My Kimber 243 shoots under MOA with the following:
85gr Gameking/42.0gr RL 17/OAL 2.650/3228 fps
85gr TSX/45.5gr Hunter/CCI LRM/OAL 2.650/3247fps
90gr Hotcor/44.0gr Hunter/CCI LRM/OAL 2.660/3106fps
100gr Grandslam/46.5gr 780/LRM/OAL 2.625/3027fps
The Granslam is magic on deer.
My Kimber, Ruger #1, and Howa 1500 (and a friends Savage 338 Lapua) have had zero issues over the last year with Rem LRM primers (only a couple hundred rounds total). I bought another 2k of them last month. Maybe you are not seating them FIRM enough, I use an RCBS bench primer.
I've taken a couple nice deer in Georgia, my brother owns 140 acres in the suburbs of Sparta. My son got transferred from Pearl Harbor (Tripler Hospital) to Ft. Gorden, finishing up his hitch as a Captain and going to stay on in Evans. Georgia is beautiful country no doubt. I grew up in south...
My favorite 6.5 bullet is the 125 Nosler Partition followed by the 129 SST, and honorable mention goes to the 140 Grand Slam. Hornady American Whitetail is about as good as any "hunting" factory ammo.
6.5×55 Swede (Ruger #1A & Howa 1500) with either 125 Partition or 129 SST, although I have been shooting a Kimber 243 with 100gr Grand Slams lately that is oh so sweet.
My Webley & Scott 7-08 (it's really just a pretty Howa) is right behind my Ruger #1A in 6.5×55 (THE ORIGINAL 6.5) in the pecking order, it favors 130gr Speer Hot Cor bullets (pic is 5 shots @ 100 yards, flyer is cold clean barrel).
Age changes more than just looks/weight. I used to run 2.5-8x36 or 3-9x40 now I prefer 2-10x44 or 3-15x50, a 3-15x44 illuminated has become my favorite, and I still want a 1 inch tube.
My "forever rifle" is my stainless #1A in 6.5×55 (Lipsey's exclusive), it will shoot .5 moa with a 125 Patrition and either H4350 or RL-19. I wanted a stainless #1 since I saw one on the cover of a shooting magazine probably 30 years ago, such an elegant rifle (mine wears a Zeiss Conquest and...