6.5 prc bullet selection

[Abordeaux26]

Ordered my seekins 6.5 prcs today
Need help on bullet selection, deer and bear rifle only. I have 140 and 147 eld ms but don’t like the reviews people have on them for game.
I have 143 eld xs as well.
Are there any options that are available to buy or are worth the wait? Really want the 156 bergers but seem a ways out

 

[SoTxShooter]

I’ve had my 6.5 PRC for 2 years now, and up until the last 3 or 4 months, I’ve shot factory 147 ELDM exclusively. I’ve killed a dozen-ish animals in that time frame (deer, hogs, javelinas, coyotes). These animals have been from 50 yards to 515 yards and the performance has been great. Not a single blood trail job. All DRT. I did have quite a bit of bone shrapnel on a deer inside of 100. But it’s been a great killing bullet for me. I’ve got some hand loaded 156 Bergers now, and have only shot a coyote with them. More terminal performance testing still TBD!

 

[Abordeaux26]

I’ve had my 6.5 PRC for 2 years now, and up until the last 3 or 4 months, I’ve shot factory 147 ELDM exclusively. I’ve killed a dozen-ish animals in that time frame (deer, hogs, javelinas, coyotes). These animals have been from 50 yards to 515 yards and the performance has been great. Not a single blood trail job. All DRT. I did have quite a bit of bone shrapnel on a deer inside of 100. But it’s been a great killing bullet for me. I’ve got some hand loaded 156 Bergers now, and have only shot a coyote with them. More terminal performance testing still TBD!

Right on, was worried from a lot of reviews, but it did seem like they killed well in a lot of them too

 

[JamesJ]

You'll get a lot of folks here saying the Berger 156 EOL bullets are the best out of the 6.5 PRC. I don't have experience with them yet, but that's the go-to here pretty overwhelmingly.

 

[Abordeaux26]

I’d love some, but they seem

You'll get a lot of folks here saying the Berger 156 EOL bullets are the best out of the 6.5 PRC. I don't have experience with them yet, but that's the go-to here pretty overwhelmingly.

impossible to get

 

[J2shooter]

I’d love some, but they seem

impossible to get

They're popular and difficult to get. Not impossible. They'll come around. Find places that will let you back order them.....and get on all in stock notification lists you can find, then just run what you have until they come in. I'd personally be fine running any of the three that you have. I'd be cautious in certain scenarios with the eldm's as they're explosive up close..

 

[SoTxShooter]

I'd be cautious in certain scenarios with the eldm's as they're explosive up close..

Yep, I'll second this. Even though it is a great killing bullet in my experience, you definitely run the risk of bullet fragments and bone fragments ruining some meat at close range. I think the range at which it happens is magnified or mitigated by shot placement too, but I'd be prepared for it inside of 200 yards.

 

[OSOK - Crash]

I too have been waiting for a particular Berger bullet. But until I was able to get some, I went with the ELDM's. They are much more available. Sometimes you have to shoot what you can get. I have not heard of the negative reviews that you have, so I'm kinda out of the know on that one.

Hopefully I'll be able to tell you in a couple of days how the 140's perform on deer.

 

[Broz]

I have used the 143's, 147's and 156's in the 6.5 PRC I own, and set up several others. For hunting the Berger EOL 156 is my choice bay quite a bit.

 

[AnotherCasual]

What distances do you expect to shoot? Depending on ranges, I'd probably want a different bullet for the deer than the bear. I too want to try the 156's, but haven't run across them in my travels yet. I've had great luck with the 120 GMX on elk and think a copper solid of any variety is a great choice for bear as well if closer shots might be on the menu.

 

[Lancetkenyon]

Depends on shooting distance and game preference.

You want fast and flat for deer sized game? 129 NABLR, 130 OTM, 130 VLD, 130 TGK, 130 TMK, etc.

You want to extend ranges a bit, 140 Hyb, 140 Elite, 143 ELD-X, 142 NABLR, etc.

You want the heavies? 156 EOL, 150 SMK, 147 ELD-M, 150 NABLR, etc.

Pick one and run it.

 

[AXEFORCE6]

The 147 did a great job for me on my mule deer this year.

 

[OSOK - Crash]

The 147 did a great job for me on my mule deer this year. View attachment 13154 View attachment 13155

That's great! Decimated that heart. Nice shot! But on the other hand, the heart is good to eat too.

 

[AXEFORCE6]

That's great! Decimated that heart. Nice shot! But on the other hand, the heart is good to eat too.

I was a little bummed

 

[stlhdr1]

I was a little bummed

My recent deer hunt resulted in an 80 yard slight quartering shot. This is from my 6.5-284 running the 156 EOL's at 2851 fps.

You can see the entire top part of the heart is shot off. Matter of fact, when I gutted him I reached in and the heart was free floating so it didn't take any cutting to get it out...




Entrance wound was good, but no blood trail as he quickly ran 30 yards and crashed...


The interesting part is there was no exit wound and no bullet found but the back side of the right scapula was fragmented so my guess is the bullet vaporized for the most part in the cavity. Although the damage internally was epic and all energy was released in the animal, placement of course being the most important saved my ass from a tricky tracking job imho. I'm looking forward to trying the bullet at more distance next year..

Crazy part was this was in his opposite shoulder just under the skin which was fully healed over and had a small absess holding the bullet. Not my bullet though.


Keith

 

[Abordeaux26]

I ended up get my hand of 300 of them to try out! They seem to be the Favorite option