I am looking for a new whitetail deer rifle to replace my Ruger GSR .  I am close to purchasing a Tikka T3X chambered in 6.5 cm.  I really like the overall length of the GSR especially in a deer blind.  I was thinking about the 20" barrel for the Tikka but I am concerned that I will lose too much velocity and the rifle won't be suitable if I want to use it for elk.  I would like to hear some other thoughts and opinions.

Just bought the same gun as an option for Elk this coming year. I will be loading Hornady 140 ELD's. Although shot placement will be key for distance shots, should be no issue whatsoever.

If you're worried that 4" is going to take away enough velocity to make a cartridge ineffective, you've chosen the wrong cartridge to begin with.

Personally I consider the 6.5 CM to be a target round. At this, it certainly outperforms old trusted .308 and .30-06. But for taking game, I'd prefer one of the latter. Not saying 6.5 CM can't take an elk ethically, just there's better options in my opinion.

If that's the set-up you like, it'll be perfectly fine, you're overthinking the velocity loss. Unless you're taking elk at 700 yards.

http://precisionrifleblog.com/2013/07/16/6-5-creedmoor-barrel-length-and-muzzle-velocity/



Creedmoor is a better hunting round than a 308 in nearly every way, it's much more efficient, has more effective range, and has less recoil. I did ballsitics on a 143gr eldx at 2700fps, which might be a bit slow, but I'm unsure, and it holds 1800fps out past 700 yards. 1800fps is typically the cut off velocity for hunting bullets to properly expand and perform. So in theory, you should be able to take game at 700yds with a 20" 6.5 Creedmoor, there are a lot of factors that go into this, but it's possible.

@JohnBurns might have a little more real world info on this subject.

From my experience 20 inches is plenty for the 6.5 CM.

A few elk with an 18 inch 6.5 CM.

450 yards.
Attached File


330 yards.
Attached File


250 yards
Attached File


Based on a few barrels you lose about 20 fps per inch from 22 down to 18.

Was fully expecting the typical " you need at least a 50bmg from 100yds or less to take down anything larger than a gopher" comments that usually happens in these threads.

I went with a tikka 20" in 6.5 for my next year's hunt.

Thanks John.  I really appreciate the real world feedback.  your response is exactly what I needed.  Now I'll spend some time researching optics and make my purchase

John, what round are you using?

Those were all killed with the Federal Gold Medal Berger 130gr Hybrid load.

Glad to help.

I have that exact rifle and my full freezer would indicate that it worked on an elk.

I used hornady eldx fwiw.

It has a significantly smaller caliber bullet doing significantly less tissue damage. Tissue damage is the way that counts if you are hunting.

If OP plans to do an Elk hunt, do it with a great Elk rifle when/if that time comes. Buy a rifle fit for the purpose you are using it for now.

So the 6.5 causes significantly less tissue damage than a .308?

As a person who has shot a ton of pigs with a .243, caliber matters. Bigly.

I'm surprised you don't know the answer to your question.

Hasn't 6.5x55 been a super-popular round in Scandinavia(and elsewhere) for like a hundred years? Don't they hunt moose and caribou? 6.5 Creedmoor is fine for elk at any kind of reasonable range.

Yes on all accounts.

6.5CM will do anything a .308 will, and more.

just thought i would add to this as im going to be getting a 18" CF barrel for my tikka here pretty soon and i dont know if i want to stick with .308 or go 6.5cm. if you are using the Hornady ELD-X's the minimum velocity threshold is 1600 ft/s, for me that translates to 932yds  at 5300 DA (CO) but my energy would only be 813, and from what i read for elk you want to run 1000+ ft/lbs which would put me at a max range of ~750yds. just some food for thought as most hunting bullets have  a minimum velocity for expansion of 1800 but the ELD-X's and Nosler long range's are 1600.

The only thing you need to do op is answer this question. Can you shoot? If the answer is “yes” then that cartridge and barrel length will work just fine. Utilize a well constructed bullet.

If the answer is “no” then a 300 Ultra Mag won’t help you with elk. Simple as that.

Was recently watching some videos on you tube, in one they tested a Creedmoor and 308 with like ammo,hornday, and 308 wound track was much wider and slightly deeper in the gel this was hornady ammo with the same bullet type.  Test was at 100 yards and guys doing the test were surprised, the 308 literally left a much wider wound track(308 was softball sized were the 6.5 was baseball sized).  Another had gallon milk jugs at close range you could easily see the difference between the two.  Diameter matters at normal hunting ranges 308 hits significantly harder.  Thats not to say the 6.5 won't work anything with a baseball sized hole in its vitals is going to die.  Was also talking to a gentleman who hunts with both(PA whitetails) and said he has noticed the 6.5 doesn't quite thump them as hard but works just fine

I will offer you my perspective as a hunting guide. The 6.5 works great for deer at any range you can hit them in the vitals.  Elk however are a different story all together.  Yes some people have taken elk at 500 yards with them. The biggest problem when elk hunting becomes shot placement.  If you have a good clear non moving shot at the heart lung area, it works. If not, be prepared to chase them.  I will not let clients use 6.5 Dr. For elk.

how do you feel about the 308

I would prefer clients to use a .308 with a 165 or bigger out to 300. The extra weight goes a long way in breaking a shoulder blade if you need to. Otherwise 3006 the various 7 mom's as well as the magnums are better choices. A lot depends on the terrain in which you are hunting.

Received a quote from Whittakers Guns for a Tikka T3X CTR in 6.5CM....$819. with free shipping.

Just don't shoot a llama.

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/sorry-that-llama-sure-looked-like-elk/article_7e1da577-c771-54c3-abe9-033bf7324d69.html

Mind sharing details on your ar10 in the pics? Mostly interested in the barrel, that's the last thing I need to get for my 6.5 I'm building.

I don't understand why you would want to use a mediocre caliber for a dedicated elk rifle.

7mmRM or .300WM would be a much better choice. If shooting them from a blind out of a hay field it probably doesn't matter, but I doubt we will ever do that. Years of building points, months of research, weeks away from home and kids, ten days of wandering rough country. All to hopefully have a chance at a bull worthy of the effort that may be a one shot opportunity at a less than ideal angle. Why not use as effective of a caliber as you can?

You should watch Randy Newberg on YouTube. I think the only time I've seen him not use 308 or 6.5cm is when he was moose hunting and couldn't get close.

Randy Newberg doesn't use 6.5CM he uses 7mm-08.

And my opinion is still valid. If you can handle the recoil a magnum caliber is appropriate.

ETA: I've also watched Newberg miss, wound, and pass up shots due to distance or angle. Would a faster tougher buller have changed those outcomes? IDK. But I'm putting all the odds in my favor that I can.

I'll admit I haven't seen all his videos but the majority of the ones I've seen were 308 and a couple with his howa mountain gun in 6.5.

Not arguing that sometimes bigger is better but I still don't think I'd feel undergunned with a 6.5, the Swedes have been doing it for a long time.

He almost always uses a 308, which at 300 yards and under is a little harder hitting than the 6.5, but I agree the 6.5 would be fine for those ranges as well. Thing about the swedes using the 6.5 they are using it at typically close ranges and they use 156 or 160 grain round nose bullets, also in some of the hunting studies I have read they use the 308 more than the 6.5.

Agree if you want a dedicated class 3 cartridge bigger is better, provided you can shoot it well.   Won't see much difference between a 7mm mag and a 308 at close range.  Difference starts to come into play after 200 to 300 yards.  But if I am shooting at them 400 yards and further(I personally don't shoot past 400 as I am a east coast guy and don't shoot enough at long range)I want a 300 mag or bigger.

I personally use a 300 wsm, with a 308 as a backup, I will use the 308 if I am getting tired from lugging my 8.5 lb wsm up and down the mountain as the 308 is 7 lbs loaded.  Funny thing is the 308 kicks just as hard as the 300wsm with those gun weights.

We have 6.5, .308, and .300WM. I would never pick one of the others over the .300 if I knew I was going after elk. I just don't see a reason for it. All MOA rifles. All have VX3 scopes with CDS. The power of the .300 is just going to point me in that direction every time.

A couple years ago a coworker drew a SD bull elk tag. Lifelong Hunter and handloader. He made loads for his pet .270, practiced out to 300 yards, and pretty much planned his hunt down to the last detail. Even going as far as hiring a guide for this once in a lifetime chance. Five minutes into opening morning they spotted a massive bull at 400 yards. His first shot was true though the animal gave no indication, so he continued to fire. The first round zipped through the lungs, the others hit a little far forward and balled up on that shoulder blade. If that elk had made it to cover without a fatal hit recovery would have been very challenging. Would a .300 have caused a different outcome, he thought so, and said he would never hunt elk without a magnum caliber again.

His problem was planning how he was going to kill that elk ahead of time. Didn't turn out how he thought, but ended well.

As far as RN goes, he always says to bring the rifle you shoot well. That is the best advice by far. We shoot our .300 very well. I killed my mule deer this year at 240 facing me. My wife is an MOA shooters verified out to 600 with it. We really like that rifle. In small doses.

My point is that if you intend to hunt elk why not use as powerful a cartridge as you can handle. If that's .243 you will find plenty of company.