I just read a piece on loading the 6.5x55 with monolithic bullets (I think they were Barnes X�s), the point being that the bullet is too long and won�t stabilize with todays rifling (hope I got that right). There is some talk of outlawing bullets containing lead (EU bullshit...) which then would make monos the only option.

Has anybody tried Rhinos or the like in light calibers? Is this only a problem in the 6.5?

I have used the Rhino bullets on game and they perform very well, I have bee unable to retrieve any of their bullets, so don't know how they expanded but from what I have experienced they work very well, this was in a 270 Win at 2850 fps, they go through Kudu on side shots, have to say I have only shot Kudu cows with the Rhino bullets, the bulls was with Noslers, but that was only buy chance.

I will even be prepared to take on eland with them given a decent shot and angle.

cewe,
Is this information available on the internet? I would be interested in reading it especially regarding the 6.5x55.

I have on hand three bullets as follows;

Lapua Scenar 139gr = 1.37 inch long [34.798mm]
Barnes XLC 140gr = 1.358 inch long [34.4932mm]
Hornady Spire Point 140gr+1.25 inch long [31.75]

I've not shot the Barnes XLC yet but the Lapua Scenar shoots very well. [This in my Tikka with an 8" twist rate]

Les

cewe:

You might want to look at GS Custom bullets. I believe they make 6.5mm (.264)monolithic hollow point in lighter weights resulting in a shorter overall bullet length.

Go to www.gscustom.co.za then click on their HV bullet line.
Gina and Gerard have been very helpful to me.

I use their FN solids in my .458WM and am very pleased with the results.

Good luck.

RCG

LHowell: If I could only remember which mag I saw it in! It was a Swedish hunting journal and they had pictures of bullets going sideways through paper. Maybe one of the house Swedes can help me on that one -it was quite recently. The Scenar shoots well but is a FMJ, I�ve used Lapua megas for hunting and they are fine.

I�ll look into the GS bullets.

ErikD: Vismuth is crap! I�ve used them and they pattern badly and are only (semi-)effective out to 20 meters. Steel is better but you need a bigger shotsize and a magnum load. The EU is a pain in the butt with all they�re European quotas and nosying into everything. I voted NO to the EU back in the 90�s.

Cewe,

I do not reload the 6.5mm but in all other calibers I have tried, you can simply reduce the bullet weight one standard bullet weight, and stabilize a monometal or "half-monometal" with bonded front and solid base.

In your caliber that would mean going from 160 grain down to 140 grain.

If you measure the two bullets length you will see what I mean. For instance a 450 grain .458 is about as long as a conventional 500 grain.

A very quick twist will help but I could not stabilize a 500 grain Barnes X from a 1-10 twist (std twist 1-14), at 2380 fps (std velocity about 2,000 fps), when firing into a stop box of plywood boards or a series of 5 gallon buckets of water. They always turned over 180 degrees like a spitzer FMJ.

Probably a good idea to drop down one bullet weight even if it will fit.

Andy

Andy about nailed it....I would not concern myself with lead core bullets being censored, it will not happen, no basis for it....Lead got shot down because the ducks were eating it and got lead poisoning, and I chalk that down to a over reaction on the Govts part, as is SOP....

Erik

It seems they get away with everything, and everybody just have to say yes thank you, bloody hell when will this shit stop, if lead was poisoning me my Father and our whole family would have been dead, I grew up on a farm and ate loads of game, and my father did not shoot for the head, so we got pretty much lead in I suppose, and I am still here and so is my father, I am not saying it is good, just not something to get your panties in a knot, some people should grow up and keep themselves busy with important things, people is dying of hunger and they are fucking about with things like this and foxhunting. Sorry for the words but things like this pisses me of, even If a live very far away, but I worked in England for 2 years and got the same feelings when reading your mail, al the best may friend.

Cheers

Flip

Erik,
I wasn't taking into consideration that we were talking about your country, sorry, and thanks for the heads up..

I have a great fear of the liberal left that will do anything to bring their agenda into being, they are the least liberal fellows I know, its gotta be their way of life or nothing....

Right now in the USA its nothing, they have been spanked very hard, but they still exist and now their agenda is to attack our morals, our Christain faith and to chip us down piece by piece until our guns are confiscated, just like they have done in Canada to some very nice folks, but they did it, We have to be on our guard against these folks like the lovelys in Hollywood........If the Talaban would just bomb Hollywood we could call it tie and rejoice.

My theory is that people that have a need to fix things that aren�t broken essentially have anal personalities (obsessive, small minded, meticulous...) and they seem to enjoy making other peoples lives miserable...

Every country has them -here a lot of them get lobby in the EU and make a mess of everything from agriculture to hunting to how bent a cucumber is allowed to be (I�m not shitting! there are regulations for this type of thing the sad thing is that my tax money pays for it).

What has this got to do with Africa?

Take Kenya and look at the state of things: They outlawed hunting and more or killed off all the animals through strange regulations etc. Same thing almost happened in Tanzania and the issue of the Kruger Park elephants is the same sort of people in action: Where they should be seeing a problem they see a chance to make some new laws.

Think I�m in over my head here...