‘Middle Ground’ Culling Calibre

[Ronin]

Ben

I’ve shot a great deal of deer with my own 47 only beaten in number by the 6.5/284

It’s perfectly normal to see fallow run the distance you describe even when perfectly heart shot in culling situations where they are milling in a group “stressed”

There is nothing wrong with the 6.5 bullet frontal area or the 47’s killing ability

Your T3 could be made by any competant Riflesmith into any .473” short or long action cartridge and any .535” magnum if you are inclined - but that’s a one way deal (no going back once the bolt face is altered)

If you want something that knocks animas over then go with a 30-06 but be inclined to deal with meat damage

Factory ammo is freely available so no issues with storage wherever you are in the world

My preference of what you’ve mentioned would be 6.5/284 and load yourself

I’ve just gone back to it and as you know a previous rifle that became unserviceable had three barrels worth of deer before it was retired in that cartridge

There are some idiosyncrasies with the case diameter being larger than normal “06” style such as reduced mag capacity but under normal killing conditions it’s not a hindrance

It’s also, like 47, surgically accurate (like 260, et al, with the right componants)

 

[Chris Richardson]

I love my 7mm-08! But you need to home load really as factory options and availability are poor, but homeloading isn't an issue for you. The 308 and 270 are the easier options.

As Scuffy says, I'd also consider the 6.5 PRC?

i also have a 7-08 ive never struggled for factory ammo though it is a great calibre

 

[7Miller]

i also have a 7-08 ive never struggled for factory ammo though it is a great calibre

Only have found one factory load locally, Superformance 139g and it produced a 3 inch group at 100 but as I handload, it wasn't an issue

 

[Chris Richardson]

Only have found one factory load locally, Superformance 139g and it produced a 3 inch group at 100 but as I handload, it wasn't an issue

i used to reload for it then i found 140 gr ppu that my old sako m 591 loves so for the price it wasnt worth my time reloading , shot everything from munties to big red stags with them

 

[hendrix's rifle]

Hello mate, when you say through the shoulder, Do you mean a high shoulder shot? If so, and if the Bullet is Stout enough, won't pretty much all center fire cartridges put deer down on the spot, in that case ?

Hilar and high shoulder. They don't run.

Yes, any centre fire will put them on the deck if you hit the off switch but we dont always hit the off switch

 

[tackb]

the answer you are looking for is the 338 federal

 

[TringSaint]

Yeah I did consider it, or an 6.5X284, but even at really close range (80M ish) the 6.5 I’m finding lacking, hence the higher frontal area of all mentioned.

What are you shooting with a 6.5 that isn’t dropping? My swede drops everything I shoot with it- munties up to fallow.
Maybe you need to up the bullet weight a bit to 120/125gn for a bit more wallop

 

[r judd]

7x64…….although homeloading would be more suitable

 

[Scotty99]

I’m not an expert by any means but I would offer that this may be a bullet issue rather than a calibre issue. Both bullets you mention are copper and not that heavy when compared to my traditional go to which was always a 150 grn Sierra Gameking (lead), which I’ve found to be very effective on chest shots on fallow. I know the current thinking when switching from lead to cooper is to go down in bullet weight to reduce bullet length to avoid stabilisation issues, but often the result is a less effective bullet. Again traditionally in a 6.5 I would have used a 140 grain lead bullet. Maybe if shooting copper you need to start using your .308 more with a 130grn copper bullet.

 

[Acm]

If you want to shoot factory I don’t think you can better a .243 with a fast twist barrel for culling and roe. Suspect the reason your getting runners is the bullets not the calibre but your experienced enough to know that.

No point getting another .30, not keen on a 6.5, .270 will be very hard on roe but probably drop the fallow better.

I sold my .243 in 2018 and bought a 6.5, love it, but it’s not the surgical tool in the park or at night culling that a heavy barreled .243 is, no recoil, easy to be supplied factory for contract work. There’s a lot to like about a .243, so I bought another 2 years ago. It would be cooler in 6mm creed but then I couldn’t get landowners to supply ammo so easily.

80grn factory hornady cx is super neat on roe, fallow definitely do run with them but the yew tree & virtus more frangible offerings tend to really anchor them and are ideal for head shooting.
Just my tuppence worth, but i wouldn’t be going obscure for culling work and I wouldn’t be going larger or faster for roe.

 

[Brave Echo Niner]

What are you shooting with a 6.5 that isn’t dropping? My swede drops everything I shoot with it- munties up to fallow.
Maybe you need to up the bullet weight a bit to 120/125gn for a bit more wallop

It’s primarily park fallow when they’re hyper aware that I see run when they’re full of adrenaline and milling.

I headshoot most of them in the park, but will take chest shots when they’re over 200M in order to get them moving in the right direction.

Others using .243s, 6.5x55, .308 etc have all found they run on when chest shot using a variety of bullets (copper and lead), but my .300 knocked them flat, which I attribute to the larger frontal area, combined with the high velocity.

 

[Brave Echo Niner]

Over thinking it maybe.??
If only 10 to 15m with good blood trail id tske that as a win .
Where shooting them halfway body following rear line of front leg .?

Move to front line of front leg?

As said 47 is not same punch as your other calibre ....but 47 is an accuracy machine ....
I was told a bad 47 is one shoots an inch
Use that accuracy go for hilar or head neck if your close.

Paul

Potentially overthinking it, I just don’t like things running - hence the other rifles I use.

The 6.5x47 is hellishly accurate, no question there. It prints sub 1/3 MOA groups with stalking ammunition every time (even with 2500+ round down the tube) which makes it great for Head shooting out to 200M.

The fragmenting bullets have helped its performance a lot as I said, but I prefer the bang flop!

 

[JockStalk]

Speed kills - I’d be thinking fast calibres - 25-06 with 100gr would certainly fit that bill or 6.5-284 as already mentioned a few times. Have the latter and had the former, and still kick myself for moving it on.
Nothing wrong with your 6.5x47 though.

 

[Ronin]

Have to add to my earlier post that I’ve also used 6xc on one of the last culls I was engaged on

105 amax very effective on fallow at 2850 out to sensible distances

Drop like sacks of potatoes

 

[Buchan]

Ben

I’ve shot a great deal of deer with my own 47 only beaten in number by the 6.5/284

It’s perfectly normal to see fallow run the distance you describe even when perfectly heart shot in culling situations where they are milling in a group “stressed”

There is nothing wrong with the 6.5 bullet frontal area or the 47’s killing ability

I think walking a few steps and falling over is fine in welfare terms.
I wonder if there's an element of "chasing the bang-flop" as a measure of effectiveness, when it may actually be an outlier. There are so many factors to include in getting the perfect bang-flop that it may be counterproductive to keep chasing it (like chasing the lands).
But as an aspiring gentleman, it should be the .270

 

[Edinburgh Rifles]

Sounds like a bullet and placement issue
I run a 6.5 Grendel with significantly less TV and dont get runners with 95gr VMax or 100gr ELDVT
Will be running 100gr Peregrine in the spring

 

[monarman]

Barnes have a vortx lead free factory offering in 120 grain... in 270! Perhaps there's your holy grail?
My park cull choice was 6.5 creedmoor with rws 93 grain evo green. For head shots... works well, and brilliant on roe too.

 

[rem284]

Gentlemen. There's only one option. The 6.5-284. I have used 243, 270, 308, 7mm, 260, 6.5x47, 25-06 but the one that outshines the lot is my 6.5-284. It is so easy to load for and so easy to shoot. I tried some 130gn no toxic stuff through it yesterday. 3 rounds on the target, bob on. Heading out the forest bang bang sika hind and calf. I just wish I was allowed to use it as my work rifle.

 

[Bowland blades]

Its not really a physics thing , its a placement thing ! from a 80 grain 243 to 300 magnum

 

[Mike1979]

Gentlemen. There's only one option. The 6.5-284. I have used 243, 270, 308, 7mm, 260, 6.5x47, 25-06 but the one that outshines the lot is my 6.5-284. It is so easy to load for and so easy to shoot. I tried some 130gn no toxic stuff through it yesterday. 3 rounds on the target, bob on. Heading out the forest bang bang sika hind and calf. I just wish I was allowed to use it as my work rifle.

Whilst I am a man bun gun owner myself one of my mates has a 6.5-.284 and it certainly is a hard hitting round. Not nice on chest shot CWD if you want to salvage any meat but dont see many (if any) runners.