Dunno why the debate, a 6.5CM is just another tool in the toolbox (or toy in the toy box according to the Mrs). This year's bull took his last drink before being introduced to it, and he didn't seem to mind! 
No, the mono's will expand under 2800 FPS but the slower they go, the more likely they are not to, IME. So if they're starting at 2800 and you shoot very far at all, you're going to have trouble with expansion.
Yup, IME mono's like Barnes tend to act like high velocity arrows as far as wound channel goes, especially beyond 350.
I went back and looked at my data from the last 6.5 CM I was loading for, and I was getting 3100 fps out of 100 grain TTSX's, and only 2850 fps. with 120 TTSX's and a miserable 2600 fps. with 143 ELD-X's. This was all with H4350. The only one I would have considered hunting with was the 100 grain TTSX's and I just wasn't that interested in flinging 100 grain monos at a 300 lb. critter in nasty north woods. So my .308 got the job all last season, with a few trips toting the 30-30 for nostalgia's sake.
I would seriously consider the 124 Hammer Hunter. I used 130 TTSX in my 270 win, got 2900-3000 fps out of it. 126 HH I am getting 3240 fps and way better terminal performance.
15 ish years ago California said we had to use em and every deer I had shot till then was with a core locker and had gone less than 100 yards. First one shot with a solid we spent half the day looking for. 30 entrance and exit. 200 ish yards with 160 something Gr solid out of a 30-06. Mv was in the 28’s I’m guessing. A year or two in the consensus was to shoot em in the shoulder to get em to expand. Supposedly the technology is better now. But I still remember pulling the ticks from 4 hours of blood trailing thru a jungle.
Well at this point I've stepped away (for the 3rd time) from the 6.5 CM, having sold my last barrel just days ago. Still have a bunch of components that I might sell and might keep, depending on how I feel any given day. I can see a situation if I ever have grandkids (still waiting!) that I may want to hand one a 6.5 CM and load for it, but for me personally I've lost interest in the round. Like you, I was getting much higher velocities from Hammers and could push them pretty good. 131's from my 7mm-08 at 3100 fps were lightning on the two deer I shot with them. Great bullets.
and yet they are both available in 6.5 and in loaded 6.5 ammo, so we're not the only ones who have considered them.
SST is generally a really expansive (explosive?) bullet, even more so than ELDX and ELDM. I know those have problems in close range, high velocity scenarios. For example, my brother shot a bull with a 145 ELDX (270 Win) at around 80-90 yds this year and the bullet didn't exit.
Magic pixie dust indeed. Combined w/ the 139's is a pretty accurate/fast combo @ 200m.Agree. The magic pixie dust..
I’m using it in my 22CM’s, and both my 6.5 SAUM’s and both 6.5 PRC’s.
I use 139’s also, getting 3060fps with my lightweight PRC that has a 20” barrel(suppressed).
I’m glad I squirreled a bunch of it away before it became almost impossible to find.
Nice buck.
You are missing the point. The ELDX requires far less impact velocity for reliable upset and expansion than a TSX or other mono bullet. In addition, it has a higher BC and will retain down range velocity much better. So to compare the MV between them is rather meaningless.
Still waiting.
I think everyone knows the ELD-X requires far less impact velocity, unless they've been living under a rock. I think everyone also knows the ELD-X has a much higher BC.
You can keep waiting. I owe you nothing, especially when you come into a discussion swinging insults and providing no real value.
I shot my whitetail buck this year at 75-80 yards with a 140gr. Nosler Accubond out of a 7mm Rem Mag at around 3200 fps right on the point of the front shoulder. No exit and the deer was very, very dead. Though I'd swear the bullet just about evaporated, never found it when skinning or butchering. I think it can happen with pretty much anything going real fast and real short range.
