Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Report: Barnes 127 gr LRX 6.5mm

Though not LR, it might help a few with any future decisions on the new Barnes LRX bullets.

Custom rifle in 6.5x47 Lapua
Pierce SA
24.5 Broughton #3 8tw 5C with Harrells brake
McMillan Rem Sporter Edge filled stock with stock pack to raise cheek rest.
Rifle Basix 2.5 lb trigger
NF 2.5-10x32 with NP-R2 reticle
Barnes 127 gr LRX @ 2800 fps pushed by Varget and CCI BR primers.

Final sight-in accuracy @ 200 yds, prone off the Snipepod bipod. Move up one 1/4 moa click aaand I'm done.

[img:right]http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/GSSP/Pierce%2065x47%20Lapua/2012-10-14_13-07-41_643.jpg[/img]

The set up looking over lots of country.



The set up looking over the kill zone. Summit is just over 500 yds and bottom of hill is about 350. Best friend and his neighbor both took raghead bulls on the same hill opening day with their 6.5x284's and 140 Berger 140 VLD from about 270 yds.



Day five of a 5 day hunt presented two smallish mule deer bucks; 3x4 and 2x2. They both sky lined themselves @ 500 yds. Using my new Leica 1600-B LRF it gave me 7-3/4 moa for drop and as their was zero wind, I didn't have to hold for any. I place the cross hair high and right behind the shoulder and squeezed off the shot from the prone. The 3x4 took off like a jet on a death run over the back side of the hill. The 2x2 stood for several seconds before following. Unlucky for me, the back side of the hill is very steep with fresh snow. Unlucky for the buck is he only got about 50 yds before dropping, then slinding about 20 yds down to a tree, where he stopped; lucky for me other wise he'd have slid several hundred yards down a 40 deg slope on slippery snow!





Autopsy showed simple ~1" entry and exits through the ribs, mushing the lungs all to heck.



[img]http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/GSSP/Montana%202012/2012-10-24_11-07-34_687.jpg[/img]

Impact vel was approx 2085 fps. Temp was 15. Baro was 22.47. Bullet is still heading towards E. Montana and the meat is at my favorite butchers being turned into his delicious summer sausage and jerked jerky.

Alan

Oh yes. Try as I might, the elk, my primary target, never did allow me the opportunity to play. Close on a few occasions but no cigar!

Awesome Alan, that LRX seemed to open up fine based on the pics, at a good distance, nice shooting and congrats! Hate you did not get that Elk

So, based on your experience, are you using the LRX next time, or doing more R&D?

I loaded up some 80 TTSX in 243 and 130 VLDs in 260 the past few days, finalized POI settings and just need test volunteers

I would not shoot the 80 as far as you did, but who knows, it might work. Likely not going to shoot half your distance where I will use it....likely carry the 260 anywhere I have more open areas. My 4200 Elite is on at 200 and the lower post on at 415 so I should be covered.

What was your sight in and did you use a hash mark for your shot? Assuming you held high b/c you did not twist up.

Enjoyed the recap/pics, thanks.

I appreciate this report as my boxes of 127 grain LRX just arrived yesterday. I shoot an E. Arthur Brown Model 97D in 6.5 BRM. My go-to load for it is 36.5 grains of H-4350 with 140-grain VLDs. If your bullet makes it as far as Miles City I'll check it out. Thanks for the report and all the good photos.

Cliff,

Yep, will still keep on using the LRX.

I know a guy who exploded the lungs of a large 6-pt bull elk at over 800 yds with a 243 Win AI with the Berger 87 gr Hunting VLD. Filled his lungs up pronto with blood and down he went.

I was sighted in at 200 yds. I dialed; 7-3/4 moa.

Alan

GSSP: How about a close-up of your rig?

How close?

Far?



Hollywood weight?


Or "All up" weight with 17 rounds in the ready with sling and Snipepod?


Sunlight?



Shade?



Right side?


Left side?

[img]http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/GSSP/Pierce%2065x47%20Lapua/2012-02-03_16-33-06_665.jpg[/img]

Hope you enjoyed!

Alan

Nice shooting Alan! 500 yards is plenty long! Good to see the Barnes performed.

BTW, your rifle needs to go on another diet!

Excellent!

Rick,

As you know, the NF 2.5-10 is not exactly the lightest 2.5-10 out there but it's incredibly reliable, as long as one does not loose their zero with out a zero stop. While out hunting I swapped out the heavy TAB Gear sling for a simple 1" nylon M16 sling. Also, am going to quit carry ammo in the external cartridge loops under certain circumstances such as slinging the rifle over my shoulder when packing out meat since by the time I returned to my Tundra with a load of meat, all but one round of ammo was gone. Now, I will continue to carry ammo inside the stock pack where I use a cut down Federal ammo plastic ammo carrier to right the cartridges up right.

John,

Thanks,

Alan

Alan,

We all know a guy like you only needs one shot. The rest in your mag are dead weight!

Rick,

Unfortunately for me, I've always been a guy who packs the "whole kitchen sink" kind of hunter. This past week, in Montana, at the end of each day, I'd empty my pack and repack it each night until it kept getting lighter and lighter, day by day. At 54, I'm still learning

Alan

On Saturday, two brothers, Cameron and Cody, whom I work with, went up behind my house on Saturday for Cameron's cow elk. Cameron had a bit of trouble with Cody's 300 Win Mag. He missed 6 times at two different cows. I offered to loan them my light 6.5x47 and they took me up on the offer. Yesterday, I instructed them how to dial up my NF 2.5-10x32 with NP-R2 reticle and printed up a drop chart. I wasn't worried about the wind as weather.com forecast calm to 2 mph.

Got a call about 3 pm. The cows stay up on the steep Western facing mountain behind my house. Cody coached Cameron into a 450 yd killing shot. The Barnes 127 gr LRX, running 2830 fps, zipped through both lungs of a very large cow. She ran about 30 yds before piling up and sliding down steep face in 3' of snow, stopping in some Gambel Oak brush.






Alan

That is awesome! Really cool! Beautiful country!