preferred 6.5 hunting bullet

[Matt Wolf]

I just took delivery of a 22" 6.5 rsaum. It's a whitetail rifle. Obviously I'm looking for ballistic performance, but I really like to eat venison, so I'm looking for a bullet that kills without leaving bullet slivers everywhere. Given rsaum velocities, what are your recommendations. I was planning on 143 eld-x, but some of what I'm hearing is making me think it's softer than I would like. Maybe 139 Scenar?

 

[RockyMtnMT]

What you are thinking is exactly how we got into making bullets. I don't mind blowing up gophers into pieces. It violates me to do that to a game animal. The design and terminal performance of our Hammer Bullets revolves around terminal performance without wasting meat, and accuracy. These two things are what matters most. Everything else is secondary. If you are keeping your range under 500y you should look at our Sledge Hammer line. If you are extending your range farther than that, then the Hammer Hunter line would serve you best. Both bullets work equally well on game. The Sledge Hammer line is heavier for caliber and has higher weight retention. They are designed with larger hollow points and designed without bc as a consideration. bc make very little diff out to 500y. The Hammer Hunters have a much longer nose with 1.5mm hollow points (this is as small as will work reliably for terminal performance) for higher bc and extended ranges. The long nose of the Hammer Hunter line can be more difficult to fit into factory magazines, although there should be no problem with the 124g Hammer Hunter in your magazine.

Steve

 

[sable tireur]

I haven't tested my batch of Hammer 137 grain bullets yet but I have used all of the following with good results:

120 gr. Barnes TTSX
125 gr. Nosler Partition
130 gr. Berger Hunter VLD
140 Berger Elite Hunter VLD
160 gr. Matrix

The Nosler Partition bullets never fail to provide the picture perfect mushroom, no matter which weight you choose. The only slight drawback is the lesser BC generated by the shape. I've used the 140 grain Partitions in the 6.5 GAP 4S for elk with excellent performance.

 

[Prwillard2]

What you are thinking is exactly how we got into making bullets. I don't mind blowing up gophers into pieces. It violates me to do that to a game animal. The design and terminal performance of our Hammer Bullets revolves around terminal performance without wasting meat, and accuracy. These two things are what matters most. Everything else is secondary. If you are keeping your range under 500y you should look at our Sledge Hammer line. If you are extending your range farther than that, then the Hammer Hunter line would serve you best. Both bullets work equally well on game. The Sledge Hammer line is heavier for caliber and has higher weight retention. They are designed with larger hollow points and designed without bc as a consideration. bc make very little diff out to 500y. The Hammer Hunters have a much longer nose with 1.5mm hollow points (this is as small as will work reliably for terminal performance) for higher bc and extended ranges. The long nose of the Hammer Hunter line can be more difficult to fit into factory magazines, although there should be no problem with the 124g Hammer Hunter in your magazine.

Steve

I run the 124gr Hammer Hunter in my 6.5 Creed hunting rifle. Super accurate and they fly out of a 21" barrel at 2950fps.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

I haven't tested my batch of Hammer 137 grain bullets yet but I have used all of the following with good results:

120 gr. Barnes TTSX
125 gr. Nosler Partition
130 gr. Berger Hunter VLD
140 Berger Elite Hunter VLD
160 gr. Matrix

The Nosler Partition bullets never fail to provide the picture perfect mushroom, no matter which weight you choose. The only slight drawback is the lesser BC generated by the shape. I've used the 140 grain Partitions in the 6.5 GAP 4S for elk with excellent performance.

That 137g Hammer Hunter is a looonngg one for sure. Not a ton of guys out there with the 7 twist barrel that is needed to stabilize that one. Looking forward to your results. Whatare you waiting for?

Steve

 

[sable tireur]

Whatare you waiting for?

The new barrel...

 

[North Idaho Hunter]

I am running 127 barnes LRX @3300 FPS out of my 6.5 SAUM. Hopefully find a test subject this weekend (bears) if they perform anything like a TTSX I will be happy. very little meat loss.

you might give them a try, a nice balance between speed and BC for a hunting bullet in the SAUM case.

 

[RT2506]

Nosler Accubonds. I am running the 130 gr out of my 264 Win mag at 3350 fps and I could not ask for better results. I have killed over 2 dozen deer from 25 to a touch over 500 yards and the bullet acts the same at any yardage. Goes in one shoulder takes out the vitals exits the other shoulder with a nickel size hole and deer are DRT. I have only recovered one bullet shot length wise with left shoulder angle facing me. Bullet hit edge of left shoulder and was found against the smashed ball joint in the right ham when I was cutting up the meat. Bullet was a text book mushroom and weighed 87 grs. Shot was at 111 yards. In my experience it don't get no better than that.

 

[Matt Wolf]

thanks gents

 

[86alaskan]

for closer range I'd go with a mono for sure. out past 2-300, take your pick, there are lots of good bullets out there that will perform very well. I think a good bonded bullet will help you avoid meat loss. I've taken a couple caribou with the 143ELD-X and didn't have a single pass through at approx 250-350yds. they fragmented inside them with a MV of 2750. But they killed, no tracking necessary. I my whitetail woods, I'll keep a mono chambered with a good LR bullet in the bottom of the mag or close by in the stock pack. At woods range, the mono hits plenty close to the same POA to justify its use. I'm positive that has saved me meat over the years.

 

[Matt Wolf]

I have shot 120 tsx out of my 7-08's and 7rsaum at woods ranges and they have done great, although I have always wished for a touch more expansion. They alwasy punch through, but the exit is generally so small that there often isn't much blood.

 

[Matt Wolf]

Took the new boomstick to the range on the weekend. Ran a velocity ladder from 57.5-61.5 H1000, in reformed 300-RP cases, with 140 amax. 61.5 gave me 2800 fps. Now granted, the barrel is only 22", and is brand new, but I'm hoping for more speed than this. It is worth saying that the powder is at least 10 years old, and I'be heard rumours that H1000 used to be a bit slower, than current batches. I'm guessing That I should be able to get some more speed out of R26, so that's my plan for test #2.

 

[Rick Richard]

I am a big fan of Bergers. I have killed several deer with the 140 and an elk last week. 24 inch Bartlein barrel with MV at 3075.

 

[J300UM]

For general purpose hunting (close to mid range) I've had great results with the 140 Accubond. When I'm in open country where there's potential for longer shots, I run the 140 Berger.