Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Best 6.5 build for hunting

Nothing a Swede can’t do in the East!

i looked in the new #9 Nosler reloading book 7Rem. Mag. is around 200 fps faster than the 6.5 PRC ,but 6.5 150 gr. bullet .634 B.C. and the best 7mm bullet 150 gr. .546 B.C. not a huge difference either way except 7 Rem. Mag. ammo is much easy to buy and the components are too. myself i would buy the 7 Rem. Mag. which i do own a few. out west shots can or could be farther out but to be honest hunters don`t shoot that far out either over 300 -400 yards.

Now, that's what I call a paint job.

What's the story?

DF

Virginia...The Shenandoah Valley is full of mountains to cornfields. I can sit in a stand and watch 100- 200 yds behind me and overlook an 80 acre cornfield planted right up to the wood line.

My 26 Nos shoots the 156 EOL at around 3K over Vv 570 into some pretty small groups at a hundred. I've not killed anything yet with it, but my turret is set up for that trajectory. Should be good to go.

DF

I'm shooting the 150 sierra out of my 264 win mag at 3080 fps. Only 18 moa of drop at 1000 yds. I shoot at 7000' though.

My favorite lighter weight 6.5 hunting rifles I’ve built were 24” fluted #3 chambered in the 6.5 RSAUM. 6.25-6.5lbs bare and 3050ish with 140’s and close to 3200 with 130’s. Makes for a nice all around rifle. This year I hunted with an almost identical rifle only in 7 RSAUM and it did just as well.

It has been a long time since I drove on I-81, but I seem to remember tree covered hills more than mountain mountains.

I think with your 140 @ 3000 requirement, I’d probably be looking at a 6.5/06 AI or .264 Win Mag.

John

Your requirements scream 6.5 Creed very loudly if you drop your velocity need just a skootch but with a 23"+ tube you won't be far off....

Once you get up near Harrisonburg, you have the Blue Ridge, Shenandoah, and Massanutten mountains all together. It's not 7000ft, but there are some climbs that would take you a couple of hours to get to your stand.

A couple of hours to hike to your stand so that you could shoot a whitetail in vA? If you're over-watching 80 acre corn fields, couldn't you drive a 4x4 vehicle on whatever road, lane, or trail the farmer who planted and harvested those corn fields used to get there and back?

Sounds like a job for a NULA or something like it. If I was hunting that terrain, I'd probably carry my over-watch elk rifle, a CLR in 270. Good luck to you.

Drop your speed requirements and go 260 or 6.5 creed. Otherwise the guys have already answered your question. I hunt areas that are mostly like what you would be hunting in your area. The 243 with a 95nbt or a 105 berger vld have worked with ease. The 260 also has been a laser on deer with 140 berger and 120bnt. From point blank to right at 500 I have had no issues with either


Curious though. What makes you say you need a 140 at 3k?

Yeah, well you haven't hunted it. We are talking the mountains not fields. The fields are easy, but the old bucks with bigger antlers don't just walk right out in the middle of these cornfields. You have to hike back between the mountains to find them.

Wow! He’s asking about a rifle and you just keep going on and on about how and where he hunts. He’s not trying to prove anything about how the land lays and never asked you if he could just drive his 4x4 in. I totally agree with the fellas about taking one more look at you velocity requirements. That’s not what you asked so in that case a 6.5prc or win mag.

I’m surprised we made it 2 pages without it being said - you could always hit the “super easy” button ... and just give in to the 270. 😳

I have a 260, Creed, and 6.5 Swede. I want something to shoot 143's a bit faster. I have a 257Wby, 270, 30-06, and 7 mag that would do the jobs also, but so does everyone else. I've had 280AI's, but love the 6.5's I have options that will do the job, but I'm working on a project and I figured why not get the 6.5 going a bit faster and use it as my all-around, do everything in a light rifle. Looneying I guess.

I could be hunting an area that only allows a 100 yd shot. That has nothing to do with what I'm trying to achieve in a rifle build. That WAS the main topic. I've killed a good handful of deer at less than 50yds with a 35 Whelen, but one stepped out at 250 on my way out to the truck. I never intended on shooting that gun ,that far but it worked flawlessly. What's it matter on the terrain? I'm building a rifle that I want , I wouldn't ask what golf course you play to select what driver or wedge to take. LOL

Thanks Kaleb, at least you get the post.

I could be hunting an area that only allows a 100 yd shot. That has nothing to do with what I'm trying to achieve in a rifle build. That WAS the main topic. I've killed a good handful of deer at less than 50yds with a 35 Whelen, but one stepped out at 250 on my way out to the truck. I never intended on shooting that gun ,that far but it worked flawlessly. What's it matter on the terrain? I'm building a rifle that I want , I wouldn't ask what golf course you play to select what driver or wedge to take. LOL