Bullets for 6.5-284

[IdahoJoe]

My 6.5-284 will be her soon and I was wondering what bullets people recommend for this caliber. It will be used mostly for mule dear hunting in areas with some possible really long shots and some possible close up shots. I am a big fan of nosler bullets but the bergers have nice looking bcs. My question is how do they perform in smaller calibers like 6.5-284 25-06 etc.

[ishootkittens]

I already know this entire forums answer!!! BERGER BERGER BERGER, you may get a couple of A-max answers, but they arent really intended on hunting. But you wait and see, BERGER BERGER BERGER... probably because they DO produce the best long range "hunting" bullets. Lapua, hornady, berger, and sierra make some good match ammo, but Berger is great if your looking for a mix of both.

But check out barnes too!

[rscott5028]

Originally Posted by ishootkittens

I already know this entire forums answer!!! BERGER BERGER BERGER, you may get a couple of A-max answers, but they arent really intended on hunting. But you wait and see, BERGER BERGER BERGER... probably because they DO produce the best long range "hunting" bullets. Lapua, hornady, berger, and sierra make some good match ammo, but Berger is great if your looking for a mix of both.

But check out barnes too!

Hey. I love Barnes!!! Everyone should try them. Just be sure to check your ballistics curve and make sure your expected impact velocity is around 1900 fps or greater for proper expansion.

While you're at it, check your ballistics table and compare bullets with different BCs at your longest expected shooting distance. The farther you go, the bigger role the wind plays and the more help you'll get from higher BCs.

So while Barnes is an excellent bullet, I prefer Berger for hunting out past 500 yds.

Your rifle may prefer another bullet such as Hornady, Sierra, or Norma. And, people are having success there too. But, a lot of people are having success with Berger. So, don't knock 'em.

Happy hunting!
-- richard

[Toomanytracks]

I hade mine throated for smk's and sst's. Smk's are good for .478 @ 100yds (5 shot group) sst's I'll give away! Berger seem to group better a extended range. 1.5@ 100 & >.5 moa @ 400yds. The smk's are .02 off the lands vld's are .005 off the lands both run at the 2900 fps range.

[rscott5028]

Originally Posted by Toomanytracks

I hade mine throated for smk's and sst's. Smk's are good for .478 @ 100yds (5 shot group) sst's I'll give away! Berger seem to group better a extended range. 1.5@ 100 & >.5 moa @ 400yds. The smk's are .02 off the lands vld's are .005 off the lands both run at the 2900 fps range.

I don't know about using the 142 SMK's for hunting. Perhaps others can comment from experience?

The SMK's have a very high BC and many of us use them very successfully for punching paper at 1k+.

If you consistently get .5 MOA at 400 yds, you should be able to equal that at 100 yds.

-- richard

[cornstalker]

I am on the cusp of ordering one as well. Phase three if my .284 case quad-fecta....

I am intrigued with the Swift Scirocco II 130 grain with a stated BC of .571.

If the BC is real, what a nice blend of high BC and velocity.

My only reservation with the Bergers is feeding an animal to my kids that has lead fragments scattered throughout. Awesome bullets, just hesitant about the shard factor....

[rscott5028]

cornstalker,

Good point. There's no telling how much No. 9 shot I ate as a kid. My Dad hunted quail every day of the season. It's no wonder I can't remember the day of the week anymore.

-- Richard