Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 6.5x284 with 129 interlocks

Blackheart, that's my experience with 129 Interlocks started at 2750 fps. Good deer killer, lots of expansion. Nothing shot with them past 200 yards so don't know what they'd do at longer range.

The 129s never shot well. I went to the 143 and I think the 48 grain load isn't where it's at. The 50.5 load is great at 100. I ran it out to 300 to start drop data and it just started opening up. 2.5 at 200 and 5.5 at 300. How does it shoot that good at 100 and then come apart at 2 and 3? Oh and I can shoot, ain't me. Had a dead nuts rest. That's when I went the other way and found that 48 grain load. Damn near a cloverleaf at 100, but I haven't ran it out yet.

BTW that 50.5 load was 2 inches high at 100 and 5 inches low at 300 so I know it's moving. But I don't get crazy until I can trust the load. Right now the trust ain't there. Yet. Nice to know the eldx will perform.

I am sure you will find the load you're looking for.

I'd say maybe how it shot at 100 wasn't totally indicative of the load itself.

129 IL.

That's pretty interesting. Must've hammered a sturdy bone?

If I remember correctly it may have caught shoulders and clipped the bottom of spine.

Cannot remember if quartering to or from.

That makes sense.

Mine was perfectly broadside. Went through shoulder meat and blades. No heavy bone contact. I've got it in my hand. It's pancaked down to where there's less than 1/4" of shank remaining. I've killed four other deer with that bullet. All less than 60 yards. Nasty wound channels on all four. More damage and less penetration than I like to see really. Completely trashed the shoulders on last years buck. Thinking if it did that at 175 yards it might have completely fragged at 50 or less.



Edit.
Just went and weighed it. 52 grains. On a side note. Had a 150 grain .30-06 Fusion recovered from my 2019 buck in the same envelope so weighed it too. Shot placement the same. Broadside, high shoulder, just under the spine. Range 45 yards. That one weighs 103 grains. Wasn't terribly impressed with that one either. My .30-30 with 170's would have sailed out the other side, damaged less meat and still dropped that buck in it's tracks. Done it way too many times to think otherwise.

Another boring 129 IL from a browning Low Wall .260.



Adult Roosevelt cow elk, broadside @ 257 lasered yards. Found under the hide on the off side. She walked about 20-30 feet and tipped. I have a great deal of confidence in the Interlock design.

That's why I would like to get an interlock shooting. Just an awesome bullet. Most of the ones I find, if I do find them are on the offside under the hide and are just the jacket mushroomed down.

Hint

Hint

Hint

Tried more loads. I'm shoving this 4831 and a 143 down this rifles throat. It's putting everything inside an inch, but nothing that gets me excited. To the 6.5x284 shooters, what's your experience with max charge? I'm at 54 grains and haven't had no problems, shot a rag hole with this load. Every loading book I've looked at says max is 49 to 51 grains. One said 47 grains at 2700. That's 260 stuff. I'm approaching my 6.5-06 loads and accuracy is actually got better. I think 2950 or 3000 fps is the ticket for this cartridge and 140ish bullets. BTW, a ridgeline without the brake actually isn't bad, and the point of impact really don't change at all. Maybe 1/2 inch.

Have you checked your speed with your 54 grain load?

Not yet. But it hammers groups into a rag hole. I know this so far. 2 inches high at 100 puts it 5 inches low at 300.

Sounds like it’ll hunt to me!

This damm carbon fiber deal. Lol. This gun will put 3 in a rag hole at 100 and then the groups start to open a 2, 3, and 400. Like 3 inch group at 2 and 5 inch group at 3. I need to try another powder. I have not ran it through a chrony yet but I bet my ES is up there. My groups aren't perfect triangles either. They are like strings going from 5 o'clock to 10 o clock, or something like that. I may try 4350 next. It's always been a go to for me.

Threw the brake on this gun and it's a 1/2 minute rifle. I tried like heck to run it without one, but figured I give it a go. Glad I did too. Shot an inch and half group at 300 with it. Surprisingly, my point of impact did not change, which is cool. Only thing that happened was my groups shrunk.

Sounds like you’ve got it sorted out!