Preferred Long Range 6.5 bullet.

[lancetkenyon]

I am in NO WAY discounting the use of Berger bullets. I use them in almost every rifle. More often, it is the Hybrids though. But even a .257" 115 HVLD @ 3460MV on a 160 yard muley worked like a charm and did not grenade.
.223 AR 69 SMK @ 3033 or 50 TTSX @ 3320
.25-06AI 115 HVLD @ 3460 or 100TTSX @ 3620
6.5 SLR 140 Hybrid @ 2850 or 127 LRX @ 3020
6.5 SS 150 SMK @ 3160 or 127 LRX @ 3360
.280AI 175 Elite Hunter @ 2975 or 145 LRX @ 3130
7RM 180 Hybrid @ 2996 or 168 LRX @ 3060
.300RUM 230 Hybrid @ 3068

All of my rifles, except the Howitzer, have a Barnes load for one specific hunting area that requests the use of non-lead ammo. Anywhere else gets the leaded stuff.

 

[codyadams]

I am in NO WAY discounting the use of Berger bullets. I use them in almost every rifle. More often, it is the Hybrids though. But even a .257" 115 HVLD @ 3460MV on a 160 yard muley worked like a charm and did not grenade.
.223 AR 69 SMK @ 3033 or 50 TTSX @ 3320
.25-06AI 115 HVLD @ 3460 or 100TTSX @ 3620
6.5 SLR 140 Hybrid @ 2850 or 127 LRX @ 3020
6.5 SS 150 SMK @ 3160 or 127 LRX @ 3360
.280AI 175 Elite Hunter @ 2975 or 145 LRX @ 3130
7RM 180 Hybrid @ 2996 or 168 LRX @ 3060
.300RUM 230 Hybrid @ 3068

All of my rifles, except the Howitzer, have a Barnes load for one specific hunting area that requests the use of non-lead ammo. Anywhere else gets the leaded stuff.

Makes total sense, we are working up a load for my uncle's .270, he lives in California....so he will have to have non lead. I have been looking at the Badland Precision Bulldozer bullets, they are all copper with aluminum tips, they look good and have as good or better bc than comparable caliber bullets, such as a 270 grain .338 bullet with an .803 g1 bc. I'm interested to see terminal performance of these bullets

 

[DBoone]

I've been happy with my 130 VLD Hunting bullets. I'm pushing them at a little over 2800 fps and had a couple harvests last year. Black bear (100 yards) Elk (300 Yards). Both stumbled about 15 yards and tipped over.
I recovered the bullet from the Elk and weighed it, 71.1 grains. Threaded the shot between two ribs on the way in, broke both though, nice hole through one lung and grazed the other (just about quartered to me) then it went right through the center of a rib on the other side. Stopping in the hide.

 

[midnightmalloy]

140 berger EOL hybrids running 2830fps. 8 animals last year all performed as advertised. 530 yards was the farthest and 42 yards the closest.
1-elk
2-Deer
3-antelope
2-coyote

Use these with confidence.

 

[DBoone]

View attachment 92472

i know bullet selection is often preference so I am looking for everyone's preferred 6.5 bullet. I have a 6.5 WSM enroute and plan to run 140gr bullets at 3200 fps. Main use will be deer and elk to 800 yds and steel to a mile.

Due to my uses I am leaning to a high BC projectile but know next to nothing about the 6.5 offerings.

Lots of guys like the eld series bullets and I have had good accuracy and good terminal effects with the .284 180 eld-m and the 212 eld-x over 500yds but haven't shot any game with them under 200. My concern is how they will hold up based on muzzle velocity at 50-200 yds should I be presented with that shot.

I hear good things about the Berger vld's But again it's always long range stuff and not short to medium ranges where my concern lies.

Any insight or on game performance from 50-800 yds is appreciated.

There's two hits with a 6.5 Berger 130 HVLD (2820fps) and three hits with a 7mm 160 accubond (2950fps) at 500 yards. Just shows the different expansion between bullets on steel.

 

[tankgijohn72]

I have worked up a load for a 26 nosler with 120 etips. I was planning to shoot VLD's, but the E-tips by far had the best groups. Realistically I plan to limit myself to 800 yds but only if conditions are perfect. So what I came up with is a copper round that will have no issue up close and will still expand at my max range. Should still be around 2200 fps at that range in the mountains. I was worried about the close range performance of 208 Amax's in Idaho a few years ago and I worked up a load with sierra pro hunters that matched my point of impact within a few inches out to 400 yards. I zero'd at 300 yards with the AMAX. Then adjusted powder charge until the 180 sierras were stacking on top of the 208 holes. At 200 and 400 POI was within an inch or two of the AMAX so I didn't need to do any other calculations. Give it a try. Inside 400 yards wont matter what ammo is in the gun. Past 400 your should be taking a lot more time on the shot so switching ammo shouldn't be an issue. Although it does require you to remember to switch the ammo. You could develop a VLD load for longer ranges, and then do something similar with the 127 LRX or 120 E-tip for anything in close.