Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles If you built a 6.5 AR15 today, what would it be?

Which 123gr bullet are you using on game? Sounds like it is doing the job for you. Scenar?

Here is a post from another site regarding 123s - based on it I'd recommend in the 6.5 Grendel a few bullets that I would/will run:

120 Ballistic Tip - sure expansion at these speeds proven over many years at same speeds in handguns ie. 6.5 JDJ.

123 Amax- proven in 6.5G on game, but softer than above.

130 Berger Hunting - softer than an Accubond but great at reduced speeds.

Lastly, the Nosler 100 BT and PT are proven and higher MV. IIRC you can get a TTSX in 100 - does well also.

Here is that post - granted from a higher vel round:

mudvayne
Manbearpig

Registered: 02/23/11
Posts: 173
Loc: Washington TX Better late than never...

I have killed no less than 500 deer with my x47. I am running a 130 Berger at 2940 fps in mine. My brother clones deer so we kill a crap load of doe every year for their overies.

I have shot a few pigs in my day as well with this round. I have used several bullets trying to figure out the best killing combo and here is MY opinion on what I have experienced. It is not holy nor sacred, just what happened and I observed. So take anything you read with a grain of salt as it may not turn out the same for you.

My rifles specs:
Rem 700 left hand
Lawton 1-8" twist finished at 29.5"
Fat bastard break
McMillan A3 with 3 way butt plate and adj cheek piece
Hubor concepts 2 stage trigger
Premier Ret 5-25x56
130 Berger VLD @2940 fps

123 Scenar- this bullet shoots great on paper with my rifle. consistant .3" groups. Even at 500 and 1000 it would print an occasional half min group. That is with three shots mind you. On game I was less than impressed. They have a bit thicker jacket and didnt expand too well. I actually never dropped a deer once with a shoulder shot. Head shots didnt show to do too much damage either. IMO this is not a great projectile for hunting.

123 SMK- This bullet shot absolutely lights out in my rifle. I had to shoot this round for the first thousand rounds or so because 130 bergers were rare as hens teeth. This round shot in the .1's-.2s all day long for 5 shots. At 600 yards this round printed a 3.4" 10 shot group shot prone. I had some interesting results with its terminal effects. The very first deer I shot was a cull 6 pt and he was 606 yards. I put a high shoulder shot on him and he folded up. The next few doe I shot I put shoulder shots just to see bullet performance. One was DRT and 4 ran off a good 100 yards before dying. Not what I like for the amount of deer I shoot. On the head shots again I didnt see consistant enough trama to use this as my go to bullet.

130 JLK- This is the best long range target bullet I have ever used. I have shot some groups that yall would flat out call BS on so I wont even say what it can do on paper. On critters...TERRIBLE! I never once dropped a deer with this bullet. Last month I was wanting to test it on a coyote. While waiting 800 yards from a gut pile, a BIG boar walked into the field at 660 yards. Dead calm wind. I fire up the video camera and zoom in on him. dial up and send the shot. I hear the bullet smack him and actually see it through my scope. Well he just absorbs the bullet and runs off without a limp. I maybe thought I missed..rewind the camera and you can see trace go down range and his upper shoulder ripple. He just absorbed it and trotted off. I even shot a crap load of prarie dogs this summer with the JLK and it just penciled through all of them. Only popped em if they were within 200 yards and thats off kinetic energy alone.

130 Berger- this is THE bullet for hunting for what I have found. I literally have not had a deer take a step yet from the hunting VLD. This bullet shoots very well on paper and shoots very well on critters. Wound cavities are unreal. It looks like a grenade goes off inside the deer. I almost took a does head off this last weekend! A few months back I shot a yote at 1230 yards and he folded up.

Hope this helps - as ALWAYS - it NOT the round you use - it's the bullet - and where it goes.....

I hear good things about Bergers often but I hear too they may not shoot worth a crap unless you set the OAL into the lands. That is usually impossible unless you single load which is a joke as far I am concerned. So I have never tried them.

We shoot the 130gr AB in a 6.5x55 T3 but I was curious about how the different 123gr match bullets work on game. Sounds like the A-Max is a good one thanks.

What is a JLK?

http://www.swampworks.com/jlk/

The 6.5BR blows the pants off the Grendel and you can get one here. He says you can get 2750 from a 120, http://www.ar15performance.com/6_5br_

Fwiw the last AR-15 I built was a 264 LBC. The next AR I plan to build will be a 264 LBC with a shorter lighter barrel. The last one shoots pretty good:




Just FWIW.............dj

My DTech in 25 WSSM, and my wife's 6.5 Grendel are both great performers. We have only shot antelope and coyotes with them so far. They perform much better now that I got new Olympic Arms lowers (the one for the 22-250), on them though. The new lower has a longer mag well for the longer mags, so I can seat the heavier bullets out where they belong and get a few grains more powder behind them. The regular AR magazines will still work in them as well. My next one will be a 6 or 6.5 DTI. I'm looking really hard at the 6mm.

Cliff that is an interesting cartridge, my question is what about a guy that does not want to build a 10 pound AR15? The 6.5 BR looks cool on AR Performance but with about a 1 inch diam bull barrel. For a fellow that likes to hunt more than shoot off a bench a lighter weight gun is wanted.

If one wants a HEAVY AR15, begs why not a 260 or Creedmoor in an AR10?

In a Short light bbl handy AR - the LBC is handy, and short bbls work better due to expansion ratio w/6.5 vs. 6mm bore in same same capacity rounds....fwiw.

I'd want one no short than 16" but not longer than 20, 17-19 seems ideal to my thinking.....and oh yeah in a 6.5G/LBC.

You gotta show me where it says 1 inch bull barrel. The specs listed are: 1 in 8 " twist rifling- .840" UTG, .750 GB, .725 muzzle. After all that, my Stag 7 6.8 kicks azz. Shoots 110gr Accubombs into teeny tiny groups at 2780 fps. Puts the smack on deer, too. Got my 3rd in 2 years this year and it ran all of 10 yards after the shot. With its almost 21 inch barrel, it is still amazingly not heavy.

someone may want to weigh in but the dimensions lead me to believe its probably a about 40 ounces for a 16 inch barrel. A 16 inch 28 ounce barrel is LW to me like the Noveske rogue hunter barrels.

In the 6.5 creedmoor and the 260 you can get 2900fps with 120 bullet and DPMS makes both. Since you will be loading for the 260 why not look into it you will already have the dies.

http://www.dtechsuperstore.com/new_altcal.htm

I am now offering a brand new line of wildcats based off of the 6.8 SPC. I am calling it the DTI (Dtech Improved) At this time, they are in .224, 6mm, .257 and 6.5mm. They have a sharper shoulder that is moved forward, with added case capacity, but plenty of room for varmint, predator and hunting bullets. I finished my first two uppers chambered in 6mm DTI in the fall of 09'. I took a nice white-tail buck with mine that fall. With very little time for load-development, I was shooting an 85 grain Nosler partition at about 3000 FPS. This should nicely fill the void between the 6 X 45 and the .243 WSSM.

In the fall of 2010 I chambered the .25 DTI in a mid-length 18" version. Again with limited time for load development, I was able to push a 90 grain Sierra at 3000 FPS. I was fortunate enough to harvest my buck with it in 2010.

Next is the .22 DTI and then the 6.5 DTI. I hope to take my white-tail with the 6.5 DTI during the 2011 season.

Hello Fellas,

I'm a newbe to this forum and It's nice to see a few familiar
names on this board...

I see that there are quite a few fans of AR-15's in the great
6.5mm caliber, It happens to be my favorite as well.

I like It soo much that I decided to develope a 223 based 6.5mm
cartridge called the 6.5mm Patriot Combat Cartridge(6.5PCC)
It is designed as a Intermediate power cartridge
beats the 7.62X39mm Russian in accuracy and power).

The 6.5mm caliber has always been very popular in Europe and is
also becomming very popular here in the states.

As noted by some here It is more Important to have good
shot placement and proper bullet performance than have a
super fancy hyper velocity round that needs special bolts,
brass,and mags.

You can find some more Info at the website for those that are
Interested:

Thanks.

http://illirianengineeringc.ipage.com/65mm--68mm-pcc-pics-video-clips-charts-load-data.html

I am getting closer to ordering a barrel and read my own thread again to refresh my memory. The 6.5 LBC is the highest ranking cartridge on my list at this point.

I will be concentrating on my new Win EW 260 and my only 243 caliber is a 6mm Remington; my dad's rifle, and one I have decided just needs the best load with the 85 TSX's I picked up from heavywalker and to be hunted with.

I started thinking about the 6.5 LBC with 120-123's and looking at BC's and velocity of that load compared to the 223 with 75-90's and the 223's seem to hover around .450 vs the 120-123's in the .500 range.

Book velocity leans towards the 223, I have not had a chance to run either through JBM but I suspect the 6.5 will still edge out the 223 for drift and energy even at the lower velocity

Is it worth building the new rifle around a 6.5 LBC that will be a varmint and target rifle with targets less than 500 most of the time; and, it is legal in my state to use 22 centerfires for deer?

Adding another set of dies is not a deal breaker but sticking with the 223 and a 7 twist barrel barrel to compliment the 16" CMMG flattop for home defense and the Stevens 200 bolt for hunting has merit.

I don't dislike the 223, but given a short bbl, I think the 6.5 expansion ratio might be the best best. No doubt in a standard length gun, esp. if I were doing a bolt, a 22 cal fast twisted has some 'appeal' - esp. if mainstay is varmints/range work.

The 6.5 can double as you have 85 HPs, 90 TNTs, and 100 SP/HPs if you want to go light.

Personally I'd run the 6.5 LBC and use a 123 Amax on everything. At LBC speeds, it'll do varmints thru deer.

No if you are talking prairie dogs, at a distance, the 223 in a longer than 16"...as in 20-24" - it might get my nod.

Yet if you are talking coyotes, fox, etc. at range that are mainly to 300 or under, the 6.5 would be MY pick w/o reservation.

Others may differ.

6.5 Creedmoor would be my choice, second would be the 260. Heavier platform but well worth it IMO.

I personally think so. I use .223's on deer and have no problem with it but there is nothing amatter with haveing a little extra energy, weight and bore dia. on your side. I like and will continue to use both but I think the .264 LBC/Grendel is a little more versitle deer cartridge.

Terry