6.5mm 160gr bullets

[Sweet 6.5]

Hi

Anybody used these on game? Hornady or Sierras. I used 140grs before and think
the 160gr should be great.
I booked a hunt for end of April and consider using 160gr Hornady. It will be
short distance hunting, less than 100 meters.

I get about 2400 fps out of my 6.5x55 with the 160grs.

Cheers
Sweet   

[charles p]

Were you disappointed with the 140's?

[Siskiyou]

The Hornady 160 will give you a lot of penetration.  My brother killed two mule deer bucks with one shot using the Hornady 160 out of his 6.5x55.  The bullet completely penetrated both deer.

[Sweet 6.5]

Were you disappointed with the 140's?

  - My wife asked me the same thing when I told her I have to spend the next couple
of weekends shooting, to test some loads!
But the answer is no, the 140grs performed perfectly on the impalas, and I am sure they will do the trick
on the kudu cow I am going to try for.
I even used the 140grs for the blue wildebeest with enough penetration.

As soon as I find an answer for my wife why I HAVE to use 160grs I will post it here.
I used "they were cheap", "I had them", "somebody gave me these today" before!

Sweet

[Brithunter]

Hi There,

     The only time I used a Hornady 160 grn RN bullet on game out of my Sporterised Swedish Mauser was on a Roe Doe. Powder used was Reloader 19 and it was a fairly stiff load although it showed no excessive pressure signs in my rifle. The Doe was shot at about 90 yards and she dropped on the spot but she did spin 180 degrees so I found here lieing facing the opposite way to when I shot her. The problems was that on such a ight animal, the Doe weighted about 35 lbs dressed out, the meat dmaged was excessive. Not the entrance wound but the exit wound? not that's not a typo it was the off side should which was very badly bloodshot.

     I found the bullets to be very accurate in this rifle and would be probably ideal for Fallow Buck in rut but for Roe I have not used them since even though a sample of one is not a great basis for proof. Just didn't want to waste any more meat from these small deer! Funny thing is that I have alos shot Roe but a Buck this time using factory 173 grn H-Mantle bullet in 7x57 with virtually no meat loss? The H-Mantle from RWS is a copper capped Hollow point bullet loaded quite stifly, the shot was taken at a feeding unaware Roe Buck at about 65 yards and he dropped where he stood, in fact he dropped so fast I didn't see he fall!

    Back to the 6.5mm. I also have some Sierra 160 grain bullets but have not loaded any up so don't know how they compare to teh Hornadys. I can only think it might be the construction of the Hornady that made it perform so and whilst I cannot fault it's terminal performance I will save them for larger beasts in future.

[Mikey]

Used to use the 160 gn Hornady years ago from a 6.5 Carcano.  It was accurate in that rifle (my rifle anyhow) and would shoot through every animal I shot.  It would leave a little hole, almost indistinguishable, going in and about the same going out unless it hit something and the internals were always mushed up. 

I would use a 6.5 Swede with the 160 gn slug for heavy  or heavily boned game, Moose, Elk, Bear and Hog and the like.  Mikey.

[PeterCartwright]

I have a 6.5X55 reworked '94 Mauser carbine.  Some years ago, I had a smith add a new/surplus '96 barrel and cut it down to 23".  This barrel has the same 7.5" twist as the carbine barrel and was designed for those long, long bullets.  I've been using the 160 gr. Hornady for woods hunting in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  This gun will put three shots into about an inch @ 100 yards. The bullet upsets enough to work perfectly on whitetails, even on broadside lung shots...without excessive meat loss.  I think it's about the perfect "meat hunters" load.

Given the fact that the Swedes, Norwegians and Finns use it to take thousands of moose annually, I think the 6.5X55 is a truly remarkable and user friendly round.

[Siskiyou]

Sweet 6.5,

If you happen to recover any 160’s picture and performance would be appreciated.  Your posting of your recovered 140’s was appreciated and I used them to show a young hunter the effectiveness of the 6.5.   

I showed him the horns of the buck I took with the 6.5 but he was more impressed with the fact that you were successfully using it in Africa.

[jdt48653]

because of the rifling,my 264 throws a 140 more accurate then a 160,and does as good a job!

[Sweet 6.5]

Hi

Mine is also more accurate with 140's than with the 160's
but the 160's are accurate enough for kudu in the bush. 

Siskiyou : I already have the wet pack test bullet - beautiful - all
we have to do now is wait for the end of April, and practice and
more practice.

Sweet

[glshop20]

I tried some 150's and the accuracy was no where near as good as the 140's. I was shooting at 200yds.  At a shorter distance I don't think it would be as big a difference.  May have been the load or the rate of twist.  Every rifle is different.

[Sweet 6.5]

I tried some 150's and the accuracy was no where near as good as the 140's.

I would love to try 150grs. Who else except Rhino make 150grs?

Sweet

[Sweet 6.5]

  Had to bring this one back to life!

Went to the range this weekend with new loads for the
160. I used a slower burning powder, much like MRP from Norma with magnum primers.
My case are now much fuller and YES !! I get one inch
groups with my 160gr's like the rest of the world at a higher speed. 2400fps no problem
and no stiff bolt, nice round primers.

Cheers from a happy Sweet!

[rich56]

I hunt NYS with a 260, never  had a shot beyond 85 yds so I was looking for round nose bullets. I found that the sectional density of a 140 grain .264 bullet was about like a 180 grain 30 cal so I found some out of production 140 grain and 129gn Hornady round noses. So far i just used a 129 to bag a 175lb buck. I use the 129s because i use the rnd nose for hunting, the 129 spire point for taget with the same sight setting. The 129 performed perfect. I'll be saving the 140s for boar or bear. No need for 160s

[billy_56081]

Well April is coming to a close. Got any pics or a report?

[AtlLaw]

I've got some 160's on my Midway wish list.  The one rifle I have had made for me is on a Swede '96 action with a new barrel, fast twist, chambered in 6.5x55.  It shoots every factory round I put through it into an inch so I haven't got around to loading for it yet, but when I do it will be with a 160 gr. bullet at a decent velocity.  No reason, the sectional density on the 140's is fine, it just feels right!   

[T.R.]

This was the first bullet I handloaded for my wife's custom Swede.  She toppled 2 cow elk and a young bull with 3 shots fired.  By topple I mean to say they fell over right away.  These animals weighed approx 500 lbs each.  Two were neck shots fired at 75 yards or so.  One was a broadside shoulder shot at about 125 yards.  These Hornady bullets break through heavy bones but continue to penetrate in a straight line. The bullets were damaged during these bone shattering events but lead core and jacket did not separate.  The animals were dead as Julius Caesar.   

Since '99 I've handloaded the 140 grain Nosler Partition for her.  Trajectory is noticeably flatter for long shots at antelope.  This bullet is a very good elk bone breaker, too. The Nosler bullet is usually broken apart at front end.  Sometimes the rear portion appears bent slightly. 
TR

[WyoStillhunter]

I am just getting started with the 6.5X55 in a Rem. 700 Custom (1994).  My plan is to make reloads with 140 gr. Hdy. Spire Points.  I bought new brass and 100 bullets this week.  Hornady factory ammo put 3 shots into 0.57" the only time I have tried it.

One reason I bought the Swede was its ability to penetrate with moderate recoil.  I figure it will do for elk hunting when I get tired of, or need to give up, the recoil from my .35 Whelen.  From T.R.'s report, it sounds like 140 gr. Nosler PTs will work just fine for eatin' sized elk (my personal favorites).  But there is a certain romance about those long, RN 160s that makes me think I will eventually give them a try.

[Oldtimer]

I have used the 160 grain in my .264 Magnum, as there are times I will be in the woods with the rifle and did not want to end up with bloodshot meat.  At 30 yards, the hole it left in a whitetail doe could have held a tennis ball.  Even one shot at 150 yards had the top of her heart blown off and the blood trail looked like someone sprayed blood with a fire hose.  The doe bled out in about 30 yards.  This was with a load that was clocking around 2,600 f/sec. 

[BBF]

That huge hole left from the 160 gr RN Hornady shouldn't be a surprise. That bullet was designed for velocities generated by 6.5X55 or similar cases, not the 264 Win Mag. Neither is the 160 gr. Sierra recommended in the 264 Win Mag.  That cartridge was designed for long distance. If you are going to bush hunt with it you need to handoad  and keep the V's down


I have also found several weight/cal combinations of Sierra bullets not to expand in some cartridges.
In mind comes the 180 gr SP  from a 30-06 for deer size game
the 250 gr.SBT from a 338 Win Mag
 I suspect the 140 gr SBT needs to be pushed to at least MV of 2600fps to expand properly

[T.R.]

This photo taken at Wind Cave Nat'l Park.  No hunting allowed here.

Wyo Still Hunter:

You will be pleased with the 160 and its performance on game.  You can overcome the trajectory concern by simply practicing at long distances and recording drop on a little card taped to the stock. The 160 holds its own against penetration comparison tests with 338 MAG and other mid-bore cartridges recommended by magazine writers for elk hunting.

Years ago, a man named Roy Chapman Andrews had the BEST job ever. He worked for NYC Metropolitan Museum of Natural History to hunt overseas and produce taxidermy displays of these animals. This was long before airlines crossed the oceans of the world. Roy hunted a wide diversity of game with either 250 Savage lever action or 6.5mm Mannlicher carbine.  Roy killed giant Alaska brown bear, moose, African lions, and more with the 6.5mm rifle.

Your local library can order this non-fiction book through inter-library loan program:  This Business of Exploring - Roy Chapman Andrews (1922)  The character of Indiana Jones is based upon true life of Roy.  No kidding!

Hope this is helpful.
TR

[jim dab]

Sweet have you thought about Woodleighs 160's. I have a couple of boxes of them waiting to be loaded in my 6.5 Ruger. A little better BC. and maybe a little smaller exit wound.

Jim

[Sweet 6.5]

Hi

Yes I thought about using them but I couldn't find any here
in South Africa. I could only get 140gr Woodleighs. I used the Hornady
and was happy with the performance. I however changed now over
to Lapua Mega 155gr. I think they are stronger than the Hornady, but I would
have loved to get my hands on Woodleighs!

Let my know how they perform.

Sweet

[FLNT4EVR]

I loaded some for my .260 rem in a Model 7 cdl. for use in close on black bear or moose , if the opportunity should ever present itself.Accuracy was ok (about 3 in at 100 yds ).But the 140's shoot so much better that I will stay with them.(1 in or less ) .I'll use the 160's up eventually probably just plinking at the range .

[billy_56081]

Sweet, I'm sure that you could talk a GBO member on this side of the pond into shipping you some woodleighs. But I am thinking the 155 lapua's will perform so well you will never look any further.

[Skunk]

I've loaded the Hornady 160s for my 6.5 Ruger and my 6.5 CZ. They work very well for the Ruger and are exceptional in the CZ. But then, everything seems to shoot well in the CZ.

[Sweet 6.5]

Sweet, I'm sure that you could talk a GBO member on this side of the pond into shipping you some woodleighs. But I am thinking the 155 lapua's will perform so well you will never look any further.

Hi, here is the story about my warthog and the Lapua : http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,151096.0.html
I think I will use them for a while 

[Don Fischer]

The only bullet's I use in mine, mod 70, are 129 and 140 gr Hornady's. But as I recall, doesn't Norma make a 156 gr bullet? You might try it if they still make it. I read somewhere that bell quit using the 6.5x55 because the 160 gr bullet's had a tendency to bend while penetrating. I read it so don't know how accurate it is.