Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Is 3000 FPS realistic with 120gr in 6.5 CM?

BS. Regardless how ‘close you hunt, shots DON’T always show up close.
Preparation.

Jerry

Good point. Cause 100fps makes the difference.

According to the nosler website it is very realistic.

For what it’s worth, I could only get 2800 FPS from my 20” barrel and the 120 gr BTs. So I went to 100 gr BTs just to see how they’d work on deer and hogs, and I got 3000 FPS from that load. And it killed deer and hogs every bit as well as the 120’s, at least as far as I could tell. Since then I’ll switch between the loads when the mood strikes me. Not much difference in trajectories.

603,

I lived in Idaho in the early 1980’s. Only centerfire rifle I had was a 6mm. Killed mule deer, elk, coyotes, a couple white tails, and a slew of jack rabbits. Used mostly Sierra 85gr HPBT except on elk. There I used Nosler partitions, don’t remember if 95 or 100 gr.

These days, I want a little more bullet weight. I had a 6.5 Swede and stepped up to 120gr. If I can get target speed for the Creedmoor, then I will retire my 6mm and use 6.5 100gr to take its place.

Crock,

I learned to hunt with a shepherd’s sling. I went from there to a Crossman pellet rifle shooting BBs. I might know a thing or two about getting close, as in real close. (Check out David in the Bible if you don’t know what a shepherd’s sling is.)

As an engineer, I tend to set design parameters for a project. My new rifle projects get the same treatment.

I have read post after post after post on 24CF that recommend minimum impact velocities of 2000 fps impact velocity with mono metal bullets. I want to shoot up to 450 yards, so my parameters for the bullets are 2000 fps at that range. My ballistic software computes 3005 fps for BC of .412 at sea level and 30F.

If the 6.5 CM can do that, then my next rifle will be a Creedmoor. If not, then a PRC.

I really appreciate the replies to this thread from people’s experiences. They are valuable to me.

Your posts have no value in regards to my question.

If you are Ok with the 100 gr Ballistic Tips, your 3000 FPS target should be easily doable. I use IMR 4064 behind the 100’s and R17 behind the 120’s. I forget what the BC is for the 100’s, but think it’s below .400.

I have had the impression that the primary reason for the 6.5 CM's existence was to be a better vehicle for launching longer/heavier VLD bullets in short action rifles.

If you're going to reload and higher velocity is an important consideration, why not just go with a case that has more capacity, like the 6.5-284 or 6.5-06 or a variety of other options that are available to folks who load their own?

The 127 LRX runs 2920 out of a 21” barrel using RL16. That will get you 2023fps at 475yds at sea level.

prm,

Thanks for the info, I was hoping to hear from you. I’ve followed your 6.5 CM and 338 Federal posts.

I have made a list of 24CF posts of 6.5 CM loads. It seems most people are working with the 140gr range high BC bullets. Not much out there on 120gr.

It seems some people are getting results in my goal range. I have an eye on the 127 LRX, yet I have a bunch of 120s to shoot up first.

Have you done any work with RL16 and 120gr?

I have not shot any 120gn bullets. I just brought up the 127 as it is a mono and not too far from a 120. According to Alliant load data you ought to be at, or close to 3000.

http://alliantpowder.com/reloaders/...type=1&powderid=41&cartridge=184

260,

Good comment about just going to a bigger case. I have been leaning towards the PRC, but Mule Deer’s reprinted article with a 26” Ruger listed 120gr in the 3000+ fps range. So I decided to ask the question here. My thought is if several members here are getting that in 24” or 26” barrels, then I think it is worth giving the Creedmoor a try.

I have much better luck with short actions. I have M70 EW rifles in 30-06, 270, 308, and 7mm-08. The 308 and 7mm-08 are much easier to get fixed 6x42 scopes mounted to suit my eyes than the long actions. Our Redneck has made some negative comments on getting the PRC to feed well in the M70. I really respect his opinion so as much as I like the M70 EW short actions, I think that a Ruger LRH would be the way to go in PRC.

Sure Get a big jug of RL-26 and a long skinny tamping bar, and go to town--and then pretend we're not running 70K psi. It's what everybody is doing with 140 grainers and heavier.

On a more helpful note, Hodgdon's is claiming 3000fps with StaBALL with a Hornady A-Max and 24" bbl.

Now that I think of it, I have a friend who says he's trying StaBALL and 120gr TSX in a 20" custom bbl M788. I can call him tomorrow.

The new Hodgdon loading manual shows a staBALL 6.5 max load at 3,004 fps. Details:
Hornady brass
24" barrel
Federal 210M LRMP
1-8" twist
Max load of 45.3 grains and a COAL of 2.670"

I doubt that velocity is obtainable unless you go longer with your barrel.

The Hodgdon site lists 7 loads for a 120 grain bullet between 2,903 and 3,004 fps that are running at between 59,800 and 61,500 PSI from a 24" barrel. I can see where a longer barrel and/or a little more powder would bump those numbers up a little to hit your goal of at least 3,000 fps of muzzle velocity.

If the 6.5 CM doesn't take you to where you want to go, there are options available to the handloader. I have wondered how a 6.5 SAUM would do within the COAL limits of a short action. I thought that when the SAUM and WSM cartridges were introduced that they would supersede the 284 as the cases of choice to maximize powder capacity in a short action, but they seem to have fallen into disfavor among wildcatters.

Just get the PRC and be done with it, instead of agonizing over a cartridge with marginal case capacity for the vecity that you wantl

My 6.5 Saum comfortably shoots the 129 grain ABLR a little over 3200 fps at a COAL of 2.825”. That’s the only bullet I’ve tried in it and I’ve enjoyed hunting it this fall and have killed 7 whitetails with it ranging from 30 to 200 yards

Given my longest shot opportunity is under 450 I’m considering switching to the 120 ttsx as a I haven’t gotten exits on a couple of the (not particularly big) deer I’ve shot with the 129 ablr (though they all died)

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

Again not wanting to hijack SRF's thread but how did those 129 ABLRs that failed to exit hold up? I have heard many reports of these being quite fragile. I got 200 of them in .270 to play with before I heard about the "failures", just assuming they would hold together like a normal accubond - I've yet to hunt with them.

Thanks,
Rex

Looking at powder doesn't definitively identify it. It's likely a powder blend not available in canisters.