6.5mm bullet preferences

75

Well-Known Member
What's your preference, ideally around 120gn? Just about to start reloading for 260 and wondering what people's choice of bullet was... Generally used nosler BT in the 243 and like them so thinking not a bad place to start. Won't ask for load data - will check the manuals ;)
 
I am a big fan of the 120gr NBT from my 260, MV is about 2875fps. I shoot mostly Sika and Fallow, kills very well without a huge amount of meat damage.

I also really like the 125gr Partition, very effective, but I came to the conclusion that they were not worth the extra cost and effort to maintain a supply.

I have also used 120gr Sierra SPBT's and 129gr SST's, didn't particularly like either, both are too soft in my view.

108gr Lapua Scenar's are great fun for long range gong's etc, they were very accurate, but I wouldn't use them on deer, had a few clean pass throughs that showed no evidence of expansion.
 
I like Hornady bullets and currently have 123 gr A-Max (N160) for practice and 129 gr SP (N165) for stalking. I also use 140 gr A-Max for paper at longer ranges.

I'm also seeking advice on which Barnes copper bullet is suitable for stalking.

Regards

JCS
 
In my 47l im using 120 prohunters, spfb, theyre accurate to 300y, loose out to boat tails after that. They can be messy at very close range, 2821 fps mv.

ballistic tips were consistent killers, 120 @ 2820 fps and 100's at 3070fps. Good on kill zone size targets out to 500y. Damage was acceptable at all ranges.

ive just bought 600 120 amax to run the new rifle in..
 
Another sierra Prohunter 120 user. Same POI and holdover as my 120gn target load (Sierra 120 HPBT) so don't have to mess around with it. Ragged hole at 100yds.
 
120grain nosler bt's, meat damage can be excessive at closer ranges but generally acceptable and good accuracy.
John
 
I've run 120gr PPU and Nosler BT's out to 900yds with the Creedmoor; no problems with accuracy with either bullet.
 
I used the old Nosler Solid Base lead tipped 6.5mm 120 grain bullet in the 264 Win Mag . That was about the time they cut that line out and went full tilt Ballistic Tip . Anyway I used the plain base a couple years and it worked very nicely on whitetails . Then I transitioned to the 120 Ballistic Tip and it worked pretty well also . I did however shoot one at a rather acute angle that skipped along the ribs and never entered the chest cavity and I had to shoot it again .

Later when I got the first 260 REM to come in our county I used the 120 BT , this was even before 260 loading data was available . Anyway I hammered three bucks and a doe or two the first year . The second year the performance was not quite as good maybe based on shot placement I'm not sure . But over the next year I tried every 6.5mm bullet available at that time and settled on the Nosler 125 Partition . That would have been 1998 I believe , anyway I've used the 125 Partition EXCLUSIVELY in that gun since then . The 125 Partition bullet is an excellent killing bullet and if my memory serves the smallest three shot group I ever shot with that rifle was done with handloaded 125 Partitions .

About 15 years ago I got my second 264 Win Mag and used the Barnes X Bullet 130 grainer and it did a wonderfull job on paper and deer . Later in another 264 Win Mag I tried the Barnes 130 TSX as well as the Hornady 129 SST and they worked great again on paper and deer .

When I got my first 6.5-06 I went with the 129 SST . Three shots at 100 yards averaged a hair less then 1/2 MOA . With that gun I shot 4 times at 4 deer and killed 4 deer . When I built the second 6.5-06 this past year I tried the 129 SST and the Berger 130 VLD Match Hunting and both of these were easily under 1/2 MOA . Shot the Berger bullet three times this season and ended up with two dead deer and a dead fox . Oh I failed to mention my present 264 Win Mag a Ruger #1B killed a couple deer 3 or 4 years ago with 129 SST's and now I have it shooting Berger 130 VLD Hunting .

My old Swedish Mauser Military rifle is doing wonderfully with Hornady 140 SST and 39 grains of IMR4350 . With open military sights this one is doing 5 shots in half an inch at 50 yards . Sorry my eyes are shyte for open sights at 100 yards on paper .
Have a Jap Arisaka full mil gun in 6.5x50 that seems to really like the Honrady 129 SST factory loads . I would not bother with this one except it's a war prize my maternal grandfather brought back n 1946 . So I'll kill a deer with it and maybe shoot paper later .

My new big idea is to build myself a 26 Nosler on a nice old magnum long action 700 . When I get this accomplished I plan on using the Berger 130 VLD Match Hunting but that could be a way down the road as I've not gotten my hands on a reamer or gauges yet .
 
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I used the old Nosler Solid Base lead tipped 6.5mm 120 grain bullet in the 264 Win Mag . That was about the time they cut that line out and went full tilt Ballistic Tip . Anyway I used the plain base a couple years and it worked very nicely on whitetails . Then I transitioned to the 120 Ballistic Tip and it worked pretty well also . I did however shoot one at a rather acute angle that skipped along the ribs and never entered the chest cavity and I had to shoot it again .

Later when I got the first 260 REM to come in our county I used the 120 BT , this was even before 260 loading data was available . Anyway I hammered three bucks and a doe or two the first year . The second year the performance was not quite as good maybe based on shot placement I'm not sure . But over the next year I tried every 6.5mm bullet available at that time and settled on the Nosler 125 Partition . That would have been 1998 I believe , anyway I've used the 125 Partition EXCLUSIVELY in that gun since then . The 125 Partition bullet is an excellent killing bullet and if my memory serves the smallest three shot group I ever shot with that rifle was done with handloaded 125 Partitions .

About 15 years ago I got my second 264 Win Mag and used the Barnes X Bullet 130 grainer and it did a wonderfull job on paper and deer . Later in another 264 Win Mag I tried the Barnes 130 TSX as well as the Hornady 129 SST and they worked great again on paper and deer .

When I got my first 6.5-06 I went with the 129 SST . Three shots at 100 yards averaged a hair less then 1/2 MOA . With that gun I shot 4 times at 4 deer and killed 4 deer . When I built the second 6.5-06 this past year I tried the 129 SST and the Berger 130 VLD Match Hunting and both of these were easily under 1/2 MOA . Shot the Berger bullet three times this season and ended up with two dead deer and a dead fox . Oh I failed to mention my present 264 Win Mag a Ruger #1B killed a couple deer 3 or 4 years ago with 129 SST's and now I have it shooting Berger 130 VLD Hunting .

My old Swedish Mauser Military rifle is doing wonderfully with Hornady 140 SST and 39 grains of IMR4350 . With open military sights this one is doing 5 shots in half an inch at 50 yards . Sorry my eyes are shyte for open sights at 100 yards on paper .
Have a Jap Arisaka full mil gun in 6.5x50 that seems to really like the Honrady 129 SST factory loads . I would not bother with this one except it's a war prize my maternal grandfather brought back n 1946 . So I'll kill a deer with it and maybe shoot paper later .

My new big idea is to build myself a 26 Nosler on a nice old magnum long action 700 . When I get this accomplished I plan on using the Berger 130 VLD Match Hunting but that could be a way down the road as I've not gotten my hands on a reamer or gauges yet .


Plenty info going on there to be pondering over thanks for sharing your experiences, this has become quite an interesting thread (for 6.5 users anyhow).

George.
 
120g Sierra Prohunters & 120g Speer, again flat base, both have the same zero, this with 46g of Vit N160
 
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