Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Favorite 6.5-06 loads & bullets....

Favorite 6.5-06 loads & bullets....
Let me know what are you favorites.
Anything minute of hunting, or better.

55-56 grains of H1000 and a 140.

I use 53.0 grains of H4831SC with either the 142 gr SMK or 140 gr Accubond.

Thanks for the advice. What are y'alls opinions on a 120 grain slug?
Our pee wee whitetails don't need much to drop them.

Jlamb, just curious where you got that load data? I can't find any data that hot and I'd like to get a bit more velocity out of mine.

I'm running 50.5 gr of 4831sc and a 130 Accubond , which is hotter than the hodgdon load data lists, and having a hard time getting to 2850fps.

General question, is it better to use the bullet manufacturer data or the powder makers data?

John Boy, I used to use the 120 ballistic tip, very accurate, and a devastating killer, but it just caused to much meat loss for me.

Try some 160gr round nose. They really kill.
H4831sc. CCI match primers.

Start with a mid load and work up.

Also really love the 125gr nosler partition.

160 woodleigh with H1000. Go to load is 49.5 of RL22 with 140 berger vld.

My favorite loads in 6.5x06 are all with H4831. Target's with the 140gr SMK and hunting with the 140gr Hornady SP. This means nothing though. It's the only powder I've ever used in it and it's always shot great. I try not to fix anything that works!

Nothing wrong with 120s for hunting. I had a 6.5-06 built with a Hart #4 8tw and it likes the 120NBT over 55g R19. That's not a quick load at only 3130 avg, but it smacks critters. R17 gave me much better MV, but r19 seemed to be the sweet spot.

120 NBT at 350yds last season:

I've also got a .260 Encore. I was using the 120gr slug in it, so I think the 140gr is the likely option for the 6.5-06