That’s pretty poor, I was able to hit 4000 FPS with the 30 gr version out of a .223!
.243 velocity
- Thread starter Steve123
- Start date
2550 with a 120 is plenty to kill a deer and the Nosler NBT is a soft bullet so will expand still. My buddy uses them in Grendel at that speed and the kill his fallow bucks just fine.
Hell they use .222 in NZ for reds!
I sure wasn't impressed but I no longer use that projectile mainly due to drop issues compared to the 50grn VMAX.
Yeah I know, but it’s a marginal round, especially for myself who shoots large woodland reds and sika in thick Sitka. Start pushing the range slightly and lose another several hundred fps and it’s really looking fairly anemic. If every bullet placed was perfect then we could all use a .222 for everything, but alas I think anyone who’s killing a few beasties makes a mess of it, and the extra ft lbs can bail you out slightly. The 6.5x55 has a slightly dodgy rep with pro stalkers for being a good gun to train your dog on, and the reason is crappy low velocity factory Ammo. Hand loaded it’s a different beast, powerful, flat shooting, hard hitting with minimal recoil.
If a factory barrel is manufactured on the upper side of diameter tolerance then pressure is reduced and produces less speed. Nothing to do with home loading except one might find that loading manuals seem to quote higher speeds than achieved with such a barrel. Tight bore is the opposite as sometimes used in some 308 Palma/FTR barrels. Even Lothar Walther offers tight bore 308. Non CIP?
My guess is that rifles that claim tactical or police are somewhat better in barrel tolerance. Just a guess. I had two T3 CTR rifles that produced the same or within 3-4fps av of each other with the same box of factory ammo.
edi
I use the 50 v-max out of the .223 AI, great little bullet
Don’t disagree on ft-lb buying margin for error but the Nosler ammo is loaded to modern pressures I believe.
I know the x55 fairly well as I’ve loaded for one for 6 years now and owned one slightly longer. It’s a great calibre and improved by home loading. needs a longer than fashionable barrel to take advantage of the case capacity and slower powders
Erik Hamburger
Well-Known Member
To anybody who has just entered the fascinating world of deer stalking I would advice to forget any of the above, it could put some people off! The black-art of home-loading and load development is something to worry about when we get another lock-in and the weather is bad. I got a head-ache reading some of those numbers...
Don't worry about it, and just buy a standard 100 -ish Gr factory loaded Soft Point cartridge, and if you hit a deer in the right spot (your margin of error is around 4-6 inches...) it will be dead.
Don't worry about it, and just buy a standard 100 -ish Gr factory loaded Soft Point cartridge, and if you hit a deer in the right spot (your margin of error is around 4-6 inches...) it will be dead.
Sonicdmb73
Well-Known Member
Unless you are in Scotland and it’s a legal requirement. You would be better off with 80 to 95 grain bullets in the standard twist 243. There are plenty of suitable ones for deer that would likely give better accuracy.
Reloading is not a black art either try reading Richard Lee’s Modern Reloading a couple of times. So you have the process straight and you can load decent ammunition.
At least European ammunition is loaded to CIP values. Which values are you thinking of hand loading to? Not sure if all US ammo is loaded to the lower SAAMI spec. I don't think the CIP values are the issue but more the issue that some European 6.5x55 ammo uses bullets to have enough penetration on Moose/Elch, this is of course completely wrong for Roe or our smaller deer. Yes, this creates great dog training ammo. Load to CIP with say ELDX bullets and the result is not much different to a 6.5CM with our deer. Pressure of the 6.5x55 to the highest standard (CIP) is only 3800 bar vs the 6.5CM at 4350 bar. Some difference. A slightly longer barrel could make up for lower pressure of the 6.5x55 I presume.
BTW I don't think the 6.5x55 should be used for Moose/Elch sized animals, just not enough gun.
edi
Don’t get into home loading if there’s another lockdown as you need to be able to test your loads!
I don’t think anyone claims it’s a creedmoor killer, loaded full pressure it matches, or slightly exceeds, the creedmoor (using published data not silly hot loads off the internet)Careful there @ejg , the internet doesn't like it when you talk about their beloved Swede in that way, it's supposed to be a long action Creedmoor Killer!
Wait till they say it beats the 6.5 PRC
Nosler Load Data
Explore the world of Nosler, renowned for crafting the finest bullets, ammunition, rifles, and brass. Discover our extensive lineup, including Partition, AccuBond, E-Tip, Ballistic Tip, Custom Competition, and more. Experience superior quality and performance with Nosler products.
load-data.nosler.com
Nosler Load Data
Explore the world of Nosler, renowned for crafting the finest bullets, ammunition, rifles, and brass. Discover our extensive lineup, including Partition, AccuBond, E-Tip, Ballistic Tip, Custom Competition, and more. Experience superior quality and performance with Nosler products.
load-data.nosler.com
but don’t let facts get in the way of your blinkered opinion
243 fallow
Well-Known Member
Probably not the bullet speed that accounted for your runners......The only factory ammo I found to be on the nose for velocity was sako factory in 6.5x55, albeit through my 26” barrel. I chronographed some hornardy super performance and it was 150fps slower than advertised which made sense as I got a lot of runners, again that’s through a long barrel!
I’m now on hand loads
You don’t think so? What was the issue then? With tame factory loads in a loading notorious for runners, on large deer, that subsequently were replaced with hot-ish home loads that result in no runnners?
Do enlighten.
243 fallow
Well-Known Member
accuracey and shot placement is what kills, the 150fps you claim to have lost wouldn’t matter unless of course your shooting deer out past 500yds and I doubt that any way.
Sonicdmb73
Well-Known Member
I suppose it is possible with some copper bullets. But unlikely with lead cup and core. They do tend to have a wide range of velocity they work at.
Definitely a case of putting the bullet in the right place.
An old farmer I used to help told me .22lr was all you needed for Roe. Just put it in the right place lad. Apparently the deer act was just an inconvenience in his thinking.
I have just shot a hind tonight that ran 10 yards with my new chosen home load. She went down hard snapping a gorse bush in half lol! Last year on factory, in almost the same place at a similar range I had one go nearly 150 yards. Both double lunged, unaware of my presence, and no major should bones struck. The 150fps is subtracted from an already fairly paltry 2750fps claimed by the manufacturer. And that’s through a 26” barrel, god knows what it’d be doing in a 21”!!!
The terminal ballistics article about the swede more eloquently portrays what I’m attempting to say.
