So based on my chrono showing the Hornady factory 120 GMX load hits its advertised 3050 FPS in a 22" barrel, do you folks think they are doing something exotic in loading practices for those rounds? Has anybody pulled a bullet on one to have a look at the powder? I don't have my buddy's rounds on hand to test it nor do I own a 6.5CM to justify buying some to look at. Seems like as handloaders, we normally count on exceeding factory ballistics, and this seems an odd case where we're struggling to even match them.
ShortRifleFan, I like your considered approach to deciding if the 6.5CM is enough to meet your parameters, and am not trying to hijack your thread with the above questions. It seems to me the simple answer to your original question is "yes" (based on the 120 GMX factory load) but I bet you, like me, are loath to use factory ammo? I have never taken an animal with factory ammo (except .22LR) and most of my rifles have never even fired a factory round. So I get it. But one of the great points Mule Deer once made about the 6.5CM is that it seems to be the lucky coincidence of a very inherently accurate cartridge for which there is also a lot of excellent factory ammo available. This sure suits my buddy who doesn't handload and just wants to go hunting.
Cheers,
Rex
