Well I have experience with the 160s and several 6.5 mm calibers.

The 160 grain Sierra and Hornady work well, my preference being the Hornady.

Contrary to popular thinking about more velocity is better, you will find that the 160 RN moving at an MV of 2000 to 2100 fps will actually penetrate a lot farther than at the higher velocities.

I have pushed them to 2600 fps plus and had decent accuracy, but actually Slow speed and relying on high sectional density and round nose design is their secret to success.

If you are into velocity then go with the 140s or so.

RL 7 at 30 grains
IMR 3031 at 21 to 34 grains
IMR 4895 at 33 to 36 grains
IMR 4064 at 33 to 36 grains
RL 15 at 33 to 36 grains.

Those will give you a MV in the 2000 to 2250 fps range.

At 2250 fps, zero your scope 3.5 inches high at 100 yds and you will have a Max Point Blank range or about 230 to 240 yds with it on deer size critters.

I listed RL7 /30 grains first as that is the most accurate of all the loads that I have tried.

Good luck
Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

As a lot of guys on here are all too willing to tell you:



SEAFIRE IS NO EXPERT!



However he does have a lot of hunting experience and has taken an animal or two.



It is not a proven theory as it is contrary to what all the "arm chair experts" on the forum would say from reading in their library of books.



Howwever, minus the 416, when I carry a 30/06 or 7 x 57 in the field, :



I the 30/06 you will find me using 200 grain and 220 grain RN bullets. You will also find me whinning about Speer using to making a 200 grain RN and then they quit.



In the 7 x 57, you will find that I carry 160 grain or 175 grain round noses in that rifle. I don't complain about no 160 grain round noses as the Speer 160 grain Mag Tip works quite nicely.



In my 6.5 x 55, I am usually loading 140 grain Rem Corelokts.

I bought a bunch of them for a decent price and they have been both not only very accurate but also highly penetrating on game I have taken with them.,

HOWEVER, if Hornady still made 129 grain round noses and 140 grain Round Noses, you would find that I sure would have a lot of them in my drawers in the garage where I keep all of my bullets.



My 338.06 hits the field with 62 grains of H 380, and a 250 grain Hornady Round Nose loaded in it. Just for a change, I also carry 225 grain SP Hornadys and 250 grain Hornady RN with a charge of 50 grains of IMR 4064. However those rounds usually stay in my ammo box, and the 250 grain RN with the H 380 loads spend time in the gun magazine, looking for old HARRY ELKHORNS.



So it is not a theory to me, it is what I carry the most of!

I'll choose SD over Velocity as better killing potential any day of the week, and twice on Sunday.! Also love the performance of a good old round nose as you can tell.

Under 200 yds, I will take them over a SP anyday. Premium bullets just give what a RN does, only with a longer range and flatter trajectory in my opinion. I have a Nosler Reload Manual # 2 I recently acquired by a guy who grew up with Bob Nosler in Ashland Oregon. IN that manual alot of the Partitions are round nose or semi spitzer in configuration, like my favorite two partition bullets: the 160 grain 270 and the 220 grain 30 cal bullets. Common sense lost out to marketing and what people were buying based on gun writers and that desire to take animals at 500 yds instead of a more sane 250 yds or so. Just Seabiscuits opinion here.



Cheers and Good shooting

seafire

You may want to check on twist rates. There's a reason the Swede's used that 1 in 7.87" twist, to stabilize the 156gr round nose bullets. I've not heard of many people using the slower twist rates with the heavy bullets.

Eric

I am on my third Swede.

With regard to twist, I have found that a 1:8 twist will stabalise the both long 140 grain Barnes X and the Hornady 160 grain, but this twist rate will also give clover-leaf accuracy with 100 grain NBTs also!

I get best accuracy with the 160s at around 2450 fps, and I would be reasonably confident in taking down any non-dangerous game under 200 metres away with that bullet.