Best 6.5x55 bullet weight

NickJ

Well-Known Member
I'd be interested in your opinions guys. What bullet weight do you use in 6.5x55 and what hold over do you need to apply at 200 yards?

I use a 6.5x55 now for all of my stalking. That's mainly roe in woodland and forestry with some sika in forestry and reds on the hill. Ranges regularly out to 200 yards across clearfell and hinds on the hill.

As the only ones they had in the gun shop at the time were 156 grain Norma Vulkans I got those, however on the Norma app it said these drop 6.7 inches at 200 yards which means on a roe kid you are aiming over their back (I don't dial in.) I wondered if I was using the app was right so tried them on a target and they, indeed had dropped over 6 inches. Seems a bit loopy?

The gun shop now have in stock only 140 grain Federal and Winchester so not sure they'd be a lot better. Does anyone use 120/126/129 grain?

I used to use a .243 for everything bar red stags and with 100 grain ammo they'd only drop two inches at 200 yards.

Thanks in advance
 
Its best not to zero at 100 yds. Zero at a further distance to give you a better maximum point blank range (look up MPBR). This will help you a lot.
 
I use 139grain privvis,not loaded any for it yet:rolleyes: but i, like takbok says zeroed 1inch and a half on a 100,and i just point and shoot upto your distance, furthest ive tried was 300 on steel it drops fifteen inch at that,
 
156gn Norma Vulkans.. have ASV+ scope so set that to 170m.. that gives me point and shoot from 0-220m.. if I need more I can just dial it in
 
140gr gamekings 1" up at 100, 1" down at 200. If I'm shooting further I increase 100 to 2"
 
140gr Hornady SST.

Zeroed 2" high @100yds gives me PBR of 240yds - ie I aim at the 4" kill zone on roe anywhere 0-240yds and the bullet will be in it. I've not shot anything beyond 201yds though, but it worked a treat.

Crazy accurate, but can give meat damage, so if shooting for profit, be warned. I only shoot for my own freezer, so am more concerned with dropping my quarry into its own shadow, and just cut out anything damaged
 
I use 140grain sst and 140 grain gameking s to good affect , inch high at 100 around 1.5 inch low @200 yards
 
160 gr Hornady Interlock Round Nose are the favoured pill for my swede. Zeroed an inch and a half at 100yds gives me all I need. I load them up to a leisurely mv of 2480 fps - most accurate load I've developed and great in the Whitetail.
 
I've shot quite a few deer with various 6.5 mm bullets between 120 and 130 grains. See no need at all for 140gr and up for deer in a 6.5.

120gr Nosler BT should be the benchmark in my view.
 
Thanks all.

I'll be honest - the reason I zero 'on the mark' at 100/at 100 yards is that's the range we compete at on the local BDS branch shoots but I used to zero the .308 at 1.5" high at 100 so will revert to that (esp before the hill hinds) and look for some 120 something grain rounds.

My local gun shop only does 140 so doesn't seem worth changing for 16 grains so will shop around.

Nick
 
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I'm using the 120gr Sierra Prohunter at the moment - also ran them in my .260.
Good, easy to stabilise bullet with good flight characteristics.

The 140gr Gameking is also a good bullet, only reason I don't use it is it wants a different powder to get the best out of it.
 
I like bullets in the 130-140gr range in the 6.5x55. As others have said, change your zero to level things out a bit. 16 grains will make quite a difference to the trajectory at longer ranges I would say. Hornady SST are fantastic bullets.
 
I've used 120g Nosler BT's, 120g Pro Hunters, 129g SST's, 140g Interlocks and all did the job well in the 6.5x55, Nosler BT's and Hornady SST's can make a mess when hitting bone though!
 
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