Thread: 6mm Creedmoor goats and deer

Back on the farm and off up the back for a hunt. We’ve had a run of hard, heavy frosts, been deadly cold at night. But then the rain came, and the wind changed and I worked out an approach into one of the back blocks that was in my favour. On the way up on the bike, I spotted a mob of goats on the move, and dropped seven of them with the 6mm Creedmoor at between 200-300m, perfect start.

Once I reached the trailhead at lunchtime, I walked from point to point up into the valley, and glassed from cover while I looked for a good shooting position with a wide field of view. There’s a big old dense and sheltering tree, where deer and goats have eroded out a stand from the steep face. It provides good cover from the rain and a very handy shooting position that gives me room to set up perfectly for an uphill shot.

The rain was getting worse. I decide nothing much will happen in this, so I go out for a walk to look for goat control opportunities. After a 10 minute stroll, the rain suddenly ceases, and goats appear from under scrub almost immediately. Ta da! Three goats on the face opposite, only a couple of hundred metres. Lots of time to film it too. The sharp lips on the new MDT steel mag need a touch up but other than that, the Howa 6mm Creedmoor is a deadly lethal hill rifle.





Dealt to the goats, and pondered the next move. Properly crap weather on the way, that’s all I knew. Drizzly rain wasn’t really bad enough to go home for, so I toughed it out back under the tree. It started raining properly now, and the light started to fade early, but I could still see red deer hinds peering over the boundary fence about 400m upslope, but they weren’t jumping over. This carried on until I was getting a bit irritated, then as is the way with these animals, one magically appeared on the edge of the face, about 300m away. I had chosen not to stalk up the face and through the short cover, good decision too because I would have been winded now, as it was gusting. So I spent a minute setting up the rifle, wanting at all costs to hold the deer in the sight picture after the shot. Ranged, dialled, got comfortable, and waited for my preferred quartering shot. Animal obliged, aimed, bang. The deer lurched forward and staggered a few paces, then tipped over and was gone, out of sight. Was pretty well sure it had gone down hard.

Made myself a base camp and left a bunch of stuff under the tree, then took off up the slope with the empty backpack. Found the deer pretty much exactly where I thought it would be, so no drama. Never sure how far they’re going to tumble downhill in this country. Entry wound was spot on, and the gralloch resulted in one set of well shot lungs. The 108gr ELD-M penetrated the leading edge of the shoulder, blew a 2” entry hole through the ribs, shot out the lungs and ended up (I think) in the side of the liver. No exit wound. Didn’t bother looking for the bullet as I normally do, due to horizontal rain. I have gralloch photos here if you’re interested in seeing the damage a fast 6mm will inflict.



It’s a matter of preference, bullet types and so on. I’m confident that certain bullets will almost or fully stop in the vitals, so I know it will heavily shock the animal. That energy transfer is important for smaller, faster bullets to work effectively. These ELD-Ms have been the business so far. The improved ballistics over my .243 Winchester load is really obvious. At that range my 100gr ProHunter is doing 2,130fps and hits with about 1,000ft-lbs. The 108gr ELD-M however is doing 2,470fps and hitting with 1,500ft-lbs. Quite a jump.

As I packed away bags of venison, I had brown ale and a warm fire on my mind. The new Game Gear jacket was still performing perfectly and I was warm and dry throughout the cut up and pack up, the short walk out and the 30 minute ride off the hill. This was the first decent rain for a fair while, viz was truly shit and the mud transformed into that thick and sticky consistency that turns the tyres into slicks. Bloody lethal on the steepest hill country. The mud is much better when it’s really wet and the tyres clear, way better than this half way wet sticky crud. Lots of first gear descents as couldn’t so much as breathe on the brakes.

Really pleased to get back, still dry and not at all cold, a bit later than normal so got a growl from the lady of the homestead for making her worry she’d have to go looking for me...

Cannot wait for my 6cm to be done.

Yes I'd like a fast twist 6mm one day.

Wickedly accurate caliber that

I have no link to this company, just an honest review. This jacket is working out very well in cold wind and rain. Over the top of proper layers (I had four under the jacket) it’s the dog’s bollocks of lighter rainwear gear. The cut is designed for the bush primarily for pig hunting, so easy to move in, and its very nice to have a long tail to sit on instead of the wet seat.

https://www.gamegear.co.nz/collectio...29362779258979

Why does the creed meme have better velocity than the 243? The 243 usually has more case capacity

Originally Posted by Russian 22.

Why does the creed meme have better velocity than the 243? The 243 usually has more case capacity

Its "retained" velocity. While the .243 can match the muzzle velocity of the 6mm creedmoor when loaded equally, the off the shelf .243 win is limited to 95-100gr bullets because it is normally barreled with a 1-9 3/4" or 1-10" twist.
The 6mm Creedmoor runs a 1-7" or 1-8" so can shoot the heaviest 6mm bullets out there which have higher BCs and retain their velocity further out as @Flyblown pointed out.
In addition to that the .243 win case has a max of 60000psi were as the 6mm Creed can be loaded to 75000psi if using small rifle primed brass. It is a highly efficent kick ass little cartridge that is probably closer in comparison to a hot rodded 243win Ackley improved fitted with a faster twist long barrel and loaded hot.
It also has the convenience of factory loaded ammo with those heavy high bc bullets if you are that way inclined.
More case capacity doesnt always equal more speed down range, it normaly means you have to run a slower burning powder and a longer barrel to get the same speed as a highly efficient smaller case shooting faster powder and higher pressure in a shorter barrel.

That's one hellava nice rifle/ caliber you are running, may put the 243 into retirement (maybe) Certainly good ballistics from a heavy 6 mm bullet. Have you tried it to extended ranges yet?
Nice shooting Dave.

Originally Posted by Wingman

Its "retained" velocity. While the .243 can match the muzzle velocity of the 6mm creedmoor when loaded equally, the off the shelf .243 win is limited to 95-100gr bullets because it is normally barreled with a 1-9 3/4" or 1-10" twist.
The 6mm Creedmoor runs a 1-7" or 1-8" so can shoot the heaviest 6mm bullets out there which have higher BCs and retain their velocity further out as @Flyblown pointed out.
In addition to that the .243 win case has a max of 60000psi were as the 6mm Creed can be loaded to 75000psi if using small rifle primed brass. It is a highly efficent kick ass little cartridge that is probably closer in comparison to a hot rodded 243win Ackley improved fitted with a faster twist long barrel and loaded hot.
It also has the convenience of factory loaded ammo with those heavy high bc bullets if you are that way inclined.
More case capacity doesnt always equal more speed down range, it normaly means you have to run a slower burning powder and a longer barrel to get the same speed as a highly efficient smaller case shooting faster powder and higher pressure in a shorter barrel.

Mate. I wouldn't say it's safe to load to 75k psi. Yes srp brass handles the high pressure better, but 75k psi not something I would be comfortable with or recommend.

Shooting with that pressure also introduces a lot of other trouble. Any water in the chamber, higher temps than your load dev temps or even small mistakes in powder charge could cause dangerous spikes. Brass also not going to enjoy the pressure

In short the 243 vs 6 creed is just like the 6.5cm vs 260rem.

Creed is a bit more efficient I'd say and in similar setups they should be on par in terms of velocity.

Big fan of the Creed family (have a 6.5cm and 6cm is on its way)

Just my 2c. Rather safe than sorry

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Its the fast twist that allows using mint bullets. A 10 twist 243 will always get thrashed downrange but not so with a fast twist shooting same mint bullet

6mm CM v .243 Win = zero sum game with the same twist barrel. Here's a little Wiki extract regarding pressure:

After the 6.5mm Creedmoor was introduced, it was advertised as a 60,000 psi capable case.[7] However, after it was placed into production, Hornady listed it as 62,000 psi, then registered it with SAAMI as such. For this reason, many hand loaders have poor experiences reloading for it. Blown primers on the first shot at 62,000 psi are not uncommon. Early shooting articles listed the ammo as loaded to 58,000 psi[21], but later citings list it as 57,000 psi.[22] Hornady reduced the loads in its factory ammo because of complaints it was often blowing primers.[23]

Today it's the turn of the Southern Hunter All Terrain Tactical Porcine Interceptors (SHATTPI).

Well SHATTPI caught a squeaker, and bugger all else. I busied myself with more goat control.

Awesome and nice rig!

Some fallow action today. I’m always left slumped in a pile on the floor after a day chasing these cunts, it’s a shit load harder to get onto super observant hill country fallow than I obviously thought it was. Only .223 CNS shooting allowed, simple fact, so the wee deer aren’t there for the Creedmoors and the like. For sure they’re obviously not that keen on standing still waiting to be shot and I ended up having to do a dozen ridges just to see them stationary.