I am considering shots out to 600 yards, maybe as close as 75 yards. Velocities in the 3300 range for Barnes ttsx 120 gr, or 130-140 gr. VLD AT 3200 muzzle velocity. Game is strictly Midwestern whitetail. Which would you choose and why??

120 or 140 NBT, if 6 bills is your limit....

If it shoots 140 vld they are good at bucking the wind but the new nosler 129 might be a future possibility. Mine loves 140 accubond 140 custom comps and 140 vld but the vld shoot one little hole and I went with them

I've killed 2 bucks with plain old 140 interlocks at 3200. Not the best choice for 600 but they worked well at 170 and 250. I wish I could get my 264 to shoot the vld's as well as it does the interlocks.

Bb

No bullet performs as well for us as the Barnes bullets.

They may not have top BC, but for 600 yards it won't make much difference.

I'm still hating on the BTs due to damage issues up close, but I have shot enough to know that out further they ain't so bad.

In fact I may have to recalc.... and run BTS or bergers hunting ones at distance and Barnes up to say 300 or so.

FWIW the 2 Barnes old X bullets I shot at 802 on a caribou expanded just fine.

I'm shooting the 140 VLD now. Killed a 6X6 with it last year and it was DRT

I'm getting good long range accuracy with the bullet but groups at close range on paper scare me. The bullet likes to be close to the lands and as soon as a little fouling happens, groups change. If I could find some consistency I would stay with the VLD

I probably won't use my .264 for elk anymore as I'm building a .300WM for a long range elk and oryx rifle. I'm going to develop a load with the 140 A-Max for the .264 and use it for everything else. The A-Max worked well on an ibex at 760 yards and I think it will on deer sized game even at .264 velocity

A (cheap ass miser) friend of mine finally, after spending a LOT of time tracking deer, gave up on 140gr amaxes(6.5/06) and went to Bergers. Bang, flop....bang, flop. YMMV.

He shoots LR steel a bunch and wanted to hunt with that amax load. He no longer does that.

Iv always used the 140gr. Berger vld in my 6.5-284 and iv never had any deer go father than 20 yards from 50 up to 700 yards.

123 Scenars, accurate, have high BC and shoot flat at 3,400 mv.

Thanks for the heads up and I'm sorry to hear it. Probably will try it to find out for myself anyway.

The A-Max probably was simply revolting and upset that it was being shot out of an '06 and not a Win Mag

127 LRX at those start velocities will be a great choice to well past 600 yards.

With the 127 LRX, I dropped a Montana mulie @ 500 and a large cow elk @ 450 last year from my 6.5x47. Impact velocities would have been around 1773 and 1811 respectively.

Alan

I've used both the 120 TSX (NOT TTSX) @ 3250 and 140 VLD @ 3050, out of a 24" 8 twist 264.

Both killed deer very much doornail dead, with varying rapidity, from 75 yards to 400. The VLD produced DRT bang flops more than the TSX.

I no longer use either.

Mattman what do you use today?

22" 260, 140 AMAX @ 2750 or 123 SST @ 2950.

Thanks!

Being a max range of 600, Why no mention of the 130gr Accubond?

Lol - I was just reading the thread, and say, there is not a shot from 0-600 yds I would not take with my 130 ABs. They are good bullets, probably less explosive at high vel, yet expand well at reduced speeds.

Good choices above, the 6.5 hunters have a plethora of viable bullets. Some perhaps better for up close, some far shots. The AB I think is a good all around bullet, very good, in my book. They fly flat and straight, and also kill well. It is my go to bullet, not that I have a problem with many other bullets from 120-140gr.