Thread: 6mm Creedmoor and 108gr ELD-M performance

Two key aspects to this upfront, which have a huge effect on confidence. Never in my life have I had such an easy cartridge to find a working load for. And never have I had a rifle that dealt out sub-MOA at all ranges so effortlessly.

Howa Varmint 6mm Creedmoor
KRG Bravo chassis & stock
MDT steel mag
Vortex Viper PST 6-24x50 FFP
22” factory barrel
DPT suppressor (extra SS baffle)
Harris bipod with podlock and spikes

Starline SR primer brass
AR2209 powder (H4350)
CCI BR4 primer
Hornady 108gr ELD-M @ 2,972fps


Shooting off a plastic picnic table with a front and rear bag, I was able to get three half-MOA or below groups (3 shots). For a factory rifle that started life at 26” and then was cut and re-threaded at 22”, that’s not too shabby. Load development was as simple as working up in single shots to find pressure, back off 0.5gr, and see where that got me. It got me 0.35 MOA (3 shots) the first group I tried. Took 13 shots in total to pin the load...

The rifle weighs 13lb all up. It is a deliberately heavy carry-it-on-the-quad field rifle for medium range shooting. The stock remains the same, the barrelled action gets swapped out for whatever the need. Currently have .243 Win, 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Win. On the kind of sloped, rough, prickly, ungulateshit covered hill country, the weight and stability are essential. A well fitting chassis, prone, with the tilting bipod set perfectly and the bubble aligned, it’s amazing how rock solid the point of aim can be. I only have to carry it for an hour or so at a time, so nothing too strenuous.


Recoil from a 6mm on a heavy rig like this is a non-issue. Just adopt a solid rest, setup properly on the rifle, grip the forend, and maintain sight picture at impact no problem. Simply a matter of technique.

The following comments are based on the first week of use, and an estimated two dozen goats and six red deer. At the kind of ranges that I need to shoot - typically 250-600m - I would say without a shred of doubt that the 6mm Creedmoor and ELD-M combination is a killer goat and small deer medium-range load. Up to the largest of goat, fallow and yearling reds are never going to beat this bullet as long as you’re on the vitals. But big red deer past 400m have to be hit exactly on the money to guarantee fast killing. Two deer shot with the classic “high shoulder” shots were instantly paralysed but not killed outright, and both required a finisher once they came to a rest downhill. The damage observed in the shoulder suggested I’d be better off aiming for the hilar shot, and taking out the bottom of the front lungs, so the next two deer got this treatment and both died very quickly. The second of these was a well built red spiker, and I investigated the bullet performance with interesting outcomes.





One minor upgrade done to this rifle was the addition of a stainless steel baffle to the DPT mod. It is very noticeably quieter than the 6.5 is with one less baffle, despite the 2” shorter barrel.


I’ve made some changes to my ballistics model based on field observation, basically missing three times high and all filmed, which makes diagnosis of the miss straightforward. I’m dialling 0.1MIL less than Strelok is telling me past 350m, and making sure I don’t aim too high on the shoulder. Since I made this change, no misses.


Now for the obvious comparison, with the .243 Winchester. The fundamental difference between this rifle and my .243 is the fact that the 6mm Creedmoor has a 7 1/2 inch twist. This allows it to throw a bullet up to ~115gr at speeds ~3,000fps. Considering that these bullets have a G1 BC of 0.54-0.62, you can see how the retained energy at medium ranges is up to half as much again as the humble .243 can manage with 100gr ProHunter. Bottom line is that at close ranges there’s not a lot in it, if you are using the tool correctly, you’ll get a similar result. But by 150m, the 6mm Creedmoor has streaked ahead and at 200-250m it’s no contest. My rudimentary calculations suggest that the 6mm Creedmoor doubles the effective range of the .243 Winchester. My .243 breaks 1,200ft-lbs at 205m, whereas the 6mm breaks 1,200ft-lbs at 440m. It’s a 270m gap at 1,000ft-lbs! If you are using a similarly constructed bullet (ideally fragmenting), then the 6mm hits way harder downrange.


I have two out of six red deer with the bullet found in the opposite side hide, which is excellent. Three of the other four have not exited, but I haven't bothered to try and find the bullets. One clearly exited but it was shot high up on the shoulder and took out the bottom of the spine with it, so a lot of bone was involved in the size of the exit wound.


They say I’ll only get a couple of thousand rounds out of the barrel. But that’ll be 2,000 highly accurate shots that knock over meat-on-legs, so I don’t care.


Verdict: will it replace my .243 Win? On the hill, with the bike, yes. In the woods, no. What is my favourite heavy hill rifle? The 6.5 Creedmoor and 143gr ELD-X.

Hey thanks for an interesting post.

Would you care to comment on the ELD-M's weight retention across the range - i.e. do they have to have a certain Sectional Density (if this is the right metric) to retain some core in the jacket. I ask because I'm trying to decide on a projectile for my 308 for Reds and Tahr, and as its going to (maybe) reach further than some of my previous rifles I feel projectile performance becomes more critical . . . . I'd like to use a jacket as light as the M's but have reservations for their use on closer shots. My thinking is if I select the right bullet weight (sectional density) I might improve my chances of getting consistent performance.

PS - have also studied your bullet sectioning post - very informative

I would use ELD-X if I were you @Tentman. I feel it is a better all round hunting bullet than the ELD-M. If I were only shooting longer range then sure, the 168gr ELD-M (A-Max) is a great bullet, but I’d prefer something a bit more staunch for sub-200m.

But to be honest there is such a difference between 6mm and .308 that it’s not really a great comparison, what I’ve been doing these past few days.

I’ve already decided that I want a tougher 6mm bullet for this Creedmoor rifle for use on deer in the 100-300m range. It’s got to be very fast expanding but I would prefer something that retains more weight for tougher animals. The Norma Bondstrike and Speer Gold Dot have really got my attention, there is a minor problem however and that is they are not made in 6mm... yet. I think more of the manufacturers will spot that there is a gap for hunting bullets for fast twist 6mm rifles. Sierra have the 100gr GameChanger TGK which is looking like the best candidate for me to try next.

Have you tried the 90 gr ELDX in the 6 mm Creedmoor, that might be alright, or are you looking for a heavier bullet ?

Originally Posted by Mooseman

Have you tried the 90 gr ELDX in the 6 mm Creedmoor, that might be alright, or are you looking for a heavier bullet ?

I’ve got a box to try at some point. I’ll section one and then see how they shoot. I’m guessing I would like a bullet in the 105-110gr range but hardly any exist.

Awesome write up mate! Ive got a 6mm creed on its way from truflite at the moment, loaded up some barrel break in loads and a ladder using lapua srp brass, cci450 primers, AR2209 and the 103 eldx.

Cant wait to get it back, im not getting complacent but im thinking i could have a prety easy load development on my hands. Ill try the eldx on deer but will also look at the 108s too.

Funny how I seem to forget the 103gr ELD-X.

Who has got some of these that wouldn’t shoot in the .243? @Cigar? Someone here I think. I’d be keen on a sample pack if that works for anyone.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

Funny how I seem to forget the 103gr ELD-X.

Who has got some of these that wouldn’t shoot in the .243? @Cigar? Someone here I think. I’d be keen on a sample pack if that works for anyone.

Id be happy to swap 15 for 15 108s if your interested? Or how ever many you might need?

Originally Posted by Flyblown

Funny how I seem to forget the 103gr ELD-X.

Who has got some of these that wouldn’t shoot in the .243? @Cigar? Someone here I think. I’d be keen on a sample pack if that works for anyone.

Yeah, I had a box of 103gr ELD-X that wouldn't shoot in my 1:10 twist 243, but I sold them to a forum member (I think he had a 6mm creedmoor).

The 90gr ELD-X shoots very well in the 243

Excellent reading !
Am I right with the assumption that the 6mm CM and the 243 depend on enough speed to really perform which means short barrel limit theses cartridges?

thanks for that.
I changed my 243 (1:8 twist) over to eld-m a year or so back but due to having spent the last 2yrs or so playing with its bigger brother I had not shot much with it. Last weekend I took the 243 on a fallow hunt and landed 2 good sized hinds. Both where heading uphill across a gully directly away from me at about 100-125mtr away, both were kneeling shots with my fore hand against a small 3" tree. It's a great feeling to watch both animals instantly drop and roll back down the hill. First one bullet entered by the hip ball joint and I found the base under the skin by the sturnum. Whole pelvis area was destroyed but bullet still made it through the gut and diapham to end up under the sternum.
Second one was better, kept all the action in the chest cavity.
Have to say that when shooting into a fallow deer's back they are not very wide.
Z
Ps had only just come out of a cast after breaking the end off my Radius bone and no way was I up to the Recoil of the 358win. Even holding the 243 was uncomfortable.

Originally Posted by keengunNic

Id be happy to swap 15 for 15 108s if your interested? Or how ever many you might need?

@keengunNic

Yeah let’s do that mate. I’ll be home next week, will sort something out. Thanks.

What 6mm bullets does @Norway use in his 6mm's ?

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

What 6mm bullets does @Norway use in his 6mm's ?

105gr A-Max if I remember correctly

Correct. Some old 105 Amax. Couldn't get the ELD X to fly, as in not at all. Also shot some Nosler 90gr Accubond.