Ultimate 6.5 for Hunting, is there anything better?

[Varminator 911]

Lee:

The 6.5 caliber still doesn't have the high bc bullets that one can find in 284 or 308 caliper. The 150 SMK in 264 reaches 0.7 but nothing else I know about does. And I'm not sure the SMK is a good hunting bullet. Going much above 0.7 bc in 6.5 is limited by the very fast twist required.

Like you I like the 7mm. I'd probably get a 28 Nosler because it's a factory loading. When you consider barrel life and long range ballistics I think it's a very good comprimise. It is after all the equivalent of the 7mm STW which had it's own forum or still does.

In a hot 6.5 I'd go 26 Nosler.

If I really wanted a screamer I'd probably go with a 7-338 Lapua AI or 7-300 Norma AI. Or a 6.5-300 Norma AI.

I think we'll soon have some very high bc bullets from places like Badlands Precision. In 6.5 I think they could make a bullet for the 7 twist barrels that has bc of .7 and weights about 120-130 gn with a very long sleek nose and the sharp aluminum tip. In 7mm about a 150-170 gn with bc of 0.8. Those bullets would have a short bearing surface and could be shot at 200-300 fps faster than say the 197 SMK in 7mm. High bc with higher velocity and you're past the 6.5-300 Weatherby. Or imagine a 6.5-300 in 7 twist shooting a 120 gn copper bullet that will penetrate at any speed and open down to 1600 fps with .7 bc at 3800 fps..!! Maybe someday.

 

[weatherbee]

Lee:

The 6.5 caliber still doesn't have the high bc bullets that one can find in 284 or 308 caliper. The 150 SMK in 264 reaches 0.7 but nothing else I know about does. And I'm not sure the SMK is a good hunting bullet. Going much above 0.7 bc in 6.5 is limited by the very fast twist required.

Like you I like the 7mm. I'd probably get a 28 Nosler because it's a factory loading. When you consider barrel life and long range ballistics I think it's a very good comprimise. It is after all the equivalent of the 7mm STW which had it's own forum or still does.

In a hot 6.5 I'd go 26 Nosler.

If I really wanted a screamer I'd probably go with a 7-338 Lapua AI or 7-300 Norma AI. Or a 6.5-300 Norma AI.

I think we'll soon have some very high bc bullets from places like Badlands Precision. In 6.5 I think they could make a bullet for the 7 twist barrels that has bc of .7 and weights about 120-130 gn with a very long sleek nose and the sharp aluminum tip. In 7mm about a 150-170 gn with bc of 0.8. Those bullets would have a short bearing surface and could be shot at 200-300 fps faster than say the 197 SMK in 7mm. High bc with higher velocity and you're past the 6.5-300 Weatherby.

I have attached a ballistic chart for a 7-300 Weatherby. The case capacity and ballistics for the 28 nosler are
Very similar. This is based on 175 grain Berger. Those two rounds don't compare as well.

 

[Varminator 911]

I don't remember a 175 Berger. But try it with the 195 Berger or 183 or 197 SMK. Also you are starting the 7mm bullet with less energy than the 6.5. The 7mm should be able to generate as much or more energy at the muzzle as the 6.5 when both are based on the 300 weatherby.

Honestly I think you're 3600 fps is too high. I don't see how you can do that at a safe pressure. What you're setup does show is the importance of high velocity to down range ballistics. It's not all about high bc bullets. Thank you for bringing that into focus for me.

 

[adam32]

I know they weren't with a Berger. 143 grain eldx. That's what my rifle is loaded with

The vimeo video lists VLD's in a lot of the kills...I know they were with Bergers because a lot of those kills were from before the ELDx was even made...some were from 2012...

 

[weatherbee]

I don't remember a 175 Berger. But try it with the 195 Berger or 183 or 197 SMK. Also you are starting the 7mm bullet with less energy than the 6.5. The 7mm should be able to generate as much or more energy at the muzzle as the 6.5 when both are based on the 300 weatherby.

Honestly I think you're 3600 fps is too high. I don't see how you can do that at a safe pressure.

I thought that too about the 7mm in 28 nosler. I wanted to build that gun next. But after seeing what this does it is hard to do. I will enter these bullets and run the program. I will input 3000 FPS for the round, just an estimate

 

[weatherbee]

This is with the 195 grain Berger with 755 BC, loads I found were around 2800 FPS in 28 nosler.

This isn't as good as the 175 grai

 

[weatherbee]

The vimeo video lists VLD's in a lot of the kills...I know they were with Bergers because a lot of those kills were from before the ELDx was even made...some were from 2012...

Went back and watched video and charted all rounds from
The official Best of the West authored video.
These kills are listed as in 2017.

14 out of 18 kills were listed as 143 Grain Hornady 143 Grain ELDX

Unless I'm missing something or Best of the West made up their yardage, caliber, wind and load...

 

[JMack]

Cool cartridge. I'd still feel more confident tramping around grizzly country (with a tag and intention to kill one) carrying my 300win loaded with 200gr a frames.

 

[Varminator 911]

This is with the 195 grain Berger with 755 BC, loads I found were around 2800 FPS in 28 nosler.

This isn't as good as the 175 grai

Nosler loading data says top speed 3152 for a 185 bullet.

Here's the thing about your 6.5 load. I think you are showing more muzzle energy for the 6.5-300 W than you can get from the 300 itself. That's not going to happen at equal pressure. That's what makes me concerned about the 3600 fps. And 3600 is so much above anything else I've seen for that bullet weight in 6.5.

But no big deal enjoy your rifle. It's a beast for sure.

 

[adam32]

Went back and watched video and charted all rounds from
The official Best of the West authored video.
These kills are listed as in 2017.

14 out of 18 kills were listed as 143 Grain Hornady 143 Grain ELDX

Unless I'm missing something or Best of the West made up their yardage, caliber, wind and load...

Marketing at it's finest...trust me on this one.

 

[Deleted member 103481]

Lee:


Like you I like the 7mm. I'd probably get a 28 Nosler because it's a factory loading. When you consider barrel life and long range ballistics I think it's a very good comprimise. It is after all the equivalent of the 7mm STW which had it's own forum or still does.

Factory loads aren't a ton of use when you cant find factory ammo anywhere.

 

[weatherbee]

Cool cartridge. I'd still feel more confident tramping around grizzly country (with a tag and intention to kill one) carrying my 300win loaded with 200gr a frames.

Yes, I would have said that I wanted my 300 Weatherby mag with me as well. But, if you input your load for the 300 win mag with 200 grain, it comes in second to the 6.5-300 Weatherby with 143 grain eldx. This goes for both ft lbs of energy and velocity from muzzle to 1000 yards

 

[weatherbee]

Marketing at it's finest...trust me on this one.

If it's marketing at it's finest, what loads do they have in that rifle?

I'm sure someone that made that video or killed something on that video can comment

 

[weatherbee]

Nosler loading data says top speed 3152 for a 185 bullet.

Here's the thing about your 6.5 load. I think you are showing more muzzle energy for the 6.5-300 W than you can get from the 300 itself. That's not going to happen at equal pressure. That's what makes me concerned about the 3600 fps. And 3600 is so much above anything else I've seen for that bullet weight in 6.5.

But no big deal enjoy your rifle. It's a beast for sure.

I gotcha

Crazy thing is, I had 3 rounds show up as 3810-3840 FPS. They burnt primers and locked up the action. So I backed off and got 3510-3600