What does my rifle's first trip to the range tell me?

Sorry, I missed the part where you have to use non-lead bullets. In that case the Barnes bullets are really good. I have not used them in 6.5CM but have used them in 270 WBY Mag and they work great. I noticed that Green Acres Ammo has the Barnes TTX 120g copper bullet at a good price. I think it is as good as the LRX if you can't find it. My only suggestion would be to try to stay within 300 yard shots with these lighter bullets. Especially if you are shooting near dark and could have tracking issues.
 
A couple of things, guns will shoot good broken in or not. If it's a shooter it's a shooter. Now the ammo you feed it will play a factor but all my precision rifles shoot well for the first 3 shots, there's no settling down. Can't be proven. Now they will speed up as you wear down the lands...

If you're switching ammo, what I'm reading is, I'm asking, that you will switch ammo for longer shots versus closer shots?

If you change ammo you will need to change zeros. Stick to 1 grain bullet after you find what your gun likes and stick to it, at all ranges. No changing things up.

Best would be to reload your own, lots of factory Lead free ammo won't produce the best groups. But 1.5 MOA at 200 yards is fine. Most guys can't hold 3 inches difference off hand at 300 yards, that's 1 MOA , well an MOA is 1.047" but I won't split hairs on this forum. So live with that group and know most guys can't hold off hand 3" at 300 yards so that isn't an issue .
 
waveslayer said:
A couple of things, guns will shoot good broken in or not. If it's a shooter it's a shooter. Now the ammo you feed it will play a factor but all my precision rifles shoot well for the first 3 shots, there's no settling down. Can't be proven. Now they will speed up as you wear down the lands...

If you're switching ammo, what I'm reading is, I'm asking, that you will switch ammo for longer shots versus closer shots?

If you change ammo you will need to change zeros. Stick to 1 grain bullet after you find what your gun likes and stick to it, at all ranges. No changing things up.

Best would be to reload your own, lots of factory Lead free ammo won't produce the best groups. But 1.5 MOA at 200 yards is fine. Most guys can't hold 3 inches difference off hand at 300 yards, that's 1 MOA , well an MOA is 1.047" but I won't split hairs on this forum. So live with that group and know most guys can't hold off hand 3" at 300 yards so that isn't an issue .
Click to expand...
Thanks. To your question, here is the thinking:
1) Out to a certain distance (probably somewhere between 200 and 300 yards, depending on elevation and other variables), normal lead-free bullets (like the Barnes TTSX and Nosler E-Tips) should be a reliable performer on medium big game out of my 6.5 creedmoor with 24'' barrel.
2) I expect that the majority of hunting shots that I will be taking for the time being will be within that range, so that's good.
3) But I'd like to extend my effective range just in case a longer range shot is required.
4) The Barnes LRX bullet seems to have a longer effective range out of a 6.5 creedmoor with a 24'' barrel..... probably more like somewhere between 300 and 375 yards. This seems to be one of the main things that it was designed for........ expansion at lower velocities than the TTSX bullet.
5) Certain lead bullets like the Accubond long-range and ELD-X would seem to have an even longer effective range.
6) One approach could be just to pick the LRX, Accubond LR, or ELD-X and use it for all ranges. But this runs into problems for me. For the Barnes LRX, I can't get enough of it with the shortage and I'm also not sure whether it is great for the more likely short ranges (I know they market it as great for anything and everything, but I have my doubts). I definitely have these same doubts about short-range/high velocity performance of the Accubond long-range bullets. I've seen a lot of bad feedback about short range shots with these bullets. Also, since it's a lead bullet, I won't be able to use it for my upcoming hunts since it has to be lead-free. Same problems with the ELD-X although the high velocity performance issue seems to be less of a problem than with the Accubond long-range.
7) So, my thought was to sight in with a normal lead-free bullet and be ready to use that ammo at shorter ranges, but also build knowledge and skill around using a long-range bullet at longer ranges. The thought is that I just need to know where the long-range ammo is hitting at the longer ranges and then shoot accordingly if I ever need to take a long-range shot ..... which is more or less what I'd have to do with any bullet given that 6.5 creedmoor (with 200y zero) starts falling out of MPBR for medium big game at some point before 300 yards. In fact, if I'm lucky and the POI is just a few inches higher than the normal ammo, that might just make my life easier. But since I won't be using both bullets at any one given range, it should not be confusing.... at ranges out to X yards, use ammo 1 and it will be within MPBR ... at ranges past X yards, use ammo 2 and adjust for its known POI at the relevant distance.

Anyway, not sure if that makes sense but that is the thinking. Laying it all out there so you more knowledgeable folks can tell me where I'm going wrong. I do know that I've seem multiple people on this and other sites saying that they use different bullets at different ranges, so if I'm an idiot (I might be) I'm not the only one.

On the MOA, I'm hopeful that I can tighten up the groups for the Nosler E-Tips and maybe get under .75 MOA at 200 yards with a better wind situation and better shooting by me. So, it sounds like that load is doing pretty well for me considering it is factory ammo with a light monolithic bullet. I might also be getting some Barnes TTSX and giving them a try.
 
Last edited:
MoreSalsa said:
Thanks. To your question, here is the thinking:
1) Out to a certain distance (probably somewhere between 200 and 300 yards, depending on elevation and other variables), normal lead-free bullets (like the Barnes TTSX and Nosler E-Tips) should be a reliable performer on medium big game out of my 6.5 creedmoor with 24'' barrel.
2) I expect that the majority of hunting shots that I will be taking for the time being will be within that range, so that's good.
3) But I'd like to extend my effective range just in case a longer range shot is required.
4) The Barnes LRX bullet seems to have a longer effective range out of a 6.5 creedmoor with a 24'' barrel..... probably more like somewhere between 300 and 375 yards. This seems to be one of the main things that it was designed for........ expansion at lower velocities than the TTSX bullet.
5) Certain lead bullets like the Accubond long-range and ELD-X would seem to have an even longer effective range.
6) One approach could be just to pick the LRX, Accubond LR, or ELD-X and use it for all ranges. But this runs into problems for me. For the Barnes LRX, I can't get enough of it with the shortage and I'm also not sure whether it is great for the more likely short ranges (I know they market it as great for anything and everything, but I have my doubts). I definitely have these same doubts about short-range/high velocity performance of the Accubond long-range bullets. I've seen a lot of bad feedback about short range shots with these bullets. Also, since it's a lead bullet, I won't be able to use it for my upcoming hunts since it has to be lead-free. Same problems with the ELD-X although the high velocity performance issue seems to be less of a problem than with the Accubond long-range.
7) So, my thought was to sight in with a normal lead-free bullet and be ready to use that ammo at shorter ranges, but also build knowledge and skill around using a long-range bullet at longer ranges. The thought is that I just need to know where the long-range ammo is hitting at the longer ranges and then shoot accordingly if I ever need to take a long-range shot ..... which is more or less what I'd have to do with any bullet given that 6.5 creedmoor (with 200y zero) starts falling out of MPBR for medium big game at some point before 300 yards. In fact, if I'm lucky and the POI is just a few inches higher than the normal ammo, that might just make my life easier. But since I won't be using both bullets at any one given range, it should not be confusing.... at ranges out to X yards, use ammo 1 and it will be within MPBR ... at ranges past X yards, use ammo 2 and adjust for its known POI at the relevant distance.

Anyway, not sure if that makes sense but that is the thinking. Laying it all out there so you more knowledgeable folks can tell me where I'm going wrong. I do know that I've seem multiple people on this and other sites saying that they use different bullets at different ranges, so if I'm an idiot (I might be) I'm not the only one.

On the MOA, I'm hopeful that I can tighten up the groups for the Nosler E-Tips and maybe get under .75 MOA at 200 yards with a better wind situation and better shooting by me. So, it sounds like that load is doing pretty well for me considering it is factory ammo with a light monolithic bullet. I might also be getting some Barnes TTSX and giving them a try.
Click to expand...

I can appreciate the enthusiasm, but you're way over thinking of it. Most of the time it's a bad shot not the bullet. Use Europe as am example, they use .223 etc to hunt all the time. It's all about shot placement. Pick a bullet and go for it. Don't get too hung up on bullets expansion velocity , you will have to test that to truly see, it's all marketing and done in a lab with controlled results. Throw in a game animal running, hitting bone, hitting just soft tissue etc.. all that test is BS. Yes some bullets do better than others, but spend your time with 1 load and practice what counts, shot placement. Getting a gun with factory loads to .75 MOA at 200 yards is a nice goal, I bet that rifle will do it, but again as I stated, most hunting shots aren't done via prone, with a rear bag, taking your time etc. Not realistic at all.

Use what your gun likes. If you want longer shots then you may need a lighter bullet to increase the velocity. Or get a 300 Win Mag and be done with it all 😉
 
Shane Lindsey said:
www.milehighshooting.com

Berger Ammunition: 6.5 Creedmoor 153.5gr LR Hybrid, 20/Box

31091: Berger 6.5 Creedmoor ammo features Berger’s high BC, jump-tolerant hybrid ogive LRHT bullet, which is Doppler verified to less than 1% BC variation.
www.milehighshooting.com www.milehighshooting.com


www.milehighshooting.com

Berger Ammunition: 6.5 mm Creedmoor 156gr EOL Elite Hunter, 20/Box

The Berger 31070 is designed for hunters that want to take full advantage of the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge for hunting in a custom or high-end factory rifle.
www.milehighshooting.com www.milehighshooting.com
Click to expand...
Issue will be, like me , in CA you need lead free. It protects all the little animals the kids shoot with BB guns.

Or be like me and refuse to hunt in CA !
 
Didn't read every follow up post, so take that into consideration with my reply.

Have you tried a different scope? I was interested in the UL SWFA and the number of issues took it off the list. Most reported issue with parallax, aberration or image shift at higher magnification.
 
Darryle said:
Didn't read every follow up post, so take that into consideration with my reply.

Have you tried a different scope? I was interested in the UL SWFA and the number of issues took it off the list. Most reported issue with parallax, aberration or image shift at higher magnification.
Click to expand...
I've been happy with it so far (one trip to the range). One reason I actually got it was the fewer complaints that I saw in researching it compared to the other scopes that I was considering. I wanted something that was light and compact and could be mounted low, without costing a ton of money. With those specs, almost every scope that I considered had a good amount of troubling complaints. It was like reading hotel reviews, every one had bad complaints that made you want to cross it off the list.

Shooting at 200 yards, I ended up settling on around 8X magnification, which did seem to give me a better picture than the max 10X. That is fine by me. With my goal of being able to shoot 400 yards in the field, 8X should be more than enough magnification .... and I would have bought a scope with 7X or maybe even 6X max magnification.
 
Darryle said:
Didn't read every follow up post, so take that into consideration with my reply.

Have you tried a different scope? I was interested in the UL SWFA and the number of issues took it off the list. Most reported issue with parallax, aberration or image shift at higher magnification.
Click to expand...
Yes to all 3 of the reported issues on the UL SWFA I bought...sent it back immediately

OP...Looking for a cheaper/lighter scope?...the VX3 is a great option
 
@MoreSalsa, here are some lead-free ammunition for your consideration'

- https://choiceammunition.com/product/6-5-creedmoor-120-grain-barnes-ttsx-lead-free100-hand-loaded/
- https://www.nosler.com/6-5-creedmoor-120gr-expansion-tip-ammunition.html
-https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/6-5-creedmoor-120-gr-gmx-full-boar#!/
-https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/6.5-creedmoor-120-gr.-cx-outfitter#!/
-https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/6.5-creedmoor-120-gr.-cx-superformance#!/
-https://winchester.com/Products/Ammunition/Rifle/Deer-Season-XP-Copper-Impact/X65DSLF
-https://www.federalpremium.com/rifle/premium-centerfire-rifle/trophy-copper/11-P65CRDTC1.html
-https://www.barnesbullets.com/product/vor-tx-rifle/?attribute_pa_cartridge=6-5-creedmoor&attribute_pa_bullet-weight-gr=120&attribute_pa_bullet-type=ttsx-bt
-https://www.barnesbullets.com/product/vor-tx-long-range/?attribute_pa_cartridge=6-5-creedmoor&attribute_pa_bullet-weight-gr=127
-

I am sure there are more but it is a start. Good luck!
 
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