Don't automatically assume that you will be shooting that bullet unless you have at least a #7 contour barrel. You may have to try some other bullets. Having shot thousands of rounds in 1000 yd competition with that caliber, I have had occasion to try lots of stuff. I quit shooting it before some of the boutique powders and bullets were out but last year built another.
I have equally good luck with 140 Amax, 140 Berger and 142 Sierra in competition. Now I use 130 Norma Diamond Line and 108 Lapua Scenars. If I were to hunt elk with it, I would use something else. I like R17 and H4831. I also like H4350 with the 108s. They make a great 700 yd coyote round!
I have a few boxes of 130 and 140 Accubonds but have yet to shoot them. Might be the better bullets for elk. I had a hunter shoot a very large bodied bull elk last week with a 7mm Rem Mag and a 140 or 150 Accubond and it did real well. I suspect the 140 Accubond out of the 6.5 would fair equally well.
I prefer the 8.5 twist to the 8" twist as I can usually get at least a 50 fps higher "sweet spot" with the slower twist- sometimes 100 fps. For hunting, this is nice. An 8.5 twist will stabilize every bullet I have ever tried. Some I haven't tried are the 147 Cautarucios and 160 Akers.
