Thread: Projectiles for the 6.5mm

Greetings All,
A friend is looking for a better projectile for his 6.5-06. He is currently using the 140 grain Hornady Interlock which is accurate in his rifle but does not penetrate completely on larger deer leaving little or no blood trail. The rifle has a 1 in 9.5 or 1 in 9 inch twist so the extra long projectiles favoured in the Creedmoor and PRC etc may not reliably stabilise. Suggestions please.
Many thanks Grandpamac.

140gr partition?
Done a lot of research for the long awaited 264 win mag project and that one pops up often. 130gr accubond would be my next choice.
@300_BLK did some good writing on projectiles for his 264 and think he was a fan of one of the mono metals like. Barnes or gmx. Only 124gr?
He also did some work with the new at the time sierra gamechangers. Think they did pretty well too

I'm running a 6.5-06ai I think its a 1:9 twist - the 140 AMAX & 140 Partitions are my go to pills. RL25 + Norma brass w 140AMAX gets me 2980fps and 1/2moa groups. Running RP brass (heavier) w same components the node is lower around 2930 fps. I have yet to try 143ELDx (for when I run out of the old AMAX's) but I'd think they'd be very similar as would the new 140 ELDMs.

Would think the 100 grain Barnes .264 would guarantee a passthrough and work with that twist rate, but poor BC and expense/availability may be a problem

140gr partition, old fashioned but excellent out to 350m for me. No need to change to a “better” projectile.

I'd go to a 140 gr eldm or 143 gr eldx and you won't need to worry about a blood trail, poke them in the right spot and they will be dead right there

Originally Posted by csmiffy

140gr partition?
Done a lot of research for the long awaited 264 win mag project and that one pops up often. 130gr accubond would be my next choice.
@300_BLK did some good writing on projectiles for his 264 and think he was a fan of one of the mono metals like. Barnes or gmx. Only 124gr?
He also did some work with the new at the time sierra gamechangers. Think they did pretty well too

@grandpamac I have done a lot of experimenting in my 264 Win Mag with 77gr up to 156gr.

Bear in mind the might 264 has a few extra fps when loaded with slow powders that give good case fill.

I have had excellent results with the 140gr Hornady SST which usually passes completely through red stags out to 400m. I found the 130gr Sierra gamechanger (tipped gameking) too hard for my liking, it pencilled through and also found this with the 130gr accubonds. Those are the only two bullets I have not recovered an animal with when using the 264.

Recently I have moved to the 120 gr GMX and Barnes TTSX as my barrel is showing significant wear and will not last long. These bullets are excellent performers at high velocity (2800fps +) but I have observed they have a different impact sound which I attribute to the lack of lead and density of the projectile. The caveat with mono's is that you must drive them hard to work, and they respond well to this in load development also.

I am currently experimenting with the Cutting Edge copper Raptor bullets that weigh 110gr https://cuttingedgebullets.com/6-5mm...d-range-raptor and these are exceptional. They enter and go off like a grenade and the solid shank passes out the other side leaving large blood trails.

In short if you want a traditional bullet:

140gr SST
143gr ELDX
156gr Berger EOL (requires a fast twist)

If you want a monolithic:

120gr CX (New GMX from Hornady)
120gr Barnes
110gr Cu Raptor

Originally Posted by 300_BLK

@grandpamac I have done a lot of experimenting in my 264 Win Mag with 77gr up to 156gr.

Bear in mind the might 264 has a few extra fps when loaded with slow powders that give good case fill.

I have had excellent results with the 140gr Hornady SST which usually passes completely through red stags out to 400m. I found the 130gr Sierra gamechanger (tipped gameking) too hard for my liking, it pencilled through and also found this with the 130gr accubonds. Those are the only two bullets I have not recovered an animal with when using the 264.

Recently I have moved to the 120 gr GMX and Barnes TTSX as my barrel is showing significant wear and will not last long. These bullets are excellent performers at high velocity (2800fps +) but I have observed they have a different impact sound which I attribute to the lack of lead and density of the projectile. The caveat with mono's is that you must drive them hard to work, and they respond well to this in load development also.

I am currently experimenting with the Cutting Edge copper Raptor bullets that weigh 110gr https://cuttingedgebullets.com/6-5mm...d-range-raptor and these are exceptional. They enter and go off like a grenade and the solid shank passes out the other side leaving large blood trails.

In short if you want a traditional bullet:

140gr SST
143gr ELDX
156gr Berger EOL (requires a fast twist)

If you want a monolithic:

120gr CX (New GMX from Hornady)
120gr Barnes
110gr Cu Raptor

Attachment 198360

And 124grn Hammer Hunter. (mono)

A good cheap and available 6.5. bullet is the 140 Speer Gold Dot. Bonded and penetrate well.

I am surprised the 140 interlock is not exiting.
What do recoverd projectiles typically weigh? Any pictures?
How fast are they being pushed and what afe the typical ranges he shoots reds at?

Im fairly new to 6.5mm myself so all this is quite interesting especially when the interloc is one of my favorites in 30cal.

Found that in my 6.5 06 the 143 Gr Eld-x and Re 22 was a great tahr hunting load when you often needed a bit of distance, but inside 300 I stick to the 130Gr HP Game kings - very destructive

That 143 gr ELD-x is bloody hard to get a hold of though aye

Originally Posted by Bos

Found that in my 6.5 06 the 143 Gr Eld-x and Re 22 was a great tahr hunting load when you often needed a bit of distance, but inside 300 I stick to the 130Gr HP Game kings - very destructive

What sort of speed are you pushing the 130's at? They do have a good reputation for doing the damage.

@grandpamac

We really need to know a bit more about the typical conditions this guy is shooting in. There’s a wide range of options that cover a wide range of conditions from close range bush and scrub to long range tops. As a general rule of thumb the closer your game the harder the bullet, the further away the softer it needs to be. But you already know all that.

Every single bullet mention so far will work but there will definitely be a subset that will be more suitable to how your mate is generally shooting deer.

Originally Posted by GWH

What sort of speed are you pushing the 130's at? They do have a good reputation for doing the damage.

From memory around 2900 with a magnum primer

Originally Posted by Bos

From memory around 2900 with a magnum primer

Oh ok, i expected much much higher