preferred 6.5 hunting bullet

I had good luck the the new Sierra 130 grain TGK Tipped Game King [I call them The Green Killers] on antelope using a 6.5-06 AI. Killed about as well as anything I've ever used. Dead and on the ground before you even recover from the recoil. Never used them but based on his own results I'd recommend to give the 135 grain BIBs a try. Randy is a first class guy and bulletmaker.

https://bibullets.com/new-products/

I have had excellent success with the 140 gr Berger Hunting VLD's and JLk VLD's. Running them in the 2985-3025FPS range they have proven to be very effective, taking dozens of deer and antelope from 100-1000+ yards over a 7 year period.

I have taken 4 elk with 136 Precision Ballistics bullets. All one shot kills. The farthest any of them went was 50 yards. Shot lengths: 620 - 6x6 bull elk, 590 cow elk, 340 cow elk, 520 cow elk. They are the same construction as Berger or JLK. I just gave up sorting them because I NEVER found any significant difference between any of them.

I would not put one on heavy elk bones, but they shoot so well that as long as conditions are right and I can get in a good shooting position, I am 100% confident that I can put them behind the shoulder.

Whatever bullet you choose, practice with it. Know that you can make the shot.

Like Greyfox, I shoot them at 3020 fps.

I now only shoot 2 different bullets in my 6.5-284 Norma. The 143gr ELDX or the 124gr Hammer Hunter. I've been very impressed with the performance of the ELDX, but that was before I found and started loading the Hammer bullets. Just took a Kodiak Island mountain goat with the 213gr Hammer Hunter in my 338 Lapua. If you want a monolithic copper bullet that gets higher velocity without pressure and is devastating on game, look no further than the Hammer Bullets

140 Berger VLD at 3100 is very effective out of my 264 WM, several
Mule Deer and Bull Elk from 100-650 yards, all one shot kills.

dougduey said:

I now only shoot 2 different bullets in my 6.5-284 Norma. The 143gr ELDX or the 124gr Hammer Hunter. I've been very impressed with the performance of the ELDX, but that was before I found and started loading the Hammer bullets. Just took a Kodiak Island mountain goat with the 213gr Hammer Hunter in my 338 Lapua. If you want a monolithic copper bullet that gets higher velocity without pressure and is devastating on game, look no further than the Hammer Bullets

Click to expand...

What speeds are you seeing with the 124 HH in the -284?

jmcmath said:

What speeds are you seeing with the 124 HH in the -284?

Click to expand...

3174 fps was my most accurate load. I did have a good load at 3236 fps, but it was pushing the max and I'd get the occasional stuck bolt, so I dropped down to the safe load.

Here's the 4 shot group at 100 yards with that load

I've had outstanding luck with Barnes. I've been using them since the TSX came out. I plan on buying a 6.5 hipster in the next month and will use the 127 LRX provided it shoots well. I haven't had a gun yet where they wouldn't shoot MOA or less.

Probably one of the best kept secrets for a LR Hunting bullet is the 140gr JLK, VLD. My G7 BC is.323 at a MV of 2980FPS. Since I began using them 8 seasons ago in my 6.5x284, I have shot a few dozen mule deer, Whitetail, and antelope from 150-1000+ yards. Terminal performance has been excellent with classic VLD expansion characteristics of small entrance, 2-3" exit(if full penetration). Very high % of DRT.
Shown: One of the very few recovered bullets(68% weight retention)taken from under the far shoulder hide of a heavy Alberta mulie shot a few years ago at a bit over 500 yards, DRT.

177 hammer,i am marinating elk ribs as i write.

Tagging in

I've taken over 20 deer from Roe (i.e. Coues Deer size), through Red Stags, up to Elk with handloaded 123gr & 139gr Scenars. No failures and they have all been fairly quick, one-shot kills with 100% exiting.
I'm now trying the Factory 143gr ELD-X and have had 3 kills with exits on Red Stags, from 150 yards up to 225 yards. The only difference has been that all 3 have run before going down, with chest shots.

Been shooting 6.5's for many years in several cartridges. If I had to pick my top three for hunting applications....

1) 140 gr Berger VLD Hunting
2) 143 gr Hornady ELDX
3) 140 Nosler Accubond

I have been very happy with the accuracy and terminal performance of many others but these top the list for me.