Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 6.5 CM loads

Here's the how the LRX shoots @ 100 yds in my Kimber Montana:

I have a Tikka Lite on the way at the moment, and while those 140plus wight bullets are great for long range target shooting, I just don't see a great need for them for deer size game. So I've collected some 123gn SST's and some 130gn Nosler Accubonds to try out. I reckon a light skinned animal like a deer won't need too much bullet weight, and I never shoot an animal out past 200m, self imposed limit. I've got plenty of H4350, so I reckon I'm good to go. Only one way to find out if it works, and that's to go hunt something.

Triplec,

Let us know how those Accubonds shoot for you. They tempt me...

H4350 and the 130AB is a simple and proven route for a general purpose hunting load. Good call.

+1 on your rationale on bullet weights for deer hunting at "normal" ranges. 130Sierra HPBT is very accurate in my rifle. Dumped a couple of hogs with it last weekend. Works great.

I found a 130gn Nosler RDF with 42.9gn H4350 in Hornady brass, jumped 70 thou worked well out to 500m. THe BC of those Noslers is higher than the BC of a 140gn Berger. So you get higher velocity into the bargain. I had them leaving the 26inch barrel on my Savage LRP at a little over 2,900fps. This load worked fine in the Hornady brass, but I found it too hot in Nosler brass, which is heavier.

Spined this boar at 324 yards with a 120gr Ballistic Tip launched at 2925fps, also with Varget. Pig was down right there but not dead. No exit wound. Had to put one in his brain to finish him. Decent sized pig, 200ish pounds. Pigs are tough and the gristle shield the boars have covering their vitals is the real deal.

I don’t really like the ping pong ball BC of the 120gr ballistic tip but they group well and still give the impact velocity I want out to 500 yards or so, so I can make them work.

From my own experiences and data, out to 1000 yards or so, the 130s offer the best mix of drop and wind drift. After that, the heavier, higher BC bullets win.

John



Edited to add for the OP. Here’s a 5 shot group from my 6.5 Creedmoor match gun at 900 yards. The load is 123gr Scenars pushed to 2940fps with Varget. At 1000 yards, this load actually has a .1 mil wind advantage over the 140gr load I was previously using in a full value 10mph wind. That’s not a huge wind advantage, but when combined with the 1.5 mil trajectory advantage, it is worthwhile.

I think you should buy a set of scales , then kill all the pigs you can and weigh them. Rio7

120 Sierra HPBT
140 Nosler HPBT

Both with Staball

120 grain BT over RL16 at 3000 fps is just about perfect for whitetail deer…..at ‘normal’ ranges. I know the sleek 140’s will catch and pass it at some point, without looking I’d guess that to be somewhere beyond 400 yards.