6.5 .264 Projectiles - What do you use

ReverendX

ReverendX

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I've been reloading a few different rounds and wanted to try some economical plinker projectiles out.

I decided to go with the 139gr PPU PRVI PARTIZAN BULLET 6.5MM FMJBT, I believe they were $40/100.

They look like fairly nice bullets, but when I weighed then their weights were not very consistent.

The first batch that I shot was decently accurate at 100 yards. I believe I had used 37.2 - 38.0 grains of powder. Most of the groups were an inch to inch and a half. This was accurate enough for what I consider for plinking.

The next batch I tried was horrible. They were all over the place to the point that it made me feel like I was shooting surplus ammo out of a SKS.

Has another experienced the same with PPU projectiles?

I'm guessing the differences in bullet weights made the impact spot change round to round..
 
(The OP asked about plinking, so my post below is referencing target bullets, not hunting bullets).

Lapua Scenars. 123gr, 136gr, 139gr, with the 139's being my favourite (in my 2.60 Rem and 6.5 x 47 L). I buy from shops that are sponsors here at CGN. I buy bulk boxes of 1000 (when in stock) for the best deals. Sometimes I have to buy in boxes of 100 when the 1000 boxes are out of stock, but I buy several of the 100 boxes to save on shipping. The Scenars IMO are very good quality, and are less expensive than Bergers and Sierra MK's.

I am typically shooting 0.5 to 0.4 MOA 5-shot groups with the Scenars, and occasionally smaller down to 0.3's, and a few 0.2's. The 0.2's and 0.3's indicate to me that my rifle can shoot these, and I just need to do better in my shooting skills and reloading work ups. In other words, the Scenars are competitive, I just have to do my part better.

I recently bought several hundred of the Hornady Match HPBT, but have not yet loaded and tested these. They were less expensive than the Scenars, and are often available when the Scenars are not.

Bullets don't go bad, and will never decrease in price, so might as well order in bulk when you can.
 
Another vote for 140 match burners. I’ve shot a few thousand with great results, I use them for PRS practice, they group really tight at 100 yards, at 1000 yards they have more vertical than I would like but for how cheep they are I can’t complain, id use them in a match if I was in a pinch.
 
Cheap boat tail bullets generally suffer from dimensional issues ie lack of concentricity and symmetry. Its much easier to make a flat base bullet that is dimensionally correct. Suggest you pick up a box of 129 or 140 gr plain ol' Hornady SP Interlocks.
 
I could not get those PPU to shoot well in my Tikka 6.5x55. Hot-cor shoot sub moa and are as inexpensive as PPU. Hot-cor are great hunting bullets as well, just in case you want to hunt with your rifle.
 
Plinker bullets. You want something cheap, but with enough accuracy to be fun to shoot.

First, a bullet has to be open at one end. It is made by putting a lead slug in a little brass piece that looks like a little test tube. Then it is hit with a formign die.

if the open end of the tube forms the base, you have a FMJ bullet.

If the open end forms the nose, you have a hollow point or a soft point.

Accuracy: The nose does not matter. But the bullet base is critical to accuracy. So an open base bullet (FMJ) is less accurate than a soft point or Hollow point. So avoid FMJ bullets.

The best plinker bullets are either factory second match bullets from Sierra (about $100/500) or any soft point hunting bullets. I used to get target rifle grade groups in 308 using 150 and 165 Hornady soft points.

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I have never bought "cheap" bullets just for plinking.
I like to load, shoot, practice and hunt all with the same bullet and load, so that the rifle is always ready for hunting, and I have the experience and confidence in knowing that I can make accurate shots at all ranges regardless of target or big game animal, and that I do not have to resight or practice with multiple loads for that firearm. The KISS principal reduces variables that bite us in the butt later.

I have tried the 120 gr Ballistic Tips in the 6.5x55 and they shot well. But overall have settled on the 140 gr bullets in the Swede.
In the early years, I used Hornady Interlocks, then switched to Nosler Partitions and Barnes X bullets in various 6.5x55's dependent upon the rifle and load that it preferred (couple of different Rem 700 Classics). Since then I have switched to the AccuBond, as that is what my LH Sako 85 likes.

I have not tried to Speers in the smaller calibers, but do like them in the medium calibers (338 and 358), and to date they have worked really well on game in my 358 Win. (Haven't tried them in the 9.3 yet.) But based on my experience with them in the 358, If I couldn't find the AB's for my 6.5x55, and the Speers were available, I wouldn't hesitate in trying them in the Swede.
 
bearhunter said:
I avoid PPU bullets as much as possible. They've always disappointed my accuracy requirements.
Click to expand...

I was not real impressed with their HPBTs but their 154 gr RNSP shoot really well out of all three of my 6.5 x 55s. I use Sierra for accuracy and lover their 85 gr for ground hogs, but they don't list them any more.
 
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