6.5x55 Terminal Ballistics

[25 Sharps]

6.5x55 exit hole in a red hind! Shot by one of our party in Scotland back in Jan

View attachment 77246

Did she run far ?

 

[Yorkie]

6.5x55 exit hole in a red hind! Shot by one of our party in Scotland back in Jan

View attachment 77246

Hi Adrian.
May I ask what the bullet was please?

 

[Cloudhopper]

My experience last year with red stags was of using a .308 130gr Hornady SP running at about 2600 fps, and all three dropped pretty much on the spot or near. So, lighter bullet doing a decent speed (from a short 16" barrel at least!), and full expansion. Same with a roebuck last year too - 2.5/3" exit hole. It still ran some 50 yards even though it was a perfect heart and lung shot. I'm thinking that there must be a relationship between bullet diameter, weight and length that I could take from the .308 130gr bullet and apply a downsizing formula via a ratio for the 6.5mm. I reckon it will come out at in the region of 100-120gr. Make sense?!?

The reason I wasn't happy this year was that that final bullet did not expand one bit. Not at all. This is partly due to shot placement I agree, but the .308 load from the year before would still have expanded nicely even though I shot too far forward.

I use .308 Hornady 130gr SP over 46 grains of N135 running at 2900fps. People seem to think they're too soft and messy; that's not my experience.
CH

 

[jackfish]

6.5x55 exit hole in a red hind! Shot by one of our party in Scotland back in Jan

View attachment 77246

I'd love to know what bullet caused an exit wound like that.

 

[Mungo]

I'd love to know what bullet caused an exit wound like that.

I've shot roe deer at 80 yards with .270 130gr ballistic tips, and they made less of a hole than that! Astonishing. Just goes to show that just about anything can happen.

 

[tarponhead]

Tank shell?

 

[jackfish]

Any pictures of the entry wound? Something completely out of sorts there!

 

[adriandavidb]

Did she run far ?

I understand not far!

 

[adriandavidb]

Hi Adrian.
May I ask what the bullet was please?

I'll ask and mail u

 

[adriandavidb]

I'd love to know what bullet caused an exit wound like that.

ditto

 

[adriandavidb]

Any pictures of the entry wound? Something completely out of sorts there!

entry wound was normal size as I recall

 

[jackfish]

Astonishing the things that can happen with a bullet!

 

[Milligan]

6.5x55 exit hole in a red hind! Shot by one of our party in Scotland back in Jan

View attachment 77246

This was shot with a 120gr Nosler BT [FONT=&amp]Part# 26120 - the hunting variety.
[/FONT]Load was 40.5gr N150 so not lightspeed by any means.

Nothing untoward about the shot, it was an uphill broadside with slight quarter at circa 140yds and no, it didn't go far.
The hole looks worse than it was as it's been trimmed out bit it did smash all of the ribs and bust all the internal organs quite badly.
Entry hole was unremarkable and it didn't hit any heavy bones.

Funny old game, I suppose sometimes bullets can just behave unpredictably.

 

[NigelM]

I gave up using Nos BT's. 50% of the Roe I chest shot ended up with a punctured diaphragm and a messy carcass. Big holes were not uncommon, although not as big as the one in the picture above! It was a 120 BT from a 6.5 Lapua at 2960 fps so nothing extraordinary. I ended up aiming forward into the shoulders to avoid the mess at the back but then just ended up loosing the shoulders.

There are better bullets out there.

 

[Milligan]

I gave up using Nos BT's. 50% of the Roe I chest shot ended up with a punctured diaphragm and a messy carcass. Big holes were not uncommon, although not as big as the one in the picture above! It was a 120 BT from a 6.5 Lapua at 2960 fps so nothing extraordinary. I ended up aiming forward into the shoulders to avoid the mess at the back but then just ended up loosing the shoulders.

There are better bullets out there.

Agreed
Switched back to the 120gr Prohunter after this.

 

[Scarlet]

This was shot with a 120gr Nosler BT Part# 26120 - the hunting variety.
Load was 40.5gr N150 so not lightspeed by any means.

Nothing untoward about the shot, it was an uphill broadside with slight quarter at circa 140yds and no, it didn't go far.
The hole looks worse than it was as it's been trimmed out bit it did smash all of the ribs and bust all the internal organs quite badly.
Entry hole was unremarkable and it didn't hit any heavy bones.

Funny old game, I suppose sometimes bullets can just behave unpredictably.

What was the barrel dimension/gun Millie that you used the 40.5g of N150 load data in?

 

[Milligan]

Blaser r93 so 22 3/4" I think.

 

[smokey]

i never use anything heavier than 120gr bullets in my 6.5 use 6.5 skan reloading data for a modern rifle if it is appropriate i do not use factory ammo in the 6.5 as the velocity is to low due to old rifles if these guidelines are followed i find the 6.5 calibre a really good calibre remember bullets kill not calibre 6.5 bullets need to be driven fast enough to do there job chose the right bullet and get the velocity right and the 6.5 will work as well as any other bullet