For years I had heard of the tremendous penetraion of the 160 gr. 6.5 bullet. Even though I had fired 100's at targets, I had never set up a penetration test.
To solve that, I set up 4 12" diameter Hackberry tree stumps. The stumps were quite dry but still offered a lot of resistance. Behind that was a 10" diameter dead Hackberry tree, behind that, an 8" diameter live Hackberry and behind that, the forest behind our house.
As a control, I fired an 8mm 180 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip at around 2360 fps. It went into the first stump about 2 1/2", turned inside out, and stopped.
I then fired a 160 gr. Hornady SPRN at about 2100 fps from my 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schoenauer rifle. The Hornady went through all four 12" stumps, through the 10" of dead tree, through 7" of live Hackberry, and sailed off into the forest. I'm glad there is a 15' railroad embankment about 100 yards behind and no neighbors in that direction for 10 miles.
The hole was about quarter size and straight as an arrow through the dead wood. The live tree splintered around the hole.
After seeing this 65" of penetration, it became evident why the early hunters had such great faith in the 6.5x54 and had no hesitation in taking on large and dangerous game with it.

I still have a box or two of the Hornady's left and I have slaid, no slew, no slewn, no extincted (there, that's correct) all the mbogos and simbas in central Kansas. I have also have a bunch of military pulls in shiny FMJ form which should penetrate like depleted uranium. Trouble is, they measure only .2625" so I have to crimp them with a 2# sledge and an anvil to keep the bullets from falling into the case.

I remember my buddy drilling holes in a steel plate with his 6.5 Swed.

My Mannlicher will only feed 160rn. Anything else and the shoulder gets crushed.

I used the 156gr Norma load in my 6.5x55...hell on Whitetails.

Alf
I heard this story some time ago.
I emailed Hornady several months back and they said the bullet is still going to be procduced.

XXXXXX May 8,2013

Yes, we are still making these bullets. Our last shipment of this item went out a few months ago. Some of our retailers that received them were Graf & Sons and MidwayUSA.

Thank you,

Hornady Sales Team

phone 1-800-338-3220

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:
Just one problem:
Hornady have discontinued making the 160 gr RN

The Hornady's I have are .264. I still have 50 .266 but I don't remember who made them.

Good news on the Hornady 160 gr RN. I think all the current interest (what took everybody so long???) in 6.5's may have caused Hornady to reconsider. Hornady also makes a 6.5 160 RN in either .266" or .268" for Italian 6.5 Carcanos.
A few years back, I bought a Greek 1903 at an out-of-town gun show. The guy I bought it from guaranteed it to shoot decently, even though the bore was not good. All I could find was a box of 6.5x52 Carcanos rather than 6.5x54's. They shot fine and I still reload the brass for my 6.5x54 Mannlichers. Never knew until then they would work.

as a 6.5 bore shooter in multiple calibers, I keep on top of this... my last contact with Hornady was quite recently ( last 2 weeks)... Hornady is suspending a lot of its bullets, to keep manufacturing the ones that sell the most...

the 6.5 160 grain RN is not on that list.. and may not be back period... same with my beloved 154 grain RN and 175 grain RN in 7 mm, which see service in my 7 x 57s...

In my 6.5 x 55 Swede ( 1919 production ) a 160 grain RN, with a charge of 30 grains of RL 7, recoils much less than a 30/30, yet sends that bullet out the muzzle at about 2350 fps.. and it is definitely a penetrating son of a gun...

any tests I have ever done with it, regardless of the test media, it went thru that and kept on going...and accurate as hell also...

it was built for lower velocity tho... ran it hot thru a 260 Rem, that was throated out for that bullet.. the rifle was a Ruger with a one in 8 twist...

a hot load with H 380 actually chronographed at 2800 fps...but it didn't penetrate as far as it did when it started out at 2400 fps...

Karamojo Bell states in his book that the 6.5x54MS was his favourite cartridge and he only switched to the 7x57 as he had run out of quality 6.5 ammo. (He had missfires from cheap ammo). It seems reliable ex-mil 7x57 was more available in remote Africa.

I sold my 9.3x62 as my 7x57 with 175's out penetrated it on large soft skinned game. OP, your tests demonstrate why both the 6.5mm and 7mm with high SD projectiles worked then and still work.

IMO accuracy is the first consideration, then penetration, then expansion.

I'm sure all of those hackberry stumps left a good blood trail which allowed you to track them several hundred yards until they fell over.

The one in front, of course, was dead on the spot from the expansive 8mm Ballistic Tip.

For deer you have a point, Stoney...if you shoot them from the side or into the "sticking point" from the front.

But if you live where the animals bite back, or most shots you get on deer are when they're running away from you (the famous Texas heart shot), you might want something that penetrates more like a 6.5 160-grainer or a 7x57 175...saves a lot of steps, especially if that deer running away from you is an elk or moose, and once in a great while, maybe a hunter's life if its something tough equipped with big teeth and claws.....

That's not to bad-mouth more expansive bullets (ones which expand better, just to saying there is plenty of room in the market for both.

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:
I'm sure all of those hackberry stumps left a good blood trail which allowed you to track them several hundred yards until they fell over.

The one in front, of course, was dead on the spot from the expansive 8mm Ballistic Tip.

The 6.5 X .284 I built from an Quality Arasaka was the exception to the point you're making.No bullet 140 grains or lighter from its 30" barrel would hold together just going through the air. At that time, mid sixties, I found only three bullets that would arrive on target ; 160 Hornady a 160 Norma and a 156 Barnes original. When these bullets were used on deer the performance was truly shocking; literally!
Hit a small mule deer buck in the right shoulder and all but blew off the opposite shoulder.
A large mulie doe was hit just behind her leg and the bullet did not exit. Nor was it ever found. The entire chest cavity came out in one jellied mass. The deer was hit running broadside at 30 feet. It's a matter of velocity and twist roger

Stonecreek,
Yes, I was able to track the Hackberry stumps-they left an easy to follow sap trail. Took forever to skin them, though and they were kinda chewy. Good fiber, though, I heard. I'm thinking of having them mounted-spectacular point count.

Graf & Sons are selling Hornady 160 grain RN .268" blemished bullets for a really good price. I just ordered ten boxes.

Good news on the bullets. Not sure how comnpatible .268's are in most 6.5x54's so chamber cast first.
Graf's also is selling loaded 6.5x54, 7x57, and 7x64 Brenneke at a low price, usually under $20. That's great to see since a few years ago, it was so difficult to find either ammo or components for 6.5x54 and 7x64 at any price. Despite the shortages on heretofore common calibers, those of us in the U.S.A. who shoot the uncommon calibers are living in the age of plenty.

I have two M/S 6.5X54 rifles, one an original 1903 and the other a Greek Mannlicher which has been sporterized and rebarrelled at some point. The original likes .268" bullets, the sporterized one prefers .264". Fortunately, a loaded round with a .268" bullet will not chamber in the rifle with the .264" barrel, so there is no chance of confusion.

You did not ask them specifically about the 160 grn RN did you?

quote:

Originally posted by seafire2:
as a 6.5 bore shooter in multiple calibers, I keep on top of this... my last contact with Hornady was quite recently ( last 2 weeks)... Hornady is suspending a lot of its bullets, to keep manufacturing the ones that sell the most...

the 6.5 160 grain RN is not on that list.. and may not be back period... same with my beloved 154 grain RN and 175 grain RN in 7 mm, which see service in my 7 x 57s...

In my 6.5 x 55 Swede ( 1919 production ) a 160 grain RN, with a charge of 30 grains of RL 7, recoils much less than a 30/30, yet sends that bullet out the muzzle at about 2350 fps.. and it is definitely a penetrating son of a gun...

any tests I have ever done with it, regardless of the test media, it went thru that and kept on going...and accurate as hell also...

it was built for lower velocity tho... ran it hot thru a 260 Rem, that was throated out for that bullet.. the rifle was a Ruger with a one in 8 twist...

a hot load with H 380 actually chronographed at 2800 fps...but it didn't penetrate as far as it did when it started out at 2400 fps...

I'd be interested to see a similar test with the 160gn Woodleigh, 6.5mm.

Cheers, Chris

quote:

Originally posted by Rockdoc:
I'd be interested to see a similar test with the 160gn Woodleigh, 6.5mm.

Cheers, Chris

Something like this probably. From another forum, at 2150fps through a 9" tree and into the bank.
Cheers...
Con