I think 2400 MV is about right for "most" things we hunt out there. Just returned from Moz and can throw out this info. Used a 9.3 X 62 for everthing on this hunt. Muzzle velocity was 2340fps using three different 286 grain bullets. Nosler partition, Barnes TSX and Barnes solid, as I said all 286 grainers. I shot several duiker, baboons and warthog and a sable up to and including a 5000lb hippo with the TSX load. Used the NP for my Leopard and one warthog for the table with a Barnes solid. Great performance each instance and all three bullets impact within a half inch of each other at 100yds. One cartridge, one bullet weight in this velocity range, for what it's worth?

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

I have loaded my 35 Whelen to around 2400 fps pushing a 200 grain Hornady Spire point and the 200 gr. Remington round nosed corelokt. To be tested on deer next month. Will report.

Tis betta to have a little excess vel.- than not enough.
Im not interested in saving a couple grains of power or reducing my carbon fooTprint,...
My priority is to best reduce hoofprints after impact.

2400 MV
sure thing, kills like mad
535gr .510 at 2400 500 AccRel
500gr .475 at 2400 470 AccRel
500gr .458 at 2400 458 AccRel
400gr. 416 at 2400 416 AccRel
300gr .375 at 2400 376 steyr
225gr .358 at 2400 358 winchester
220gr .308 at 2400 30-06

sure enough, works great ...

Also, when you start shooting bullets over 250 grains, 2400 fps seems to be the velocity limit before the weapon's recoil velocity starts to slap instead of push. Assuming ordinary hunting rifle weights.

I kinda like one extreme or the other; heavy-for-caliber cup & core bullets at or below 2400 or very light-for-caliber monometals over 3400. But that's just me.

Seafire--

Thanks for the good thread. I have no doubt that 2400 fps for a nominal MV will work quite well....and generally be nice to shoot in many cases.

Just make sure you are shooting bullets that will consistantly open up at the reduced impact velocities that will result. I suppose that's back to saying the Nosler Partition may be king, and some of the most tough, fancy bullets might not fare as well.

One of the keys to the success of the 30-30, IMO, is the blunt bullet that opens well at its moderate impact velocities.

Cheers,

Dan

Seems Selous, Bell ect were on to something

The 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schoenauer

By Chuck Hawks



The 6.5x54mm Mannlicher-Schoenauer became a favorite of many well-known professional hunters in Africa before the beginning of the Second World War. Included in that number was the legendary ivory hunter W.D.M. Bell, who is reputed to have killed over 1000 elephants. Bell used the 6.5x54 with 160 grain solid bullets for brain shots on elephant. The factory loads at that time had a MV of about 2230 fps. He liked the moderate recoil and deep penetration of the little 6.5mm cartridge.

The 6.5x54 has remained reasonably popular in Europe and Africa, although it never really caught on in the New World. Physically the 6.5x54 is a modern looking, rimless, bottle neck cartridge that uses standard 6.5mm (.264") diameter bullets. Its case is 54mm (2.11") in length with a 24 degree shoulder and a .453" rim diameter. It is a cute looking little cartridge.

Norma offers factory loaded cartridges and brass to American as well as European shooters, and RWS offers factory loaded ammunition in Europe. Most of the bullet makers supplying reloaders offer a decent selection of 6.5mm (.264") bullets. Most reloading manuals include loads for the 6.5x54, and any shooter with a 6.5x54 rifle in North America (or perhaps anywhere, given the high cost of factory loaded ammunition) would do well to reload his own ammunition.

According to the Sierra Reloading Manual, Second Edition the 120 grain spitzer bullet can be driven to a muzzle velocity (MV) of 2600 fps from a 20" barrel by 35.9 grains of IMR 3031, 37.3 grains of IMR 4895, 37.8 grains of IMR 4064, or 41.2 grains of H380 powder. The muzzle energy (ME) of these loads is 1801 ft. lbs. According to the Sierra external ballistics tables, from a scoped rifle the trajectory of this load looks like this: +2.31" at 100 yards, 0 at 200 yards, and -9.64" at 300 yards.

From the same 20" barrel the Sierra 140 grain Game King bullet can be driven to a MV of 2300 fps with ME of 1644 ft. lbs. by 33.1 grains of IMR 3031, 34.4 grains of IMR 4895, 35.1 grains of IMR 4064, or 37.4 grains of H380 powder. Zero a scoped rifle for 200 yards, and the bullet will land 3.07" high at 100 yards and 12.03" low at 300 yards.