Thread: Fallow and the 6mm Creedmoor

Flyblown - awesome write up and I think I would be right in predicting that you have shot more deer in that outing than I will in the next decade. You're a lucky guy!

It depends on the hardness / softness and type of construction of the bullet @Tentman. I have to be convinced that a particular bullet will open up quickly, and shed weight in decent sized fragments. I don’t want the bullet zipping through without the damage.

A hard bullet that arrives at the quarry with 1000 ft/lb can create a narrow wound channel, and a runner, whereas a soft bullet that arrives with 1000 ft/lb and fragments can create numerous large bleeds. The bullet needs the resistance to open up and do it’s work, which is why the double lung shoulder shot or front of chest is important, rather than just behind the shoulder for the traditional heart shot.

I’m pretty comfortable I’ve found the respective limits for this cartridge on typical red meat hinds and spikers, on the smaller fallow, and again on the typical goat.

As usual the shot placement dictates everything.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

As usual the shot placement dictates everything.

Allways !! So with the 108 ELD-X's what is the minimum speed you'd like them on target to expand reliably?

AMEN to that...shot placement is everything......

Expand, or expand & shed fragments & end up like the one in the photo? Too different things.

I’ve been shooting good sized red deer at 400m+ with this cartridge and getting clean kills, so that’s ~2200 ft/sec and ~1200 ft-lb. After examining wounds (I did a video), I decided 400-450m was about the sensible limit for reds if there was a bit of wind about.

Numerous goats have been smoked in the 400-500m range. 575m is the longest, poleaxed it, but it was a high shoulder shot (and he fell off the bluff which would have hurt).

These fallow were all around 300m.

The 6mm is way more unreliable in fickle hill country gully winds than the 6.5mm. Gong shooting has proven this. Sounds obvious but nothing like a bit of proof to discourage silly shots.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

Expand, or expand & shed fragments & end up like the one in the photo? Too different things.

I’ve been shooting good sized red deer at 400m+ with this cartridge and getting clean kills, so that’s ~2200 ft/sec and ~1200 ft-lb. After examining wounds (I did a video), I decided 400-450m was about the sensible limit for reds if there was a bit of wind about.

Numerous goats have been smoked in the 400-500m range. 575m is the longest, poleaxed it, but it was a high shoulder shot (and he fell off the bluff which would have hurt).

These fallow were all around 300m.

The 6mm is way more unreliable in fickle hill country gully winds than the 6.5mm. Gong shooting has proven this. Sounds obvious but nothing like a bit of proof to discourage silly shots.

Yup - I'm still hurting from a lost fallow spiker shot with the 223 at 230M with a 55gn. Went down but ran off after what I think was a slightly too high shoulder shot in a fishtailing wind from behind me, made without much time. After that I've resolved not too use the 223 again on marginal conditions or less than perfect field position. I'm considering replacing the 223 all together with a lightweight 6 or 6.5mm. Better 20 "overkills" than one cock-up to my way of thinking . . . .

Looks like pearces country. Makakaho/ ten ridges?

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

love the gamble.....is one end hooked enough to hold side on its own???

Yes, if you don't let it swing too much.
I have a couple of proper freezing works ones with the backwards hook on one side, but they are very narrow

you could possibly bend hook up/inwards a little more and it would work primo....awesome set up..my bit of bent up bar is nowhere near as flash...have got older narrower gamble that will hold on one side only due to hook going inwards at tips..I slide long gamble across and hook on narrow one before finishing cut...must get it sorted properly one day.
sorry for thread hi jack
back on topic
6mm is cool.
I could almost see myself owning a 6mm/08 one day....

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

6mm is cool.
I could almost see myself owning a 6mm/08 one day....

Ohhhh - give us plenty of warning before you come crashing out of the closet!

Jeepers @Cigar, what bullet caused that damage?

Originally Posted by Flyblown

Jeepers @Cigar, what bullet caused that damage?

Top photo is 90gr eld-x, bottom photo is 100gr Prohunter. Both shots about 150m, eld-x muzzle velocity of 3140fps, Prohunter about 2950fps.

Superb. Man that Veni looks great! I'll need to shoot a fallow myself!

@Flyblown Have you tried the 95 or 105 VLD Bergers? Your twist will support the 105, mine does not, but fuck me the 95 VLD is a stone cold killer on Bull Tahr in close and at distance and they can be a great deal harder to kill than a big Red, can send up a few 95's if you wanted to compare/autopsy with your current favorite.

Originally Posted by 257weatherby

@Flyblown Have you tried the 95 or 105 VLD Bergers? Your twist will support the 105, mine does not, but fuck me the 95 VLD is a stone cold killer on Bull Tahr in close and at distance and they can be a great deal harder to kill than a big Red, can send up a few 95's if you wanted to compare/autopsy with your current favorite.

I appreciate the offer, thank you. However I am becoming increasingly lazy when it comes to load development, and once I’ve got a bullet that works I’m highly inclined to stick. Maybe this is because I’ve been on a reloading frenzy this year and I now have hundreds of each calibre and cartridge and probably won’t need to get the reloading gear out again for a good while. I think it’s my inner doomsday prepper at work...