6.5x55 Hunting Bullets

I've always used 140 partitions, for now 3 different 264wm. I shoot that shet in everything. Individual rifle preference and fast twist military barrels i have no experience with for bullet preference. My current one a.M1917 wearing a Ron Smith gain twist, handles 140 np just fine. If only I could find some H870, which has been discontinued about 25 years.

Bullets being discontinued might be the wrong term. Less popular bullets aren't being changed over for, when they can't keep up for super popular weights in 223 and 308 for example. So whomever the cardboard cutout known as.Joe Biden is shilling.for, trying hard to be the new salesman of.the decade.
 
Still using 140 gr Barnes XLC here. The 6.5x55 cartridge performs so well that you're generally slow to use up a box of projectiles.
 
11 year old thread there..... those bullets are still being produced and sold by Hornady today. I've been buying and using them the last few years.

https://www.hornady.com/bullets/rifle/6-5mm-264-160-gr-interlock-rn#!/

Well I just got off the phone to Korth and they have had them on order since Aug2020.Guess they were reintroduced, but for now you can't get them.I find them at gunshows every now and again.With 42gr of N204 or IMR4350 they ventilate moose in and out from any angle and you can eat right up to the bullet hole.
 
Also talked directly to Hornady and the more popular bullets/calibers are being made first and sold domestically.Exports come second.And yes that bullet was resurrected after being discontinued .
 
I have about 500 of the 160's on hand, I would be furious if they discontinued them, they are a superb hunting bullet and shoot flatter than most people would believe. Finding them for sale is the challenging part!
 
I scored a quantity of Sako 156gr RN from Higginson in the 80's @ $9/100 wish I'd bought more.Think they were called Ammo Mart back then?
 
Correct - still on Hornady website #2640

X-reload says they are temporarily unavailable from the manufacturer. Bullet companies make model numbers as per market demand. Retooling sucks and they don't have a machine for every model of bullet. They will come and go. I have some, but they are at my lab, not in my basement so I can't tell you how many I might have to trade. 140gr partitions and 120gr ttsx have been killing things pretty well lately. I found the 129gr SST to shoot very well, but pretty messy if you hit a bone. Decisive though.
 
If [big IF] it will shoot in your rifle, the 130 Swift Scirocco II is a very effective bullet in the 6.5x55
I shot a respectable WT Buck 3 falls ago. He was quartering away, and the bullet entered just ahead
of the last rib, and exited in front of the opposite foreleg. He dropped like a stone, and the lungs
were pretty much soup. Not a lot of bloodshot meat at the shoulder, though. No recovered bullet,
obviously.
I shoot the 180 Scirocco II in my custom 308 Norma. Only took 2 moose with it. One made it through,
the other I recovered. Very nice looking expanded bonded bullet. Dave.
 
I load for 4 different 6.5s, CZ, Tikka, Husky 96 and Carl Gustaf. The CZ likes 130 accubonds, the Tikka likes 140 accubonds, the old Husky loves 125 partitions and the Gustaf well it will shoot 140 speer hot cores. Oh yeah there is also a Zastava that really likes the 140s too. All of them with different powders and brass. It's an interesting game.
 
Idont think ive dropped in on here yet, but my Answer is Always, Woodleigh. they make a 6.5mm an it would be rated 2000-2900 off top of head and do all ya big game hunting with id assume a 160gr!
let me grab the manual

.264? 140gr PPSN and 160 gr PPSN and RNSN available.
 
If [big IF] it will shoot in your rifle, the 130 Swift Scirocco II is a very effective bullet in the 6.5x55
I shot a respectable WT Buck 3 falls ago. He was quartering away, and the bullet entered just ahead
of the last rib, and exited in front of the opposite foreleg. He dropped like a stone, and the lungs
were pretty much soup. Not a lot of bloodshot meat at the shoulder, though. No recovered bullet,
obviously.
I shoot the 180 Scirocco II in my custom 308 Norma. Only took 2 moose with it. One made it through,
the other I recovered. Very nice looking expanded bonded bullet. Dave.
I’ve tried the Scirocco II and best a could get was 3 moa
 
Idont think ive dropped in on here yet, but my Answer is Always, Woodleigh. they make a 6.5mm an it would be rated 2000-2900 off top of head and do all ya big game hunting with id assume a 160gr!
let me grab the manual

.264? 140gr PPSN and 160 gr PPSN and RNSN available.
I’d love to try them, but availability is an issue now that trade ex has stopped carrying them. Have you ever used Larch Valley Enterprises? I’ve heard that he is importing them.
 
He has a shipment of Woodleighs coming in any day now and will set some aside for you if you ask.I reserved a couple boxes of 215gr /.312 for the .303
 
I've been using SMKs and Berger match bullets for hunting for years with great success. Several friends as well.

Keep in mind that my barrels are always fast spin rates which helps terminal effect.

What's funny about marketing... I remember with the 6XC started getting popular with the 115 DTAC and the bullet makers were tripping over themselves to put out high BC 6mms. I was in a match and had problems where the 115 grain Berger blew apart several times on the way to the target and cost me several points. I reported the problem to Berger and they released a new bullet with a thicker jacket to correct the problem. The old bullet was simply re-branded as a hunting bullet.

If you were a salesman for a bullet maker, how would you ever sell a hunting bullet if you started telling guys that match bullets were just as good or even better?
 
Fussy Swede indeed! My own digests everything fairly well including 120 gmx, 129 SST, 140 Partitions, 143 ELDX and 139 Scenars. However, the latter shoot to a significanty different POI.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom