6.5 bullets for deer and wolves?

Jamie

Jamie

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well Sean the "barrel Pimp" valdez is building me two 260's
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=702382


one is getting set up for 123ish gr bullets and the other 140gr


what bullets? I am thinking the Nosler BT or Berger VLD hunting

for use on Deer and wolves


what says you guys?
 
Barnes TSX/TTSX.
Bergers, BT's,SST's,etc are too explosive. Major hide damage on wolf/coyote and major meat damage on deer, at least that's been my experience.
I have a 700 5R I've been thinking of rebarreling to a 260, I'll be watching for any info and updates...........or you should keep the Savage and sell me the 700. :D
 
no rush I have all summer to get the load ready I just dont want to much meat wasted


I would really like to keep the Remington....lol
 
If you want less meat damage, stay away from Hornady SST's, Nosler Ballistic Tips and Bergers.
May I suggest Nosler Accubonds or Partitions, Barnes TSX or TTSX, Swift Scirocco II's
Hornady GMX.
Something that will not explode, particularly at close range.
Eagleye.
 
Remember, you are using a 6.5. Inherently high Sectional Densities for bullet weights which equals exceptional penetration capability. Anything 120gr and up will do nicely.

Wolves, shoot em dead if you are not a hide hunter with whatever. Within normal hunting ranges 100yds or less (where in my experience 90 percent or more of animals are harvested) faster bullets will tend to fragment more. Ive never had an issue with a flat based hornady or sierra. SST, Boat tails etc. appear to fall apart more at close range. I once had a 270 win 140 SST leave a crater in the boiler room at 80 yards, dead deer non the less. But at longer range say 300yds i see no issue. My read on bergers is they are designed to fragment more.

If you are meat hunter shot placement is always key. Thru and thru with a broadside shot should be the norm for your 260 pills at any range. This comes with a caveat that you need not hod rod your loads. Keep within standard map and you will do fine. I believe Eagleye one said some time ago that 2800fps with a 140 is plenty nuff to do your chores and I would agree.

So for over all small or medium (deer, bears) game performance I would suggest a 129 SP or a 125nosler partition (2900 fps or so). 140s for elk/moose (ps, rem core locts may be an ol standard for a grizzled ol mountain man but this bulk item took a lot of game in the day, and still do if you want an economical option). If you want splat action go lighter on those wolves....and send pictures!

Enjoy your 6.5s, I do very much. My two cents.
 
I`ve used a lot of the Hornady 129 gr. in both my 264 win mags, as well as Nosler 120 gr. haven`t had a problem on deer that some report but they are not fur friendly;). Haven`t tried them on anything larger than deer, my moose rifle is a 30/06. All this talk you have been doing on the 260 has the gears turning, was thinking 6.5-06 but wouldn`t need a long action for a 260. I am a big fan of the 6.5 in whatever size case. Damn to many things to try and not enough time.
 
T3TargetJames.jpg
 
this will be used on deer from 200 to 500meters (lets not talk about ethics please) with real world know come ups
 
So for longer ranges expected the norm rather than the exception I believe you will be wanting a readily mushrooming projectile.

Have a look at the required velocities for performance on the monolithics on line. Heavy construction may very well be better for short range (say less than 300m) and standard construction for past that. You may also want to consider that past 400m pencil holes become more a norm unless you have a hod rod in hand.

Your call. Elky out....
 
I read an article on a fellow using 95 gr VMAX for along range deer bullet for the 6.5x55. His thinking was that at longer ranges the normally explosive VMAX would function like a normal SP, whereas a normal SP would likely function as a solid due to slow velocity. He found is theory was correct and really liked the VMAX for 300 - 500 yard deer. He also claimed the ballistics were about the same as a 22-250. Personally, I've got a 6.5x55 set up for this bullet, but haven't shot any game with it yet.

Of course, a fellow couldn't really go wrong with a 120gr TTSX as a due-it-all-bullet either...
 
I shot a nice little buck with my 6.5x55 Swede this fall at 350m with a 130 gr Accubond. I wouldn't hesitate to use it out to 500m.
 
I've never killed a wolf with a 6.5, but have killed maybe a dozen deer with them.

125 gr Partitions work great, as do 129 gr Hornady spirepoints, 130 gr TSX will kill a moose from a 260 rem, and lastly I think I shot a doe with a 120 gr Speer Hotcore.

Lately I have been using the 129 gr Hornady.
 
Hell why not do the 8 twist in 6.5-06....hell I have near new shilen barrel ready to twist on to a Savage that Ill be sending back to Sean to go on sale as im moving to a 25 cal. I imagine it could be turned down and chambered to 260 also.

120 gr Nosler BT would would do a great job on both. I used a 130 gr. Matrix Bonded bullet last season for deer...no complaints.
 
I've used 120 nosler b-tip, 125 nosler partition, 120 speer hot-cor, 120 sierra prohunter, 130 gr nosler accubond, and 129 gr hornady sst to kill deer. Never killed a wolf.

They all worked well on deer. The 125 partition are great bullets, but they shoot the least accurate for me out of my 6.5 cal guns.

The accubond, ballistic tip, sierra and the sst shoot the most accurate. The ballstic tip to the most damage.
 
I do agree with Eagleye a SST at close range will be hard on the meat, but personaly i dont think there is a better anchoring bullet at 250+ metres, Did shoot many mooses, elks and caribous with my 308 165 gr SST at 350+ metres and had none of them take more than 10 paces and no meat was ruined but it always come to the same thing and if i have a doubt about my shot placement i will just past my turn until i get the certainty of hitting were it is final... JP.
 
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