6.5x55 Norma 120gr Ballistic Tip factory Ammo

[Rusty Pilgrim]

Hi Folks,
Just joined yesterday and looking to do some stalking again in the near future. I have a Sako 75 Finnlight that groups brilliant with .5 moa. Well pleased with it on target but haven't used it on deer yet. I used a .308 on deer in the past with 150gr SP and so have no experience of BTs on deer. Just wondered if anyone had used the 120gr BTs as I've heard the various opinions of meat damage etc.
Thanks,

RP

 

[fletcher]

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[Tikka 260]

I used the Norma Factory 120 Gn BT loads in the early stages with my 6.5x55, and couldnt get better than 3/4 MOA , ( Also IMHO these are expensive rounds) and so continued to reload using Lapua brass, Fed GM210 primers , 49 Gns RL22, seated at 25 thou off the lands, this gives better than 1/2 MOA all day every day, and better if I am doing it properly. The MV is 2850fps, which is not quick, and I do not get excessive meat damage. However , any chest shot is broadside on, so I get clean entry and exit wounds, and a clearly visible outshot. This load has performed well on Roe and Fallow, and no reason to suppose it is not good for Reds also. Foxes hate it !

Don't replicate the loads without working up to it, watching for pressure signs IF you elect to go this route.

T260

 

[Scuttlebuttin]

Welcome onboard.

Check out scotspine on here, he has some good recipes for 140 grains Sierra Gamekings and R19.

Cheers


Alan(KG)

 

[smullery]

I've played around with most of the Norma 6.5 x 55 rounds and settled on the 156gr Oryx.

Use it on Roe and Red here and everything upto Kudu in Africa.

Reckon it gives least meat damage on Roe compared to the 120gr BT and 140 gr NP.

Stan

 

[Rusty Pilgrim]

Thanks for the replies lads. T260, not reloading at present but have the dies and will work towards your load as a starter when I get going.

My doubts were to the loads effectiveness and meat damage having heard differing stories. I'll try it out on fallow soon all being well. Stan - I tried the Oryx as well and the groups were much larger (light barrel or twist rate?) and settled on the 120grs purely on paper results at present. Point taken re africa though larger game demands the heavier head and probably makes a larger group less of an issue all else being equal?
Thanks. RP

 

[smullery]

RP,

As a hunter I'm only interested in the first bullet doing the job. I decided to pick one bullet for my Sako 85 and stick to it. Make it do everything. 150M zero.

I've shot springbok out to 340 M with a 28" holdover. Frightening.

Yes, I can be one or two inches off where i would ideally like the bullet to hit but that's me, not the bullet. I used to zero prone or off a bench. Couldn't replicate in the field. Now check zero off sticks. One shot and if it's in a 4" diameter "bull" around where I ideally want it then it's a kill.

Stan

 

[JAYB]

RP,


Yes, I can be one or two inches off where i would ideally like the bullet to hit but that's me, not the bullet. I used to zero prone or off a bench. Couldn't replicate in the field. Now check zero off sticks. One shot and if it's in a 4" diameter "bull" around where I ideally want it then it's a kill.

Stan

Stan,

I think you deserve this weeks Mr sensible award. Zero your rifle off a bench by all means but then practice under field conditions, sticks etc get the zero in the kill zone, cannot be improved upon IMHO.

John

 

[jingzy]

"Now check zero off sticks"

The whole point of zeroing your rifle prone or off a bench is to prove the set up you have with the bullets that you are going to use. If you are spreading them around 4 inches there is something far wrong!!

It is ok in field conditions, but not when zeroing or checking your set-up.

 

[smullery]

Jingzy,

To me "zeroing" is going to a range and shooting a three or four shot group using some sort of firm support such as bags, rests or bipod. Taking time and consistantly trying to repeat the same action. Then make any adjustment on the scope. Then repeat until satisfied.

This I rarely have the opportunity to do.

"Check zero" to me is a single shot at the beginning of a stalking trip to satisfy myself that nothing dramatic has happened to my setup. I choose to replicate the actions I would be using in the field, not on the range. Being "within 2" of intended impact point" at 150 M is still in the kill zone.

Stan

 

[www.yorkshireroestalking.]

balistic tips

excellent knock down but suffer from bad bruising.
i only allow clients to use plastic points if they are going to buy the carcass,s as i struggle to sell them.
soft points get the job done with much less damage.
nosler partitions get my vote every time.

 

[smullery]

Forgot to mention but I'm only interested in where the first bullet goes out of a cold barrel.

I've yet to find a use for a clover leaf pattern formed by bullets 2, 3 and 4

Stan

 

[Dalua]

Forgot to mention but I'm only interested in where the first bullet goes out of a cold barrel.

I've yet to find a use for a clover leaf pattern formed by bullets 2, 3 and 4

Stan

When hind-stalking, bullets 2,3 and 4 might all be bullet 1 at hinds 2,3 and 4. That's the way I justify my irrational delight at getting the bullet-holes close together on the range.

My experience with a Finnlight is that Norma 120gr BTs were, as you've found, very accurate. The deer went down quickly and convincingly, but meat damage was serious and exit-wounds not invariable.

Subsequently I tried Norma 140gr Nosler Partitions. Groups up to a little over 1" at 100yds. Expansion on hinds limited, but invariably an exit wound.

I'm going to get hold of some RWS Cone-Point stuff to see whether that occupies the middle ground in terms of expansion.

On the subject of meat damage, my view tends to be that you can't make an omlette without breaking a eggs, and I'd rather have a more damaged deer dead than a less-damaged one running away. Even allowing for this rather game-dealer-unfriendly view, I have reservations about the ballistis tips, the remainder of which will be used for fox-shooting.

Dalua

 

[buck52]

in my experience, with 120 grn BT's in a 6.5x55, you will blow deer to **** & windows 9 times out of 10, and be picking bits of copper & lead out of the meat.

 

[Rusty Pilgrim]

Thanks for all the replies lads. I agree with the sentiments regarding groups etc. Only had 1 fallow so far with a fair bit of bruising to report. My mate has also had the same several times and so I'm moving onto soft points for next season.

As to use in Africa, well I now have a 375 for that but thats another story!

Cheers,

RP

 

[sako85]

I use these all the time from Reds to Muntjac and find them an excellent choice. No excessive carcas damage and seems to be a good "stopper".

Quite pricey, im paying £36 a box.

 

[dj]

yep
i tried the 6.5x55 120 grain normas ballistic tips in my manlicher, good fast round but found didnt group well out to 100 yds, stablised after that and was not bad 150 + yds as for meat damage i did a roe doe in jan and was not impressed with the meat damage, although my rifle seems to like 130grns, soft points and kills very well with them, i am still looking to flatten the tragectory a bit more, so experimenting a bit would welcome any ideas from anyone else .