I'm getting a 260 Rem for deer hunting. It may also be used in the future for caribou, sheep, and goats. Where I hunt deer, and if I go mountain hunting, there is a chance to come across a moose. It may not be a 60 incher, but probably a small, immature bull. What type of bullet would be best in my 260? I know, the 260 isn't ideal, but it would be all I have. Scandinavians use 6.5X55's on moose all the time. Would it be better to go with a 160 gr. roundnose, or a 140 gr. Barnes XLC? I'd like to carry a few of these, so if I have time, I can switch. Ideally, they'd hit close to the P.O.I. of my deer load @ 100 yards, the farthest I'd take a shot with the 260 on a moose.

I recall Ross Seyfried including the 6.5mm 160-grain Hornady RN in his short list of "perfect bullets." I wrote before of my .260 Rem load with it at 2350 fps duplicating the classic Mannlicher-Schoenauer round. That will work fine on moose.

I don't suggest mixing and matching loads. They won't shoot to the same point of impact with the same point of aim and you'll spend inordinate amounts of time on the range and on the reloading bench with re-zeroing. If you're going to use your .260 on moose, then I'd suggest the 160-grain load for moose and use it on everything smaller as well. Have fun!

6,5

The Hornady 160 gr. RN is a good choice if you run in to a moose. I useally don�t promote 6,5:s for moosehunting. But the fact that more moose is taken with the 6,5X55 than all other rounds combined here in Sweden kind of says it�s quite possible to kill a moose with a 6,5

I�ve seen 160 gr. Hdy:s taken from moose and they all look really good! I�ve also test fired some in wet newspaiper and wet sawdust with exellent results. The one fired in newspaipers or sawdust look very similar to the ones picket from moose.

They loose about 20-25 % of weigth but seldom more!

Precision is good and the tips don�t deform in the mag.

A moose is a farly big kritter and if you don�t intend to shoot one beond 100 y you mabye could accsept a sligthly different point of inpact for the "moose pills".

Stefan

Go with the 140 grain nosler partition for everything. It is a spitzer and has a high sectional density of .287 versus the 180 grain .30 caliber at .271.

You can try norma oryx 155g bonded bullet, or lapua mega at the same weight.

If you have to shoot moose with a small caliber. Bigger is better where the bullet is concerned and be damned close to the animal. Make sure you don't loose the animal.

check out the previous arguments about using 6.5 on moose.

If your gun will shoot Barnes X I would use the 140 Grain XLC. It can be reved up a little faster and has better weight retention. This is what I am doing with a 6.5X55.

I guess I would go with the Norma Oryx 155 grain. It�s a superb bullet for deep penetration, something that you�ll need if you�re using a 6,5 on moose. I have used both hornady 140, Nosler 140, Norma 140 and 156 alaska, Oryx and SP, and I considder the Oryx 155 as the top performer of the lot!! Don�t try the lighter bullets as they lack the penetration you need if you run into a large bull and have to shoot him through the shoulders.
Good luck!!

6.5 Mtn Rifle,

go with the 160-grainer, although the the Barnes X would a proper job too. But try to avoid hit in the heavy shoulder bone, as that could crush the bullet into smithereens. To break that bone you�d need at least a .338. Put the bullet just behind the shoulder through the lungs.

Best regards,

Fritz

I have busted a few moose, although never w/ anything as small as the 6.5. However, if you are looking for weight retention and penatration to the vitals, the 140 X is the way to go. I don't care what you shoot or what distance you are shooting, nothing will beat the X for this, not even heavier bullets.

Example: A few years back I was stalking through the spruce in B.C. after a medium size bull. I dropped into a small depression, just as he took off up a hill quartering away. Distance was not over 35 yards. I was shooting a .300 Win. w/ 180 (molly coated) X bullets. I have chronoed them at at hontest 3160 12 ft. from the muzzle (26" tube). The stress of that velocity at that close range is the greatest test of bullet integrity.

It was not a good shot taking the rear leg right in the knee joint as it moved forward. It punched a whole clear through that looked like a 3/8" drill bit had done it. It clipped the last rib on the same side, passed through the off side lung to hit the shoulder joint right in the ball socket. Here the joint exploded and there was enough resistence to turn the bullet toward the front of the animal. It lodged just under the skin in front of that shoulder.

It passed through at least 6 ft of animal and 3 bones (two very large bones) as very high velocity. The slug I recovered was about .36 caliber and still weighed 167 grns. I am not saying you need this kind of bullet integrity for everything. But in the 6.5 this would sure be a nice insurance.