More Bullet Questions- Hornaday 160grn Round Nosed Soft Points for .264/6.5?

Sam

Well-Known Member
What do people think of the above for UK deer species. A freind in Norway uses them on everything from Beaver :)shock:) to Moose. At the moment Im mainly shooting roe, but one like to be able to knock anything down I come accross, especially as Im plannign a trip on red stags later this year. I quite like the idea of having "one gun one load" as its reduces faf. it was 100grn soft points for the .243 for everything. Range will be more than 200m most of the time, but would like to think it would still knock them down at longer ranges.

Would the meat damage be bad?

I assume they drop stuff quickly?

How quick could they go?

Are round nosed bullets an advantage/disadvantage?


Thanks Folks

Sam


(Reposting in General because nothing seems to be happening in Ballistics :D)
 
Sam, you need Njc from this site or Drovers from the Pigeon Watch site. Drovers uses them for everything and belive he got Njc using them too before he went all p.c. on us and started using copper.

I have never used them on deer, but have seen a boar dropped on the spot by a 156gn Oryx. People tell me they are hard to get to meet the scottish energy/speed requirements for reds and sika, but I think judicious home loading would cure that.

ft
 
I had some 173gn round nosed soft points for the 7x65R - what is available commercially. Shot a couple of beasts and they dropped instantly. Admittadely have now loaded up 140gn Hornady soft point spitzer bullet.
 
Well I shot one Roe doe using a handload with the Hornady 160 Grn RN and it poleaxed her. Trouble is that the offside, yes the exit side, shoulder was completly bloodshot so I didn't use them on Roe again. My load was using 44.0 Grains of reloader 19 and a WLR. Whilst it was safe in my rifle you had betetr work up to it. That load gave around 2400fps in a 22" barrel. Oh it was very accurate :D I had used heavier loads but this was gave the best accuracy in that rifle.
 
One of the places I shoot roe the cover is very very thick, so "poleaxing" might be a good idea, I lost a perfect heart/lung shot buck because (up for debate) it was shot with a 100grn soft point .243, it ran into the re-stock and was never seen again [it was definatly dead because the shot was watched and the colour of the blood] I only call on the services of a hound if the buck is wounded, our agreement) so if I can find a load that stops them running it might be worth giving it a go!


To be abit cheeky :)D) does anybody have a few Hornaday 160grn round nosed soft point bullets gathering dust that they would give (maybe for a donation) to me to try? I only really want a dozen at most to see if they work/rifle likes them etc.

Or am I better going for the 14grn pointy ones :D?


Thanks

Sam
 
Sam,
What are you shooting? is it a 6.5x55 or a 264WM?
There is no doubt that the round nose will not do as much damage as the standard spire points or NBT'S.
As a long range bullet You would be more suited to one of the more sleeker designs, rather than the round nose, which has the BC of a building brick.
For close range combat the 160gn Hornady would reign supreme over the more frangible bullets..
Beyond 200yds I think that energy levels and velocity would be severely impaired, unless you are shooting the 264WM.
6.5x55 has it limitations as do all calibers, but its low velocity makes you need to choose your bullets carefully.
At standard loadings there are several bullets on the market that will not work with low velocity, I'm afraid there is no one gun does it all, no matter what caliber..


regards
Griff
 
This bullet wwas the classic 6.5 x 54 MS "pill". The older stalkers considered it top rate "medicine" as it gave a good kill and at a velocity such that you could hear if the hit was good when it eventually arrived at the deer.

Unfortunately certain morons in a well known Deer Society killed off the 6.5 x 54 MS with that weight bullet as, at 2,359fps (or thereabouts) it was too slow for the deer legislation they pressed for and got passed by Parliament.

The only "caveat" is that sometimes long round nosed bullets can in a "fluke" shot if they don't expand as they should turn almost 90 degrees in any target.

I wouldn't worry about that with your Hornady bullet as it isn't bonded construction but some here say that the bonded SAKO Hammerhead had that reputation in round nose 155 grain 270 offering.
 
Sorry Griff.

Rifle will be a Tikka T3 Lite Stainless in 6.5x55SWED 22" barrel, and PES mod (if that makes any differnece).



Thanks

Sam
 
To be abit cheeky :)D) does anybody have a few Hornaday 160grn round nosed soft point bullets gathering dust that they would give (maybe for a donation) to me to try? I only really want a dozen at most to see if they work/rifle likes them etc.

Or am I better going for the 14grn pointy ones :D?


Thanks

Sam

yes mate got about 80 in the ammo safe , i found them very accurate on the range and mushroomed perfectly , but never got the chance to use them on live quary !

drop me a pm and we can sort it out !

cheeers lee
 
I have used 155gn Megas through my 6.5 but only on paper and they aren't as loopy as you'd think but they are going to be a tricky round to get legal. my mate uses them exclusively in his 6.5 and takes everything from fox to moose with his.
Personally i'd be inclined towards a 140gn partition or similar if i wanted something a bit heavier construction, i'm using 129gn sst's at the moment but i'm not getting on with them very well and plan to swap to Sierra 120gn pro hunters.
I doubt that a 155 would 'knock a deer down' if it passed behind the shoulders and didn't hit bone on it's way through if i needed to drop them on the spot i'd look for something thats going to expand and leave a hole.
JMHO
Ezzy
 
I use the 156 RN for woodland stalking in my 6.5x55
polaxes everything with NO meat damage whatsoever.
Seems to fly true through light undergrowth to ( not suggesting you make a habit of this but its worth noting).
They are very acurate but rainbow somewhat so I limit them to 130m's or so.(far enough for most woodland scenarios any way)
Have some lapua Mega's 156's have field tested them yet only shot 1 roe with them and it was neck shot.
Not a round for the open hill or large arable fields but my favourite now for summer bucks among the knettles.
 
I use the 156 RN for woodland stalking in my 6.5x55
polaxes everything with NO meat damage whatsoever.
Seems to fly true through light undergrowth to ( not suggesting you make a habit of this but its worth noting).
They are very acurate but rainbow somewhat so I limit them to 130m's or so.(far enough for most woodland scenarios any way)

Not a round for the open hill or large arable fields but my favourite now for summer bucks among the knettles.

Ahhh John I have just the thing for your nettlesome problem. I just found some 220 grain RN 8mm's hidden in the back of the cabinet. We discussed the 8mm Mauser you'll remember :D or perhaps some nice long 220 Grain RN .308's. Also have some Remington 175 Gn Pointed 7mm bullets I brought back from the US to try in the Boer Mausers but never got around to it :oops:.

Sam, Sierra used to, not sure if they still do, make a 160 RN grain semi round nose bullet although I have never used them. I originally brought the 160's to use in the 6.5x53R to duplicate the original loading as it has express sights and needed something that would shoot to said sights and the Hornady fitted the bill. Of course than I just had to try them in the Swede ;).
 
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