Hunting with the 6.5/06

[Lab rat]

So I have just finished building a 6.5/06 with a 26" Lilja barrel and timny trigger and was wondering what animals you hunt with your 6.5/06 please post pictures of your successful hunts with this round and what bullet you use or if you just wanna brag about your build let's see the success

 

[Farmerboy78]

I use mine to hunt deer and targets. If I ever get to elk hunt, its probably 1 of 2 rifles I'd take

 

[Hoss50]

I want to build one someday. I have liked that round for 20 years. I have a 6.5x55 though so it is not a front burner item for me. I would not hesitate to elk hunt with a 6.5-06 though. Scandinavians hunt moose with 6.5x55 so 6.5-06 should do quite well too up to that size animal with the proper bullets.

 

[Coyote_Hunter]

Mine is the AI version with a heavy barrel. While I've taken antelope with it, that rifle was purpose built for 1,000 yards plus. It is too heavy to drag up and down the mountains hunting elk, but I may use it someday for spot and stalk mulies in the sage.

Thinking about building a 6.5PRC on a barrel-less Savage 110 with magnum bolt face that is sitting in my safe. Pretty much the same as a 6.5-06 and I'd use it on elk in a heartbeat.

 

[dmj]

Sorry no pictures. Mine is the ai version. Mentored my grandson for his first elk hunt and he used my 6.5-06 ai. He got a nice sized cow. A 250 yard shot angled away. She went down and when we walked up there she lifted her head but couldn't get up so had him shoot her again. Was using the 140 grain bergers. He was one happy kid.

 

[Hespco]

Built on a Ruger stainless action. E.R.Shaw 24" stainless Bbl, 1/8 twist. Using the Barnes 120gr TSX/TTSX or the Hammer 121gr bullet to 3277 fps. using IMR-4350. I

t has proven to be a totally reliable elk round as well as deer.

 

[MOFlatlander]

Mule deer buck at 225yds. .264 entrance, half dollar exit. Chest cavity poured out nose and exit hole. 140 gr bergerVLD

 

[KurtB]

Berger 140 vld exclusively. Killed mtn goat, black bear, antelope, mule deer, and whitetail with mine. Nothing ever went far. RL22 for 95% of barrel life and then experimented a bit with RL26 and H1000.

 

[dogz]

I've been around the 6.5/06 quite a bit since the late 80's. Probably 8 or so different barrels (between friends and I) from 23"-26". Fun round, pretty much a 270 to 500 yards give or take. Beyond that the 6.5/06 will distance itself.

I've seen more popped primers with this round than all other rounds put together. Mainly with a friend trying to get to certain speed levels.

Keep in mind this was before R17, R26 and other miracle powders of this day. But, what we found was that in running 140's with the 23-24" barrels that 2850 was about the threshold for accuracy and pressures.

As for what we hunted with it, anything that moves in Mt. For me, there isn't anything in NA that I wouldn't take on with it. But then again I feel that way with most all 06 based rounds

Enjoy your 6.5

 

[KurtB]

Spot on regarding velocities. RL26 can get a guy in upper 2900s but hearing of some carbon issues when using it. 2850 fps is a great place to be.

 

[CBS]

I was considering this round but 2850ft/s is a huge turnoff. Maybe the 120 hammers would be what I'm looking for

 

[Lab rat]

Berger 140 vld exclusively. Killed mtn goat, black bear, antelope, mule deer, and whitetail with mine. Nothing ever went far. RL22 for 95% of barrel life and then experimented a bit with RL26 and H1000.

What powder did you end up going with

I was considering this round but 2850ft/s is a huge turnoff. Maybe the 120 hammers would be what I'm looking for

Try RL 26 I got 2950fps with143 eld x

 

[Don A Parsons]

Yuppers,,, i had mine built last year,,, sized up some brass,,, filled the cartridges with powder,,, seated some 140 to 146 gr bullets to see what shot best and went hunting...

Pretty forgiving cartridge to work with...

The 6.5 bullets don't have that Pa Pack sound feed back on critters like the 30 and 338 bullets,,, but ill have to admit that they get past the fur coat and make 1 heck of a mess on the insides...

It will be the only 65 I've used for hunting and target shooting,,, super fun for sure...

Im a 30 caliber dude for many years,,, soon to return to it in the coming years,,, but yes,,, the 6.5 is a fantastic game getter,,, i sure can't think of anything here in North America or in Africa that it cant knock down with good shot placment... the 6.5/06,,, A-Square are semi low on the scale of re-coil,,, so keeping it on target is fairly easy...

Don

 

[KurtB]

What powder did you end up going with

Try RL 26 I got 2950fps with143 eld x

I burned up the majority of the barrel with RL22 as that was prior to RL26 coming out. It would be hard to look past RL26 at this point though.