Rich Coyle
Well-Known Member
What is the longest 6.5 hunting bullet folks are effectively using? What twist is necessary?
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longest 6.5 hunting bullet?
- Thread starter Rich Coyle
- Start date
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The longest and heaviest 6.5 bullet I have personally used is the Sierra 160 gr RN shot out of a Swede Mauser 6.5X55 Swede around 2500 fps which has a 7 1/2" twist barrel. Did not shoot it over 200 yards but I never recovered a single bullet from a white tail deer no matter where it was placed. Usually killed them DRT. I moved on to the Sierra 140 gr Game King at 2800 fps from same rifle and it also killed DRT out to 500 yards or so. I acquired a 27 3/4" long 9" twist Shilen barreled 264 Win mag and the first bullet that I decided to try was the Nosler 130 gr Accubond because of the 9" twist and it shoots so good that I never tried anything else. I can send this bullet on it's way at 3350 fps with Retumbo powder and it shoots quarter MOA accuracy and with a 3" high zero at 100 yards I can just hold center of a deer's front shoulder out to 400 yards and it is DEAD. If the deer is from 400 to 550 yards out I just raise my cross hair up to the top of it's shoulder and it is DEAD. I don't get shots much over 500 yards where I now hunt. If shooting the longer heaver bullets i would use at least a 8" twist.
