6.5 PRC fail on elk.

[orygun]

That "someone" was Charles Newton. He also wanted to use the 100gr bullet, but Savage went with the 87gr to be able to make that unheard of 3000fps.
Actually, this is where Mr. Spitpatch could chime in. He knows a bit about the .250-3000.

 

[fredoesway]

quarter bores are great. my first buck was harvested with 25 35 carbine in 1962 all my brothers started with that same rifle. many deer fell to that rifle over the years. people say 25 35 is not enough gun but as usual they are wrong. my dad even used it on elk back in the 40's (borrowed rifle) i still have one a 26" rifle made in 1897.

 

[Wyo79]

I never knew it was the caliber and firearms fault when ya missed or wounded an animal.
I'll feel a lot better about myself if I ever wound and fail to retrieve a critter from now on ! I'll be sure to steer clear of any Christensen Arms Ridgeline in 6.5 PRC's from here on out !!!! I'd hate to have one of these faulty contraptions spoil my hunt.
Maybe hunters should unite and get this combo banned from the field. Hey what optic, trigger, sling bipod/shooting stick, color combo was on that weapon ? They may be faulty as well, we need to be fully aware so we don't make the same mistake as your brother.

Thanks for the heads up.
Happy/ Safe hunting y'all

 

[Spitpatch]

"Actually, this is where Mr. Spitpatch could chime in. He knows a bit about the .250-3000."

Perhaps in another thread. Although I have not woke from sleep and sat bolt-upright in a cold sweat, I am a bit self-conscious about us "25 guys" taking this "26 guy's" thread on a slight detour.

The .250-3000 allowed me to know that rifles kind to you will teach you. They will also kill JUST AS EFFECTIVELY as rifles that hurt and don't teach. I am required to suppress feelings of near-anger when I see or hear of an adult that allows a child to fire any gun uncomfortable to the child. For some of those dads, they tell of it like it's a great joke: "Shoulda seen his eyes when he touched off my magnum!"

In my eyes it is a form of abuse.

Same goes for a novice adult. A joke at the new shooter's expense, and a joke that may stay with them for life (see "lifetime flinch" above), or cause them to quit shooting altogether.

Female partners were started with 6mm's and .25's. One ended up with a '94: Not the Winchester, but a Swede Carbine. (Please note the clever segway back to 26 caliber.) An amazingly accurate and effective big game rifle not only on local critters, but Alaska ones as well.

As for myself, I took a side trip to the .270, and it is still my "Big Gun". A fat-barreled .25-06 Remington was long-range magic for me with Winchester 90grain Hollowpoint factory loads when I was in the service and could not reload. Having all my guns stolen while in the service, I came home and for my first rifle purchase, I chose a Browning 78 Single Shot in .25-06. It was required to do everything until I could buy something else, and it did.

The girl with the Swede Carbine, having learned to shoot VERY well, was given a Ruger Anniversary Model 77 Stainless in .264 Winchester (still a "Six-Five" which she appreciated). We both learned the "ins and outs" of that cartridge, including Winchester's "SECRET" way of avoiding a corporate lawsuit resulting from utilizing a portion of Weatherby's system toward the pursuit of high velocity. As the Winchester ads said (with the muzzle of a Model 70, complete with the "Safari Hood" on the front sight staring at you from the magazine page),

"Winchester's new .264 Magnum: The Westerner. It makes a helluva noise and packs a helluva wallop."

My first contact with the cartridge was in 1961 when my dad bought one, influenced heavily by that ad. Sadly, it was a Featherweight, the barrel length making the cartridge a reduced-diameter .270 (He traded it to a collector for a Mannlicher .30-06 in 1967 and never looked back.)

It made enough of an impression on me that my penchant for Model 700 Classics eventually led me to one in .264. With that gun, I finished a deer for a buddy because I was in a position to and he wasn't, and then took a young 4pt Muley with it. Missed a couple more. I still like it, but (like everyone) shoot littler guns better.


So recently with the 6.5 craze in full swing, I had to give "The Ol' Swede" a whirl. A full-stocked carbine like the girl's, but this one a CZ.

This gun is another "Teacher".

 

[264Winmag]

"Actually, this is where Mr. Spitpatch could chime in. He knows a bit about the .250-3000."

Perhaps in another thread. Although I have not woke from sleep and sat bolt-upright in a cold sweat, I am a bit self-conscious about us "25 guys" taking this "26 guy's" thread on a slight detour.

The .250-3000 allowed me to know that rifles kind to you will teach you. They will also kill JUST AS EFFECTIVELY as rifles that hurt and don't teach. I am required to suppress feelings of near-anger when I see or hear of an adult that allows a child to fire any gun uncomfortable to the child. For some of those dads, they tell of it like it's a great joke: "Shoulda seen his eyes when he touched off my magnum!"

In my eyes it is a form of abuse.

Same goes for a novice adult. A joke at the new shooter's expense, and a joke that may stay with them for life (see "lifetime flinch" above), or cause them to quit shooting altogether.

Female partners were started with 6mm's and .25's. One ended up with a '94: Not the Winchester, but a Swede Carbine. (Please note the clever segway back to 26 caliber.) An amazingly accurate and effective big game rifle not only on local critters, but Alaska ones as well.

As for myself, I took a side trip to the .270, and it is still my "Big Gun". A fat-barreled .25-06 Remington was long-range magic for me with Winchester 90grain Hollowpoint factory loads when I was in the service and could not reload. Having all my guns stolen while in the service, I came home and for my first rifle purchase, I chose a Browning 78 Single Shot in .25-06. It was required to do everything until I could buy something else, and it did.

The girl with the Swede Carbine, having learned to shoot VERY well, was given a Ruger Anniversary Model 77 Stainless in .264 Winchester (still a "Six-Five" which she appreciated). We both learned the "ins and outs" of that cartridge, including Winchester's "SECRET" way of avoiding a corporate lawsuit resulting from utilizing a portion of Weatherby's system toward the pursuit of high velocity. As the Winchester ads said (with the muzzle of a Model 70, complete with the "Safari Hood" on the front sight staring at you from the magazine page),

"Winchester's new .264 Magnum: The Westerner. It makes a helluva noise and packs a helluva wallop."

My first contact with the cartridge was in 1961 when my dad bought one, influenced heavily by that ad. Sadly, it was a Featherweight, the barrel length making the cartridge a reduced-diameter .270 (He traded it to a collector for a Mannlicher .30-06 in 1967 and never looked back.)

It made enough of an impression on me that my penchant for Model 700 Classics eventually led me to one in .264. With that gun, I finished a deer for a buddy because I was in a position to and he wasn't, and then took a young 4pt Muley with it. Missed a couple more. I still like it, but (like everyone) shoot littler guns better.
View attachment 1102075

So recently with the 6.5 craze in full swing, I had to give "The Ol' Swede" a whirl. A full-stocked carbine like the girl's, but this one a CZ.
View attachment 1102076
This gun is another "Teacher".

I like my 25's but I am a 6.5 fan hence my 264. It's never let me down in many factory rifles or The ones that I built myself or for my friends. I retired my last 264 because I already had put three barrels on it and the bolt is getting compressed too much. To Mr. Wyo79 maybe I should sell my Christianson Arms MESA in 6.5 PRC, but I haven't missed anything with it yet, it's accounted for three dead elk so far and a couple deer, lots Of prairie dogs when I was home last summer maybe they died because they could read the name christianson Arms on it?? I will say this, some rifles are just terrible so are some shooters. I spent over half my life building rifles for people or making rifles of people to shoot well. Now days because of the better machining everything seems to shoot good, Way better than years ago. However; and I'll give this one to people, if you lined up a target or an animal in your sites and the primer did not ignite or you got a bad batch of powder and you ended up missing your target or your animal even worse wounding it you haven't shot enough or reloaded enough we talk about all the perfect shots we made but nobody ever hears how many Misses we had in our lives before we could make the hits.

 

[BillGabby1]

Simple as just not enough bullet for elk. My nephew had a similar experience with his .25-06 on elk, and he was only 75 yds. away when he shot a nice bull. He hit it twice, and each time it went down, but got back up and ran off. Fortunately his dad, my brother, was on the other side of the ridge and the bull elk came towards him. He dropped it with a 180 gr. .30-06 and the elk wasn't lost.
I have taken my .270 along as a backup to my .30-06, but thankfully never needed to use it. I just feel anything below a 180 gr. .30 caliber bullet is too little for elk.

Took my Elk in AZ with my .270 Nozzler Partition bullet one shot at about 150yds don't recall the bullet weight but I think it was the heaviest they made back in the late 1980's, I waited a while after he walked into the thick timber, then followed him and found where he had gone down and left a lot of blood, I took a few steps and caught movement from the corner of my eye. I stopped and watched him go down, he would sag then jerk his head back up, but every time he sank deeper, shortly he didn't come up any more. I didn't want to shoot again because he was behind a large log and only his head and neck showing and I didn't want to frighten him into running so I just quietly watched him die, He scored over 300 and has a prominent place in my home. I look at "Alpha" nearly every time I'm in the living room where his mount overlooks everything he is a beautiful 6 by 6!
There is more to the story but I've hijacked this thread long enough.
Damn good eating too, beats beef for sure!
Gabby

 

[264Winmag]

Took my Elk in AZ with my .270 Nozzler Partition bullet one shot at about 150yds don't recall the bullet weight but I think it was the heaviest they made back in the late 1980's, I waited a while after he walked into the thick timber, then followed him and found where he had gone down and left a lot of blood, I took a few steps and caught movement from the corner of my eye. I stopped and watched him go down, he would sag then jerk his head back up, but every time he sank deeper, shortly he didn't come up any more. I didn't want to shoot again because he was behind a large log and only his head and neck showing and I didn't want to frighten him into running so I just quietly watched him die, He scored over 300 and has a prominent place in my home. I look at "Alpha" nearly every time I'm in the living room where his mount overlooks everything he is a beautiful 6 by 6!
There is more to the story but I've hijacked this thread long enough.
Damn good eating too, beats

Sometimes it just happens that way. A 270 stoked with a 160 grain partition is good combination.

 

[Spitpatch]

"Sometimes it just happens that way"

This.

An effective filter for all "hard advice" or "conclusions" stated on this thread that pertain specifically to the situation the OP described. These included shot placement, bullet choice, caliber choice, etc. where definitive and exclusionary statements about the cause of that situation were presented as fact.

I kept my analysis to a general "recipe for disaster" format of very few ingredients that may have applied to the situation BEFORE the shot, and certainly may apply to other situations. The contributions here that seem to "know" what happened (and say so in those terms) can be discounted or ignored.

 

[CastleRocker]

Very well put Spitpatch.

 

[264Winmag]

"Sometimes it just happens that way"

This.

An effective filter for all "hard advice" or "conclusions" stated on this thread that pertain specifically to the situation the OP described. These included shot placement, bullet choice, caliber choice, etc. where definitive and exclusionary statements about the cause of that situation were presented as fact.

I kept my analysis to a general "recipe for disaster" format of very few ingredients that may have applied to the situation BEFORE the shot, and certainly may apply to other situations. The contributions here that seem to "know" what happened (and say so in those terms) can be discounted or ignored.

We can plan all we want before, during and after the shot has been taken. Even if the shot is perfect, the animal may decide to change our plans. Nothing is ever 100%. It is our job to give the best humane way to take an animal.

 

[Spitpatch]

Very well put Spitpatch.

I treaded more lightly than I should have. Your early praise not only insulates me, but makes me wonder if I should have been "less tactful".

Thanks.

 

[orygun]

I treaded more lightly than I should have. Your early praise not only insulates me, but makes me wonder if I should have been "less tactful".

Thanks.

I dunno about that "less tactful" part. You seem to hit the mark, no matter what words you use.

 

[264Winmag]

When I stated "sometimes it just happens that way" I was responding to this post, see below. The person stated they could see the head bob up and down, they wanted to take another shot, but they did not because I am assuming they did not want the animal to get up and run making things worse. I have been there. It seems they put a good hit on the animal, but when you double lung or even hart shoot an animal sometimes they do not expire right away and that is all you can do, is watch them expire. I do not prefer body shots for that reason but that is just me. My skin is thick, so I don't bother easily or take offense. We are here to have good conversation, debate, share our experiences learn something or maybe teach something. If I like what I read, I post I like it. It doesn't matter to me who posts it or even if they don't agree with me or I with them.

"I took a few steps and caught movement from the corner of my eye. I stopped and watched him go down, he would sag then jerk his head back up, but every time he sank deeper, shortly he didn't come up any more. I didn't want to shoot again because he was behind a large log and only his head and neck showing and I didn't want to frighten him into running so I just quietly watched him die,"

 

[orygun]

My wife shot a spike elk. It was a double lung shot and he was down, but not dead. Instead of waiting or shooting again she started walking towards him. (Hell yes, she was excited.) Yeah, he got up and took off. She shot at him 4 more times. She hit him with three of those 4, with the "ender" being a shot thru the spine in the neck. Afterwards we talked about what happened and what she might have done differently, but in the end we were putting meat in the freezer. This is how we learn, right?

I was also pretty damn proud that she was able to connect with those shots while he was running away.

She shoots a 7mm-08. The gun fits and it doesn't knock her back to last week.

 

[Nosferatu]

Is using dogs legal for big game recovery in OR?

I would have considered hiring someone who specializes in recovering using dogs here in WA, where I know it's legal.

 

[VanceInWA]

Is using dogs legal for big game recovery in OR?

I would have considered hiring someone who specializes in recovering using dogs here in WA, where I know it's legal.

That's surprising Nosferatu, and hope that is accurate. I once asked Washington DFW directly if I could bring the dog with me while hunting (just for companionship) and I was told no, under no circumstances, illegal.

 

[Nosferatu]

That's surprising Nosferatu, and hope that is accurate. I once asked Washington DFW directly if I could bring the dog with me while hunting (just for companionship) and I was told no, under no circumstances, illegal.

That's correct, you cannot have a dog with you WHILE hunting. But or after the kill, it is legal to use a dog for recovery.

 

[fredoesway]

another story from the distant past. 1960s. my brother shot doe mule deer with my dads 25 35 she dropped quickly and was laying in deep snow with her head up. my dad said you better shoot her again, so he shot her behind the ear. when we got to the deer we saw the first shot broke the front leg just above the hock. sometimes a hit like that will put them down but not out. so would a magnum kill better with a shot like that???? Hydrostatic shock maybe?

 

[VanceInWA]

That's correct, you cannot have a dog with you WHILE hunting. But or after the kill, it is legal to use a dog for recovery.

Well, that's the thing. The person I spoke with at DFW wouldn't even allow the dog in camp during hunting season (I was asking about leaving it behind to guard the tent and stuff). Sounds like I got one of those Olympia "purists" when I called. Perhaps there is someone with OR and/or WA departments of fish and game paying attention to this thread who can help clarify the bottom line, because I sure hope you got it right...

 

[Nosferatu]

Well, that's the thing. The person I spoke with at DFW wouldn't even allow the dog in camp during hunting season (I was asking about leaving it behind to guard the tent and stuff). Sounds like I got one of those Olympia "purists" when I called. Perhaps there is someone with OR and/or WA departments of fish and game paying attention to this thread who can help clarify the bottom line, because I sure hope you got it right...

It's in the regs.

Again, this is for WA, I don't know about OR.