What’s your favorite hunting bullets for 6.5cm

[Kpknifemaker]

So far just paper shooting, but my new 6.5 CM likes the 143 ELD-Xs and the Berger 156.

Hopefully the deer will not like them.

 

[Quintus]

To 450 you have an embarrassment of riches. My favorite is the 125gr Nosler Partition. It is as close to deer killing perfection as there is. The 130gr Accubond, Scirocco II, and HPBT Gameking are absolutely fantastic. The 130 Berger VLD hunting and 135 classic are good, but maybe a bit too much of a good thing under 500. The 120 TTSX is also fantastic.

 

[Slick8]

I had splash problems out of a creed with the 143 eldx including a shoulder shot doe at 350 yards which had an impact velocity of around 2250.

I've since switched to 130 bergers and have been more than happy for deer sized game.

As said above, lots of options; nos accubond, seirra game kings would be great as would the sst from Hornady.

 

[CaptnC]

130 AR Hyb is what we use in my daughter's gun. It has killed quite a bit of big game. None of her deer, or her pronghorn has taken a single step.

The 130 AR Hybrids shoot great, but my wife shot one 90lb WT and we lost the deer. Had to use the buzzards to find it.

I've bow hunted since the late 70's and shot tons of hogs, deer and exotic sheep so my tracking skills are very good.

Any way zero sign of a hit at the spot she shot it 107 yards away, we seen the last two trees it went between before it disappeared. That was about 40 yards from where it was shot...zero blood there too.

We seen the buzzards late in the next day and found it before that had touched it so I was able to examine the details of the shot.

Entry was perfect in the crease behind the shoulder and recovered the bullet between the opposite shoulder and rib cage. The bullet didnt come any where close to making it through to the skin on the off side.

The 130gr bullet weighed 50grs.

Didnt try them on anything else. I went back to 129 SST out of her 26" 6.5 CM bolt gun.

They have been great out of her rifle.

So big vote for Hornady 129gr SST out of a 6.5 CM

 

[Doubledelta]

Recently built a 6.5 and i absolutely love it for shooting steel targets, obviously haven't shot a deer with it yet.... so I'm currently shooting 140 eld match and 140sst with great success is the 140 eld a reliable deer bullet under 450yds? If not what's a better option?

Here in the Carolinas we are having best results on Whitetails with 140gr Partitions

I use same load recipe for ELDX ABLR or SST
all 140-142gr bullets

42gr IMR4350 WLR primer magazine length

Partitions don't group as well as plastic tip bullets but they are 100% effective

 

[DRock]

My vote is the 143gr ELDx. I shot this large bodied bull elk at 310 yards with a suppressed 6.5CM. The bull was broad side and I chose a double lung shot since this was the first elk I attempted to shoot with a non-magnum. I was surprised to see the exit hole when I retrieved the bull (see photo). This bullet is very accurate in both 6.5Cm's I shoot and I have killed several mature mule deer and the one elk all with one shot kills. Good expansion and penetration.

 

[Canhunter35]

143eldx is a great deer bullet

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

140 eld-m all day every day on deer/black bear for me. That bullet at creedmoor velocities is absolutely fantastic. Been stacking up deer and bear for years with the old A-max and now eld-m

 

[TRG65]

My son has used the 147 and 123 eld-m's in 6.5s. All were one shot. We've also taken a bunch of groundhogs with the 147 and they make quite a mess, so I know the expansion is there.

 

[Greyfox]

In my 6.5CM and 6.5x47 I like the 130gr Berger OTM Hybrid, and Hornady 143gr ELD-X.

 

[just_jon]

131 grain Hammer Hunter.

 

[antelopedundee]

Used the Hornady 29 grain interlocks for years out of a 6.5-06 or 6.5-06AI. Last few years I have used the Sierra 130 grain TGKs with good results. This year I will be trying the Barnes 127 grain LRX with 59.3 grains of IMR7977 in the 6.5-06AI.

 

[nicholasjohn]

I have been using a 6.5 since 1964. Back then the Sierra 120gr for deer ( Muley's ) . In the 1990's started using the Barnes 120gr mono for deer . When they came out I switched to the 100gr copper mono. More than adequate for mature muley bucks ( 200 lb + ). Always a complete pass thru. Since I am mainly a meat hunter the fact that there was almost no blood shot meat was a huge plus. Also the Hammer brand 110 gr a fine choice also. It doesn't take a heavy bullet to put a deer, even a heavy bodied deer . Just proper shot placement. The overwhelming amount of deer I have taken has been under 200yds with a considerable number under 100yds. The copper mono's absolutely hold together at close range without the nasty blow up's that can come from a lead core bullet. even the bonded types. If the meat is a priority I highly recommend the copper mono whatever the brand.

Which 6.5mm cartridge(s) were you using back in the 60's, Sir ? That was long before the new 6.5's came along, so you must have been working with the old traditional cartridges that weren't really popular here in the states back then. It seems you were well ahead of your time ........

 

[stx]

I shoot 140 ELDMs in my heavy bbl Creedmoor and 124 Hammer Hunters in the other.....both accurate and deadly!