If you were/are hunting big game with a 6,5mm what bullet would you recommend?
Big game means safari PG ( not really eland but gemsbok and zebra for sure); moose; and boars.
Minimum bullet weight 140 grs (legal minimum for moose).

I have read previous posts where heavy bullets are highly advocated. I take it this still holds water?

- Lars/Finland

I've always liked the 140 grain Nosler Partition. The new mono-metals may also be a good choice. Norma's Naturalis and Oryx bullets weigh in at 140 and 156 grains, and Lapua's Mega is 155 grains.

The 140 Partition is always a good choice.

A 140 grain Partition would probably be my pick, assuming we're talking about a 6.5x55.

I have 3ea. 6.5s that digest 160gr.Hornady RNs nicely. The 156 gr. Norma's are a close second. Large mule deer are the biggest game I've taken with them.
The 160s can still be found as I acquired 400 not long ago.
I had a 6.5x.284 in the 60s that could only tolerate the heavy Hornady's. They worked like the Hammer of Thor. roger

Another vote for the 140 partitions.

I used them in my 6.5-284 on two plains game hunts, the largest was an eland. The bullet recovered under skin on far side on broadside shot. That was only recovered bullet.

For one shot I used a Sierra 140 on broadside on a warthog at about 25 yards, that bullet fragmented with no exit but the ‘hog dropped without taking a step.

Mark

I won't disagree that the 140 gr Partition is a good bullet but since I've been using the Acubond, I won't go back to the partition. I really like the 130 gr Acubond in my 264 but if I was going for Zebra and up, I'd probably go with the 140.

I would want a bonded bullet myself. I vote for 140gr accubonds.

130 grain GMX for me in the Creedmoor.

I've only used the 155 Lapua Mega. Worked great but I only used it on deer.

This is a good thread by someone that tested a lot of 6.5 bullets.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/...ullet_Test_with_lots

Interesting...in test there isn´t any NORMA Oryx (just a roudnose...?) which IMO is quite qood bullet too.

Woodleigh 160 RNSP

You don't say what chamber your shooting so we can't evaluate the velocity - a very important factor. The largest animal I've taken with a 6.5 is an elk. My 264 shoots 140gr Hdy SP (the old standard bullet) at about 3150fps. It shoots the Acubond at about the same velocity and is extremely accurate with either bullet. Never had a problem with penetration or terminal performance in either bullet but the 130 gr Acubond beats both in the accuracy and velocity arenas and has performed remarkably well on animals, usually passing completely thru with a devastating wound channel. Stepping down to about 2700fps in my 6.5x55, I've always loaded the 140gr Hdy SP and had devastating results on deer. Given the SD and BC of 6.5mm bullets, these two rifles see more action out of my gun safe than several dozen others. Hell, I love my 264 so much that I bought another one just so I could have two.

I have used Lapua mega and Norma nickel steel Alaska for moose, roedeer and fallow they work really well.
Now i would use Norma oryx for moose and boar.

Nothfork is expensive but intresting for african game.
http://www.nfbullets.se/

quote:

Originally posted by Code4:
Woodleigh 160 RNSP

Now, that's a good bullet!

For the species you mentioned you can forget about the other bullets suggested here..

After hunting moose for 25 year, and reloading the 6,5 for my buddies, the only resonable choices are Norma Oryx 156grs, Lapua Mega 156, Woodleigh RN 160 and the Swift A-frame 140.

When you show up in Africa with a 6,5 , many PH's shake their heads.. Use the BEST and heaviest bullet you can get hold of. Talking about 130 grain here is pure bullshit.

M

quote:

Originally posted by metric:

quote:

Originally posted by Code4:
Woodleigh 160 RNSP

Now, that's a good bullet!

For the species you mentioned you can forget about the other bullets suggested here..

After hunting moose for 25 year, and reloading the 6,5 for my buddies, the only resonable choices are Norma Oryx 156grs, Lapua Mega 156, Woodleigh RN 160 and the Swift A-frame 140.

When you show up in Africa with a 6,5 , many PH's shake their heads.. Use the BEST and heaviest bullet you can get hold of. Talking about 130 grain here is pure bullshit.

M

I take it you don't have much experience with mono metals. Sure weight is important with cup and core and even some bonded bullets but when weight retention is 100%, you can start with a much lighter bullet and still achieve great penetration. Likely superior to the above heavier choices.

quote:

Originally posted by sheephunterab:

quote:

Originally posted by metric:

quote:

Originally posted by Code4:
Woodleigh 160 RNSP

Now, that's a good bullet!

For the species you mentioned you can forget about the other bullets suggested here..

After hunting moose for 25 year, and reloading the 6,5 for my buddies, the only resonable choices are Norma Oryx 156grs, Lapua Mega 156, Woodleigh RN 160 and the Swift A-frame 140.

When you show up in Africa with a 6,5 , many PH's shake their heads.. Use the BEST and heaviest bullet you can get hold of. Talking about 130 grain here is pure bullshit.

M

I take it you don't have much experience with mono metals. Sure weight is important with cup and core and even some bonded bullets but when weight retention is 100%, you can start with a much lighter bullet and still achieve great penetration. Likely superior to the above heavier choices.

I agree on calibers above 30 cal, but I have bad experience with Barnes X and Lapua Naturalis in 6,5mm..
Seems like the smaller calibers are more useful with lead-filled bullets on heavier game imo.

M

quote:

Originally posted by sheephunterab:

quote:

Originally posted by metric:

quote:

Originally posted by Code4:
Woodleigh 160 RNSP

Now, that's a good bullet!

For the species you mentioned you can forget about the other bullets suggested here..

After hunting moose for 25 year, and reloading the 6,5 for my buddies, the only resonable choices are Norma Oryx 156grs, Lapua Mega 156, Woodleigh RN 160 and the Swift A-frame 140.

When you show up in Africa with a 6,5 , many PH's shake their heads.. Use the BEST and heaviest bullet you can get hold of. Talking about 130 grain here is pure bullshit.

M

I take it you don't have much experience with mono metals. Sure weight is important with cup and core and even some bonded bullets but when weight retention is 100%, you can start with a much lighter bullet and still achieve great penetration. Likely superior to the above heavier choices.

I have some experience with Barnes X and Lapua Naturalis in 6,5x55. Neither of those showed better effect on large game like moose than Norma Oryx or 140grs A-frame...

M

quote:

I agree on calibers above 30 cal, but I have bad experience with Barnes X and Lapua Naturalis in 6,5mm..
Seems like the smaller calibers are more useful with lead-filled bullets on heavier game imo.

M

Barnes X was a bullet plagued with problems....mono metals have come a long ways since then. With the velocities most 6.5s are producing, the new breed of mono metals are very well suited.

People tout weight retention and penetrations with mono metals but some fragmentation causes bigger wound channels and potentially faster kills. It's one of the reasons the Partition is such a reliable killer for medium and large game.

quote:

Originally posted by scottfromdallas:
People tout weight retention and penetrations with mono metals but some fragmentation causes bigger wound channels and potentially faster kills. It's one of the reasons the Partition is such a reliable killer for medium and large game.

Never said a cup and core was not a good option...just explaining why you can get away with lighter mono metals than you can traditional bullets.

There are a number of bullets that might do well. A Nosler Partition will do well.

All of the above mentioned are great bullets. To say the 130 grain Accubond will not get the job done is spake from ignorance or poor marksmanship. It does not meet the min. requirement in this case, but it is a bone breaking lung gelling marvel, and the 125 grain partition is also a lot of whup-ass in a little can. That said I'd take the 140 A-Frame If I got to go to Africa.

Can anyone share their experience with the Woodleigh 160gr. PP? I am gearing up to reload for a 264 WinMag and I wanted to acquire a few different 120-160gr. bullets to experiment with once the new rifle arrives.

A few questions I had were whether it would stabilize in a 1:9 twist barrel at perhaps 2800fps, is the listed bc of .509 anywhere near realistic, and how is its on-game performance.

quote:

Originally posted by thecanadian:
I would want a bonded bullet myself. I vote for 140gr accubonds.

yep.....add the A-Frame to this thought and we're off on a Safari

My buddy used a Sako Finnlight in 6.5x55 on our Namibian trip.
He used 140gr Accubonds on everything he shot, kudu, oryx, red hartebeest and a number of springbok and nothing took a step after the hit.

quote:

Originally posted by johnfox:
My buddy used a Sako Finnlight in 6.5x55 on our Namibian trip.
He used 140gr Accubonds on everything he shot, kudu, oryx, red hartebeest and a number of springbok and nothing took a step after the hit.

Obviously the man also knows something about shot placement.....for this guy probably any bullet would have sufficed.

Many moons ago we looked at the Nosler partition bullet as a really neat thing. We than asked ourselves do we really need it to replace the cup and cores we were using. In many cases with the rifles and cartridges of the day the answer was "Not really". roger

I have used a 6.5 x 257 for many years and i tend to agree with the majority. I like the 140gr.partition for up to mule deer sized animals.
I have also had great success with the Hornady 160gr.round nose. On mule deer , a few elk & even one moose. But I made sure all of my shots on the elk & moose were within 100 yards.
Bullet placement ,as always, is key.

Any Fans of the Berger VLD's out there?

quote:

Originally posted by larrys01:
Any Fans of the Berger VLD's out there?

Aren't those varmint bullets?

I tried to load some in my 7-08 but accuracy was terrible. I need to work with the seating depth because I hear they are temperamental that way.

140 TSXs or Partitions will kill anything Moose or smaller with proper shot placement, getting close (200 yards or less) and you pick your shot.

Unless you have health issues or are recoil adverse, there is no valid reason to use a 6.5 on big stuff. A 30-06 or anything bigger will give you a safety margin if the angle is not perfect or big bones need breaking.

Many things that are possible may also be unwise.

I see 'ol Larry Root is back as 7x7royal.

How many usernames (lone_stranger, pigmaster, bumfarto, 4barexpert, artshaw, silverbullet45, 45-70shooter, etc., ect.) you've created specifically to circumvent the wishes of the Owner and Moderators have been banned so far??

quote:

Originally posted by 7x7royal:
140 TSXs or Partitions will kill anything Moose or smaller with proper shot placement, getting close (200 yards or less) and you pick your shot.

Unless you have health issues or are recoil adverse, there is no valid reason to use a 6.5 on big stuff. A 30-06 or anything bigger will give you a safety margin if the angle is not perfect or big bones need breaking.

Many things that are possible may also be unwise.

You sorry bastard, Larry. Do I need to road trip up to Pinedale and put the fear into your sorry ass again?

Tell me, Larry, are you still masquerading as some kind of shit-hot Vietnam F-105 pilot who "bunked" with Marine snipers? Or are you pretending to be some kind of low-rent Ernest Hemingway wannabe again?

That sonofabitch needs to be bitchslapped under the Stolen Valor Act. He's a POS.

The Sociopath is resorting to PMs..again:

quote:

Originally posted by 7x7royal:
Jorge, you guys are big on hiding behind screen names and slandering people you will never meet.

You may feel "I am not welcome", funny things is the dozens of folks I regularly talk to whom I met on the site, don't seem to share your childish hatred. They also don't seem to mind selling me guns and scopes both here and on that other site you hide out on.

Hope you are enjoying your declining years in God's waiting room ..... at least being a nasty old man gives you a way to pass the time.

Three years of abuse over a silly want ad .... now that adult behavior !

Larry Root (my REAL name)

That's why I always place him on ignore as his PM's are typically comprised of vulgar, incoherent rants laced with bizarre thought processes and paranoid delusions.

Not only is Larry Root a pathological liar, but appears (certainly comes across) to be a sociopath.

He needs help.

Larry can add sanctimonious prick to his long list of "accomplishments."

Sierra has a new 130 gr Game King that is a close match to a Match King. I'm going to try it this fall on caribou as it shoots lovely .75 inch groups in my 6.5 Swede.

Previous to this I used the 140 Gr Nosler Partition on whitetails years ago.

I shoot a 6.5X55 swede in a Rem 700 classic and wouldnt hesitate to use a 130gr TSX on any of the above mentioned animals. It may not have as broad a frontal diameter when expanded but it WILL retain more weight than any cup and core and it WILL penetrate more than any of the bonded core bullets.Antedotal evidence of previous X platforms just do not apply to the TSX line. If the 140gr weight has to be adhered to then a 140gr partition can not be frowned upon. Contrary to what some believe, the partition is a step up from a regular cup and core especially when talking about moose sized critters. Will a 140gr Hornady kill a moose? Absolutely! but on an African safari you want the best posible, the A-frame is no slouch either.....