1:8 twist; B/A; Texas whitetail, mule deer and hogs; ranges typically under 250 yards. Until I'm set up to reload for it, what's your recommendations for factory fodder.

You won't find anything better or faster than my 6.5 Speedmoor ammo. 140/143 grain at 2850 fps in 24" barrel, 2750 in a 20" CTR.

Mine has a 26" barrel, Chad. Does that change your recommendation? If not, give me a price delivered here to the 76856 area code!

I have been shooting 120 grain A-max out of mine since 2014 with exception results on whitetail, hog and axis. They stopped making the A-max a few years ago and I'm almost out so I've been shooting 143 ELD-X for my upcoming pronghorn hunt. I'm getting 2520fps from my 16" barrel.

Chad's 6.5CM 140 ELD-M Speedmoor averaged 2864 out of a 22" Proof carbon barrel. Pretty salty.

I load a 135gr Berger hunter hybrid for my uncle that basically duplicates this offering.

https://bergerbullets.com/product/6-5-mm-creedmoor-135gr-classic-hunter/

I shoot Chad's 143 ELDX Speedmoor ammo and my 24" CTR spits it out right at 2800. Can't complain about the accuracy, either.

I can't speak for Chad's 6.5 ammo, but I shoot his .270, and the ES numbers were ridiculous. IIRC, something like 4.

I have two 6.5 CM rifles (Savage & Ruger) that both shoot Hornady 143 ELD-X well under an inch @ 100. Have taken three pronghorn, two axis, and one blackbuck between the two rifles. The furthest an animal went after impact was 25 yards. All broadside lung shots. Ranges from 40 yards to 250.

I am going to have Chad load up about 200 of my once-fired brass with his special recipe at some point.

That group looks pretty good! The velocity will vary slightly from barrel to barrel, but should run about 2850 fps in most 24" barrels. During the many range trips and testing I did, I settled on a load that works very well in multiple 6.5 CM rifles. It's a Ricky Bobby load for sure, and it shoots pretty good, also.

I like Hornady Precision Hunter, 143 gr. ELD-X out of my Tikka T3-X, and Hornady Superformance 129 gr SST out of my Wilson Combat AR-10. I'd shoot ELD-X in both, but the OAL on the ELD-X is VERY close to the max for the AR-10 magazine. Great accuracy on both and exceptional results on hogs (some really big ones) and everything else. Surprisingly I have been able to stay in stock on these as long as I hawk Academy, Scheels and BassPro.

Hornady Precision with the 143 or Hornady Superformance with the 129 sst have all be exceptional for me.

I also shoot Chad's 270 ammo out of a Tikka T3. Best ammo ever. The deer don't take a step. Works even better on hogs........

Chad, what’s your thoughts on Hammer bullets? Seem to be gaining traction.

Thanks, everyone! I have a friend who says he has a few boxes of the ammo out at his ranch but he can't remember the brand, type or bullet weight! Hopefully get to see what he has this weekend.

For factory, I have had luck with Hornady 143 Eldx. My CM also likes the Federal Fusion.

The only difference that I found between Hornady's 143-grain ELD-X (without question the #1 recommended load for the 6.5 Creedmoor) and Winchester's 125-grain Deer Season ammo is the price. The Winchester ammo runs about $12 cheaper per box than the Hornady ammo. In my Savage Model 110, the two loads are identical in how they group when tested at 100 yards.

Have you used the Win XP on game? It's interesting, seems to run counter to the trend with a massive hollow point behind the tip and an ultra thin jacket. Looks more like a varmint design.

That's kind of like saying the only difference between Ol' Crow and Blantons is the price, as they both get you drunk.

Solid gold..........

anyone tried the Hornady American whitetail? 129 grain interlock. Was at academy the other day and that was all they had. I grabbed 4 boxes.

I have. You were right to buy it. Match is easy to find, but anything else takes a little effort but can be found. I bought a few boxes to get new set ups ready to go. It shot great at the range. I don't recall if I killed anything with it, so no field results to report. I have a box of it left.

Interlocks are good hunting bullets, I would have zero worries.

It's actually Winchester's "Deer Season XP" that shot just as tight and within the same group as the Hornady ELD-X ammo. I really wasn't concerned with the 125-grain bullet because it falls squarely in the middle of every other deer bullet I carry to the woods. That includes anywhere from the 100 grain Remington Core-Lokt ammo that I shoot in .243's, to the 150 grain Federal Fusion that I shoot in my 30-30's. My two .270's both digest 130-grain bullets quite well, while my 25-06 seems to prefer 100 grain loads. I've always thought the 100 grain bullet atop the same casing as a 30-06 and .270 makes it a flat-shooting screamer for sure.

Others that I've tried in my Creedmoor include 140-grain Remington Core-Lokt (second best), 130-grain Federal Premium, and 95-grain Federal (loaded with Hornady V-Max bullets). The Core-Lokts grouped almost as well as the XP and ELD-X ammo but about six inches lower at 100 yards. Again, you could look at a target shot with the XP and ELD-X ammo and not know which brand bullet hit within the same group when shooting my Savage. Granted, even two of the same model and brand of rifle can shoot the same ammo differently.