosler partitions to see what kind of performance I get with those

                      Same here!!!! I have had great results


                      Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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                        #12
                        My son shot a 243 for years and moved to a 6.5 creed a few years ago. He shoots the 140gr federal non typical soft points and has had 100% pass throughs on every critter he has shot with exception to straight on head shots on hogs. We've had respectable exit wounds and most deer didn't take a step, but the couple that have run had good blood trails. The 6.5 definitely delivers more energy and trauma than the 243, but not by a large margin.

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                          #13
                          I know you said no target rounds but I would not shy away from the ELDM's. I think they perform better than the ELDX's. My experience is with a .260 so not a creed but very similar ballistics.

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                            #14
                            Way back in the day ( 1990’s ) I shared a lease on the Kennedy ranch with some guys who
                            Shot a 7mm STW on nilgai on client hunts, I was amazed @ how many nilgai they wounded With a bullet doing 3300 FPS and mountains of FPE , then discovered that they were using the wrong bullet a 150gr Sierra, and had them switch to nosler partition

                            150 gr (10 g) BT 3,233 ft/s (985 m/s) 3,482 ft⋅lbf (4,721 J)
                            160 gr (10 g) Partition 3,177 ft/s (968 m/s) 3,587 ft⋅l”

                            Absolute world of difference,
                            bullet construction in any caliber is the key to breakage and punch through , example a .240 weatherby with 100gr soft points will explode inside a deer and not leave a exit
                            Switch to a nosler 100gr or a bonded bullet and little hole one side , big wound channel and exit other,
                            This video isn’t about deer but Genral principle is applied https://youtu.be/Cfd3XkHDaDA

                            IMO if you have a new hunter a 30-30 is a awesome round , light recoil, giant exit hole , limited to reasonable new hunter skill level distance, is devastating on deer , hogs, and ? @>150 yards
                            Last edited by S-3 Ranch; 10-16-2021, 10:05 AM.

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                              #15
                              Anybody have any pictures of the wounds where the bullet blew up on the hide? I can’t say I’ve ever seen that. I’ve seen where penetration could have better just never saw one blow up on the hide.

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