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| One of Us |
130gr bullets are illegal for biggame in scandinavia. 140gr Bullets with solid middle part may not always reach the energy requirement 2700j at 100m. | |||
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| One of Us |
I use the 140 grain Accubonds with great accuracy and good performance in the Swede. | |||
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| One of Us |
I have had experience with the .264 Win Mag on a variety of game. My rifle does not shoot Noslers well, which are usually my bullets of choice. It does shoot Hornady 140's well. These have worked well on deer, pronghorn, sheep, goats, red stag, caribou, smaller pigs, etc. However, they came up short on elk and very large pigs. Multiple shots were required on these and post-recovery research showed the shots were well placed but lacked penetration on the bigger game. My .264 also showed a strong preference for max loads with 140 grain Barnes XLC's. I don't think they are available anymore, but after great performance with them I made an investment buy when they were still available. I have taken elk, moose, caribou, gemsbok, kudu, black wildebeest, red cape hartebeest, warthog, mountain zebra, and more with successful one shot kills. Pentration and internal damage are excellent. Single shot kills are the norm with this load. I have no doubt Partitions, A frames and other will also work well. | |||
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| one of us |
I used the Sierra 140 Gameking on a lot of plains game with excellent accuracy and performance in my old 264. Same on elk here in Or. Aloha, Mark When the fear of death is no longer a concern----the Rules of War change!! | |||
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| One of Us |
For our hunt I worked up loads using 120 and 140gr Swift A-Frame bullets for my 6.5X55. Ended up not taking it. I have rebarreled a 7mag to 264win mag and if I make it back I will take the 264win mag with 140gr Swift A-Frames. Ended up using a 338win mag with 225gr Swift A-Frames and my daughter used her 257Roberts with 120gr Swift A-Frames. Everything was a 1 shot kill and only a couple required and tracking that was less than 50 yards. Shots were 150-480 yards. I love Noslers. But for a trip like that I went with Swift bullets and was glad I did. | |||
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One of Us |
I killed a 3x4 Montana mule deer last October @ 500 yds with a Barnes 127 gr LRX out of my little 6.5x47 Lapua. Then, in January I loaned my little rifle to a young man who then killed a large cow elk @ 450 yds with the same set up. She only went 20 yds before dying with a through and through lung shot. Alan  | |||
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| One of Us |
Hornady claims their Inter Bond maintains up to 90+% of it's weight. The Accubond is designed to shed 30% of it's weight. The Hornady monolithic bullet is not a copper bullet, it's made from guilding metal, same as the jacket's of cup and core bullet's. If that has any significance or not, I don't know. I use 140gr and 129gr Hornady's in my 6.5's, they work well. Can't get the 156gr bullet's around here but i suspect that their ability to penetrate is directly related to their ability to maintain weight. I don't know what kind of weight they do maintain though. If I could afford to hunt Africa, I don't think I'd dick around with a relatively small bore cartridge. Not a fan of magnums so think I'd have a 338x06 built and use 250gr bullet's. If I could afford Africa, I could afford a new rifle! | |||
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| One of Us |
I've seen a few Buffalo dropped with Woodleigh's in 6.5. Seem to work well. Previously 500N with many thousands of posts ! | |||
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| One of Us |
The definition of monolithic is "cast as a single piece" so it doesnt matter what its made of just that its a single piece. Almost all bonded core bullets open up like umbrellas(except the accubond) so even if it retains 100 percent of its weight it will not penetrate as much as a bullet that retains the same weight but opens to a smaller frontal(tsx,ttsx,ceb's) so weight retention is not always the be all to end all, it must be a balance of weight retention and modest frontal expansion if you want to penetrate deeply....with all of this said i wills always shoot the most accurate loading that matches the game.... | |||
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| One of Us |
Scandinavian hunters wants high weight retension (safer for hunting dogs and less meat damage if the bullet stays in the animal)as long as the bullet destroys large enough parts of the vital area it doesnt matter if the bullets exits or not. | |||
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This man knows what he is talking about.  | |||
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By design, it's pretty hard for any bullet to expand more than 2x. The TTSX is a classic example. It has a larger hole in the nose than the TSX and is designed to facilitate easier expansion but once it starts to go beyond 2x expansion, petals start breaking off. Bullets like the TSX and GMX are designed to expand 2x and rarely have petals break off. No doubt a larger frontal area slows a bullet more than a smaller frontal area but it's the superior weight retention that makes these bullets such deep penetrators, despite their impressive and often violent expansion. | |||
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| One of Us |
I would use the 140gr Swift A-Frame bullets. We used 120gr A-Frame bullets in a 257 roberts for Kudu/Red Hartebeest/Zebra/several Warthogs/ 2 Impala at 135-400 yards all one shot kills. WE also used a 225gr A-Frame in a 338Win mag on Kudu/2 Blue Wildebeest/2 Impalas/Springbok/Blesbuck/Gemsbuck/ a number of Warthogs and 30+ monkeys at ranges from 150-480 yards and all were one shot kills. I worked up loads in my 6.5X55 with 120 and 140gr A-Frame as well as 130 Scirocco bullets but did not take it. I also worked up loads with Nosler PAR 140gr and BT 120gr bullets. The Barnes TIPPED TTSX bullets work well. The non-tipped TSX not so much. The old X bullets not even close to the newer ones. | |||
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| one of us |
Having had a lot of experience with Gemsbuck, Zebra and the like (let's not forget the ubiquitous Blue Wildebeest here), I'd like to offer a caveat, for what it's worth. The skeletal structures of these animals are large and heavy, the animals can absorb a lot of abuse (they're infamously 'tenacious of life') and a bullet that doesn't quite reach the vitals (or deflects on heavy bone) is sure to lead to a long, arduous follow-up. Don't get me wrong - I have huge admiration for the 6.5x55 (the one 6.5 I feel I can express an opinion on). But on Gemsbuck and Zebra, it would be extremely important to ensure that the heavy bone in the shoulder / foreleg is avoided. My personal preference would be a heavier bullet, but if you're going to use the 6.5 x whatever, use the heaviest, strongest bullet you can. And avoid quartering-on shots. Your outfitter will have a better idea of (his) local conditions, and he is certainly in the best position to advise. Good hunting, and have a ball! | |||
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| One of Us |
We used Swift A-Frame bullets when we were in Africa in 25 and 338cal. They were perfect. All animals were one shot kills with little or mostly no tracking. I would use a 140gr Swift A-Frame. The Barnes TIPPED TTSX bullets will work fine. However if you must have a 140gr bullet(law requoired) then go with the Swift Bullets. I really like the 6.5mm 120gr Swift A-Frame also when it can be used. Most important is shot placement. | |||
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| One of Us |
I'd say you missed one critical element and that is rate of expansion. A bullet that expands slowly with penetrate deeper than a bullet that expands rapidly, even if weight retention and frontal area are identical. | |||
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| One of Us |
I came here to suggest the 127 LRX. I'm shooting it in my 6.5 Creedmoor hunting load, and I'm happy so far. Accuracy is there all day, it's a laser. As far as terminal performance, I took a decent sized whitetail doe at ~150 yards and she was DRT. Double lung shot, exit wound about the size of a nickel. It seems like a very well designed projectile for hunting with a 6.5 | |||
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| One of Us |
For a PG hunt, I think the 130 grain Barnes TSX bullet is a great choice. Personally I would use the 120 grain TTSX in my 6.5-06. If you need to use a 140 grain or heavier bullet, then I would use the 140 grain Swift A-frame. The best standard cup and core bullet is in my opinion the 155 grain Lapua Mega. | |||
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| One of Us |
I mostly hunt in the woods and that is my favorite bullet for the 6.5x55. Opens easily and has the best mechanical lock out there. Damn near impossible to get the core and jacket to separate. | |||
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| new member |
+1 on the 155 Lapua Mega in 6.5x55. My shots are 150yds and in so I am dead on a 150yds. GREAT penetration on hogs and deer. Carl L. | |||
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One of Us |
I've developed a load for my grendel using the 100gr Barnes TTSX. The Hornady factory ammo works so well with the 123gr SST or Amax that I havent sighted in for the Barnes. For my 6.5x55 I have loads developed using a variety of bullets, including the 156gr Norma and 155gr Mega and 140 gr Sierra and some 120 gr bullets. I can't decide which is best. So far, I havent taken that rifle hunting but plan to soon. Too many rifles, too little time. The grendle has become my go-to rifle. I should try the 100 gr Barnes and report the results. KB ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ | |||
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| One of Us |
BTW, I discusses this with a hunting buddy and the Lapua factory people the other day. My hunting buddy has apparently been using the 6,5x55 all his hunting career. Initially, he obtained the rifle as the best option to hunt both big game and birds at long distance (from treetops). It's able to push light bullets very fast, indeed, to achieve a flat trajectory. Then, again, it's also moose legal in Finland. He's been using the Norma Oryx thus far but recently changed over to the Lapua Naturalis. As the Lapua factory fellow pointed out, it's not moose legal as the bullet is too light, but no-one has ever felt underpowered with it. My hunting buddy confirmed he's always been perfectly happy with the caliber also for moose. For years, the only moose legal round was loaded by Norma. I suspect this is due to the popularity of the caliber in Sweden (Norma, as you probably know, is Swedish). - Lars/Finland A.k.a. Bwana One-Shot | |||
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| One of Us |
I have been using 140gr Swift A-Frame bullets in my 264Win mag and 120gr Swift A-Frame or 140gr in my 6.5X55. I was using 140gr Nosler PAR bullets and they are fine. I also used Nosler 120gr BT bullets in the 6.5X55 as well as 130gr Swift Scirroco. They all worked but I now use the A-Frame mostly. A-Frame bullets work quite well in Africa for everything from Impala/warthog to Kudu/Gemsbuck/Zebra/ Red Hartebeest and Blue Wildebeest. If you think the PH wonders about the 6.5mm cartridges they really are suspect of a 257Roberts. That is until they see a dozen one shot no tracking kills by it and my daughter. She used 120gr Swift A-Frame bullets. Only one recovered. | |||
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| one of us |
IIRC Norma started out in Norway !  Norway and Sweden finally agreed on dimensions and created the 6.5x55SE ! Good cartridge here too ,used it with great success for 25 years !  | |||
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one of us |
I have used the 65x55 with the 130 Berger VLD Hunting bullets on several hunts for deer and pronghorn. Personally, i think that's about the largest game I'd use them on. Every one I've shot has been a one shot bang flop with massive internal damage to the animal. From what Berger claims, the bullet is intended to extend it's maximum energy within a short distance after impact on your game. Plus, they are the most accurate bullets I've found when properly loaded. That usually means fairly maximum bullet seating to the longest OAL possible. I also really like the Swift 130 Sirocco II. They've been very good to me on several hunts for game again up to the size of large northern white tail deer. My Sirocco loads hit exactly the same point of impact at 200 yards as my Berger loads. For larger game, my wife has successfully used the Lapua 156 gr Mega bullets on African game up to the size of Blue Wildebeest. I used her rifle to smack a big warthog and have no complaints about it's capabilities on plains game. Her favorite pronghorn and deer bullet for her 6.5 is the 120 grain Swift A Frame. Every time she shoots something with those bullets, it falls over dead. Or maybe the critters knew he well enough to just fall over and not to make her mad! ______________________ Guns are like parachutes. If you need one and don't have one, you'll likely never need one again Author Unknown, But obviously brilliant. If you are in trouble anywhere in the world, an airplane can fly over and drop flowers, but a helicopter can land and save your life. - Igor Sikorski, 1947 | |||
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| One of Us |
Don't know where you fellas are shopping, but I've yet to see a 130 GMX or a 140 TSX in 6.5mm.... | |||
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| one of us |
It depends upon the cartridge and velocity: for the 6.5 Grendel, a 120 Nos BT or 123 Hornady SST, for the 6.5x55 or .256 Newton/6.5-06, I would use the 129 Hornady SST, 130 Nos Accubond, or 130 Barnes TSX and for heavier game or 6.5 magnums, the 140 Nos Partition or Swift A-frame. I am sure the 160 RN would do the job at moderate ranges but haven't used them in any of my guns. Don Stewart NRA Benefactor Life Member | |||
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| one of us |
The 160 gr. RNSP made the 6.5 famous...That long for caliber pencil looking bullet will penetrate a tank and get the job done.. If I intended to use the 6.5 on some of the larger African PG or any DG, that is the bullet I would use, preferably a GS Customs, Nosler Partition, Northfork, Swift of some super premium bullet. Its rep was built around penetration, not velocity. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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one of us |
Partitions are never a bad choice and neither are the TSX's. Anyone who claims the 30-06 is ineffective has either not tried one, or is unwittingly commenting on their own marksmanship Phil Shoemaker Alaska Master guide FAA Master pilot NRA Benefactor www.grizzlyskinsofalaska.com | |||
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One of Us |
I recall a test of 6.5 bullets in a .264 Win Mag done many years ago in Handloader magazine. A man set up a tank and screens, filled the tank with water, and shot into the water from a platform above the tank. It was quite an elaborate setup. Most bullets shredded after a certain depth and all were rated by the screen which stopped their penetration. The 140 grain Nosler Partition went very deep before stopping. I believe a 150 grain Hirtenberger was also a great penetrator. This was before the Barnes TSX and Swift A-Frames so we don't know they would have fared but great penetration is great penetration. In personal testing, out of my 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schoenauer 1900 rifle at a nominal 2150 feet per second, a 160 grain Hornady soft point went through 58 inches of dead hackberry wood, 7 inches of a live hackberry, and sailed off into the forest behind my house. The wood was quite dry but, in comparison, a 180 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip at a nominal 2360 feet per second, penetrated only 3 1/2 inches into the first hackberry log, turned inside and out, and stopped. NRA Life Member DRSS-Claflin Chapter Mannlicher Collectors Assn KCCA IAA | |||
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| One of Us |
Forgot to define. The 180 grain Nosler Ballisti Tip I mentioned in my reply was an 8mm bullet, not 6.5. NRA Life Member DRSS-Claflin Chapter Mannlicher Collectors Assn KCCA IAA | |||
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| One of Us |
In my 6.5X68S sporter I load the 140 Naturalis if I want a heavy bullet load. They are VERY accurate in front of a load of N570. My other choice is the Swift Scirocco in 130gns. In a 30" barreled 264WM long range gun, I run Berger 140gr VLD hunting bullets ahead of a load of N570. It will exceed 3300fps comfortably, but I load it back to 3250 for best accuracy and extraction in our hot weather. | |||
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| One of Us |
I used to hunt Whitetails in the Northeast with a 6.5x55 using the 156gr Norma load. I loved the look of it to be honest, with the exposed bullet darn near as long as the case....reminded me of military 7x57 loads. Sure did the job on Deer at our moderate ranges. | |||
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| One of Us |
What I think is most interesting about this thread is the amount of folks who hunt with a 6.5 and the killing power. I think a .260 or 6.5x55 is a great caliber. All I need below a 30-06. | |||
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| One of Us |
Never been much of a fan, especially in MR contours  | |||
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One of Us |
I really enjoyed reading this thread. It answered lots of questions about bullet choices that I myself have had for some time. I've been shooting my 6.5/55 SE for some time but haven't shoot big game with it. I've been shooting 140gr Bergers with phenomenal results on paper, but not on game. The last time I went out I shot my best group ever with it..... 4 rounds through one hole at 100 yd! I couldn't believe it so I purposely aimed the fifth round 1/4 in. high and that was exactly where it hit! It sounds like I'm bragging, but I was so exited I had to tell someone! Thanks for indulging me. Molon Labe! NRA Endowment Member | |||
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| One of Us |
I never got back to this thread but no bullet will expand at a constant rate. Hit heavy bone or muscle and the bullet will expand more than if it slipped between the ribs. Your "critical element" can not be predicted nor has anyone, including bullet manufacturers ever measured expansion rate because of many different factors.... | |||
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One of Us |
I'm another who has enjoyed this thread. I've had a "sporterized" 96 Mauser for quite few years. I haven't used it a lot to hunt with, in fact my wife has pretty much made hers, but everything I have used it on fell without much drama. Roger ___________________________ I'm a trophy hunter - until something better comes along. *we band of 45-70ers* | |||
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One of Us |
I have had a .264 for a long time. In the 70s it was hard to find good bullets that would hang together. When I got a box of 140 nosler partitions the world changed they held together passed threw prity much everything and killed really well. I had planned to try 160s but just never had the need and over the years I have now shot everything up to and including moose with the noslers. I would take the rifle anywhere to hunt anything short of dangerous game with confidence that the bullets would not let me down. | |||
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| one of us |
If I recall correctly, the VLD bullets had an interesting expansion pattern. Apparently, they penetrated without expanding for about two inches (50mm), then expanded almost explosively. For a side shot on smaller animals (goats was the article I read), they were fantastic, but as they didn't penetrate much more than a couple of additional inches, they were risky for front or raking shots. | |||
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