I have searched everywhere I know to look, I need a 160gn solids for the Swede......anybody have any ideas ? Thanks...................JJ

Thanks Frank, I know all the sites you listed have 6.5 solids but they are light weights 110 to 139gn. I am looking for the 160 gn solid bullet.

I am having a NULA rifle built and want the rifling twist to give the best accuracy with the 160 gn load.

I took a 416 Rigby to SA last year and used solids, everything I shot went 30 yrds and fell over.

So I am thinking a good solid .264 bullet at 160 gns will take any game in the lower 48. But I cannot find a 160 gn solid. Do you know any custom bullet makers that may take on this project ?.........................JJ

quote:

So I am thinking a good solid .264 bullet at 160 gns will take any game in the lower 48. But I cannot find a 160 gn solid. Do you know any custom bullet makers that may take on this project ?.........................JJ

Personally I think a 160 cup and core bullet will do this too and if it was me,I'd opt for a 140 A-Frame and you'll be surprised at the results

FYI I don't think anyone makes a .264 160 grain solid but PM Macifej and see if he can make some

also RIP who posts on big bores a lot might be able to point you in the right direstion as he was able to get someone to make .395 bullets!

I'll not guess how long but the 160 grain .264 solid copper will be extremely long and will require a very fast twist....possibly 1-7"

I may be proving my igno-ramus status here ( nothing new ) but I always thought the original load in the mil-surp Swedes was a 160 gn cupro-nickle RN solid ??

I have used the Hornady 160 RN which has an exposed lead tip and it worked real well on a Royal Stag in Northern Scotland. But I was thinking of less than perfect angles on black bear and maybe an Elk.

I know, I have 338's of different types but I like the Swede....................JJ

Don't know about other states but in Mn you can not use a solid, it must be an expanding bullet.

quote:

I may be proving my igno-ramus status here ( nothing new ) but I always thought the original load in the mil-surp Swedes was a 160 gn cupro-nickle RN solid ??

quite possibly so.....but we may be having a conflict of terms.

The bullet you refer to is not truly a solid in today's terms.....it's a FMJ meaning no exposed point...A solid has no lead.....and there will be those to disagree with those terms as well.....an easy conflict of terms.

The FMJs you are looking for might be found on any Mil-surp ammo. Possibly even on other 6.5 ammo...just pull them from carcano or jap or other military ammo.....I don't think anyone makes that anymore.

quote:

Originally posted by TJAY:
Don't know about other states but in Mn you can not use a solid, it must be an expanding bullet.

Frankly TJAY I don't know anywhere in the lower 48 where that ammo is legal for hunting big game.

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

I may be proving my igno-ramus status here ( nothing new ) but I always thought the original load in the mil-surp Swedes was a 160 gn cupro-nickle RN solid ??

quite possibly so.....but we may be having a conflict of terms.

The bullet you refer to is not truly a solid in today's terms.....it's a FMJ meaning no exposed point...A solid has no lead.....and there will be those to disagree with those terms as well.....an easy conflict of terms.

The FMJs you are looking for might be found on any Mil-surp ammo. Possibly even on other 6.5 ammo...just pull them from carcano or jap or other military ammo.....I don't think anyone makes that anymore.

quote:

Originally posted by TJAY:
Don't know about other states but in Mn you can not use a solid, it must be an expanding bullet.

Frankly TJAY I don't know anywhere in the lower 48 where that ammo is legal for hunting big game.

I know one state that does not require expanding bullets for hunting.....Texas
About the only thing not allowed are rimfires.

carcano is 268, too big

solid is illegal in most states

Legal issues aside, a small-bore solid is a poor choice for big game. Yes, you did well with solids previously, but keep in mind those were 40+ caliber -- a HUGE difference.

I use 6.5s in various chamberings and in both rifle and handgun configuration. From the Swede, a 140 grain Sierra GameKing at 2750 fps will handle everything from caribou on down. For elk or even moose, the 140 grain Partition is a proven performer.

I know it's not 160 grain solid or FMJ, but for hunting in the US I have great luck with the 120 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip and the new 130 Accubond. IMO, not much need to go above 140 grains. Lou

Colorado and Oregon require an expanding bullet and I suspect that most states still do, check up on your legal bullet requirement by state you plan to hunt before you lay in a stock of bullets and work up a load that you may not be able to use.
My Swede is shooting rem 140 Core Lockts, Nosler 120 grain BT's and Barnes 120 grain TSX's very well.

All the advice given so far makes sense and is sound. Yes I have done very well with 140 gn bullets from various makers over the years.

It is legal to use a " non-expanding " bullet here in WV.

While in South Africa 2 years ago I had the pleasure to spend an afternoon with the farmer on whose land we were hunting. He was quite a fellow. He made his fortune selling seaweed to China as a food source years ago ! He told me of his life in SA and his experiences growing up in the bush. He drove his Rover fron the factory in England to the coast and ferried, shipped and drove it the length of Africa during the Mau Mau days, but thats a whole other thread. He told me he used a 6.5 Swede that he bought as a teenager on his farm and it has stood him in good stead to this day. He was still shooting the 160 RN military load and he said he never feels undergunned. He said it took animals raiding his farm that would be illegal to shoot today.......I didn't press him on what they were.

So that has stuck with me and I was wanting to kinda re-create his load and use it.

As everyone has stated there are newer bullet designs that work great and I agree....but I still think a solid will kill better than alot of people think. I have taken WV whitetail with a 115 gn .25 caliber cast bullet in my 257 Bob with no trouble, but it has to go through the right place.....I may be forced to go with a cast bullet in the Swede...................JJ

I would like some too. Yes I think the original 6.5x55 load was 160grain FMJ RN bullet. It was not a true solid with no lead as described above. It however shot through a lot of hide, bone and flesh as your SA friend has attested.

I should have said that I want them for my 260 Rem. Solids of the RN variety kill rather well even in calibers below 40. Put one through the proper target area and they die. Even better if you put one through that area after hitting some bone. You just would not believe what Bone splinters do to lungs.

norma oryx 156 gr. look to be pretty tough. that or a TBBC.

GS Custom bullet in South Africa will probably make you some 160 grain solids, but I would take a look at what they already have.

Personally, I like heavy for caliber bullets, but in 6.5 you will get better ballistics with 140 grain loads. WIth 160 grainers you'll lose a ton of muzzle velocity and, despite their length, the ogive of these bullets lends itself to low B.C.'s so you'll lose what you do have fairly quickly.
I went with a 1:9 twist barrel in my 6.5-06 Ackley to shoot 130grain sciroccos (.571 B.C.) and 140 A-frames.

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