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Good 6.5 bullet for big game and practice
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I'm looking for a good 6.5 bullet that I can use for deer and elk that is also inexpensive enough to allow me to shoot them a lot from the bench for working up a load and practice.
 
Posts: 136 | Location: Southern Utah | Registered: 22 October 2006Reply With Quote
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Nosler accubond/ballistic tip 140g for the same impact point the same bullet one bonded more expensive.

Lapua Mega 156gr inexpensive biggame bullet with great performance.
 
Posts: 3611 | Location: Sweden | Registered: 02 May 2009Reply With Quote
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Hornady Interlock 140 or Sierra Gameking 140s. Both tough enough and under $30 per 100


Mike

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.



What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10138 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
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I run 120gr Nosler BT’s for plinking in my 264WM at a slightly less than max load.
Other than core separations that happen EVERY time, no animal hasn’t died, mostly goats & pigs here.

Cheers.
tu2
 
Posts: 683 | Location: N E Victoria, Australia. | Registered: 26 February 2009Reply With Quote
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I would pick a cheap practice bullet that works on your rifle - any 120gr or 129 gr or 130 gr

I would also pick one specific hunting bullet like the 125 gr Nosler Partition, 120 or 130 gr TSX / TTSX etc. for hunting.

It should be easy to keep records of the point of impact for the two bullets and just leave it alone.

Most importantly you will not get confused and end up guessing where it would shoot etc.

Nothing beats the confidence you have in that first shot from a cold barrel.

Just my 2 bits worth.


"When the wind stops....start rowing. When the wind starts, get the sail up quick."
 
Posts: 11254 | Location: New Zealand | Registered: 02 July 2008Reply With Quote
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140 Sierra Game King @ about 2800 fps

Sierra is an underrated bullet


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Posts: 7361 | Location: South East Missouri | Registered: 23 November 2005Reply With Quote
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As a rule, I work up a load using whatever hunting bullet I intend to use. Then I buy a sack of the cheapest bullets I can find in the same weight for practice.
After you've developed your loads, you might want to spend more time practicing field position shooting.


Aim for the exit hole
 
Posts: 4348 | Location: middle tenn | Registered: 09 December 2009Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by ted thorn:
140 Sierra Game King @ about 2800 fps

Sierra is an underrated bullet


Truer words have not been spoken. I hunt with accubonds and practice with game kings. POI is almost identical.
 
Posts: 765 | Location: Camp Verde, AZ | Registered: 05 February 2006Reply With Quote
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quote:
Nosler accubond/ballistic tip 140g for the same impact point the same bullet one bonded more expensive.

I've also found this to be true with the various Ballistic Tip/Accubond bullet pairs of the same caliber and weight. The 140 grainer would be hard to beat in the 6.5 caliber. In fact, shoot the Ballistic Tips at deer and the Accubonds only at elk. That way one box of the slightly more expensive Accubonds should last you for years.
 
Posts: 13245 | Location: Henly, TX, USA | Registered: 04 April 2001Reply With Quote
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Picture of adamhunter
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quote:
Originally posted by ted thorn:
140 Sierra Game King @ about 2800 fps

Sierra is an underrated bullet


Yup! My 6.5 Swede shoots them great as does my son's 260. I have not used them on game as big as elk but my son used them on African PG with excellent results with game up to Blue Wildebeest sized.

My Swede also likes the Hornady 160 round nose but I have not used them on game yet.


30+ years experience tells me that perfection hit at .264. Others are adequate but anything before or after is wishful thinking.
 
Posts: 854 | Location: Atlanta, GA | Registered: 20 December 2007Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by ted thorn:
140 Sierra Game King @ about 2800 fps

Sierra is an underrated bullet


tu2 I wholeheartedly agree. I use plenty of Sierra's, my 6.5 Swedemore really shoots Sierra 120 and 140's into tiny groups but I've not killed a game animal with it yet.
 
Posts: 5604 | Location: Eastern plains of Colorado | Registered: 31 October 2005Reply With Quote
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I will try those 140s.
Shooters Pro Shop sells 6.5mm 140s for $20.00/50. Great deal.


 
Posts: 7158 | Location: Snake River | Registered: 02 February 2004Reply With Quote
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