Your experiences of various 6.5mm bullets on Roe?

[DaveT]

Just wondering if anyone else is using 260 Remington (or other 6.5) on roe deer and what bullet they have found best in respect of clean kill and meat damage.

 

Obviously shot placement has a direct bearing here but lets assume that we are all perfect shots for this post! ..... IE I am after your opinions on the effectiveness or otherwise of various bullet makes and weights.

 

I used to use Ballistic Tips but reckoned them too frangible and damaging so I switched to Accubonds (130grain) ...... perhaps not surprisingly given their design these seem to have too much integrity and pass-through and I am finding an increase in the need for follow-up shots which I dislike.

 

If anyone is using 260 Rem for deer then I would appreciate your inputs.

 

Cheers

 

DaveT

 

 

[Finman]

I shoot 120PH and 129 interlocks. Both drop them on the spot, roe, fallow and red. The 129gn is abut les destructive than the 120gn. All that out of a 6.5x55

 

Best wishes

 

Finman

[gun nut]

Dave i shot the Sierra 120 pro hunter out of a 6.5x55 for several seasons and shot everything from Munties to Reds. Lapua brass, 46grn Vit 160,rem 9.5 primers and an aol of 3". Stopped everything on the spot and meat damage was minimal, but then again I was shooting them at 2650fps.

 

Mike

[DaveT]

Finman / Gun Nut... many thanks for your replies.

 

I might also try dropping the speed a little..... up around 2800 at present.

[Gunsgobang88]

I shoot 120PH and 129 interlocks. Both drop them on the spot, roe, fallow and red. The 129gn is abut les destructive than the 120gn. All that out of a 6.5x55

 

Best wishes

 

Finman

 

Hi,

 

A 129gr bullet is the optimum weight in most 6.5's for UK game shooting. The Hornady Interlock is a good choice as it is a traditional bullet that is neither too frangible or too tough for roe,

 

Alan

[DaveT]

Thanks Alan

[Danpd]

I use 120 Berger BTs to great effect in the 6.5x47.

[jcampbellsmith]

I like Hornady 129 gr SP Interlock.

http://www.hornady.com/store/6.5mm-.264-129-gr-SP/

I have only ever recovered one bullet which I attach. I recovered it from a small roe buck I shot in the summer of 2011. Regards JCS

[british bulldog]

After shooting over 100 roe over the last 5 years I've found sierra 140gr game kings to give the least carcass damage but very few will drop on the spot with a chest shot on the other hand Hornady 129gr SST really knock them down but carcass damage is much more.

[jcampbellsmith]

I did attempt to edit my post, but in the absence of the edit option I will add a new post. I shoot with a 260 Rem most of the time and my stalking load for red, sika and roe is the Hornady 129 gr SP Interlock. It chrono'd at about 2750 fps in the last barrel and I haven't tried the new barrel over the chrono yet, but I expect the velocity to be pretty much the same. If you check out the following url, you can see the spec of the current rifle. http://www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk/gallery/member-galleries/p2948-remington-700-sa-in-260-rem.html

Regards JCS

[Orka Akinse]

I think, having shot considerable qty's of Roe/Fallow and CWD over the years using both 6.5 Sierra's SPBT and Hornady SST in 140g the SST's have it both in terms of meat damage and stopping power.

[DaveT]

Guys

 

Many thanks for all your input.

 

it is surprising that Nosler hardly features whereas Hornady seems to be the favourite.

 

I will give the Hornadys a go

[jcampbellsmith]

Guys

 

Many thanks for all your input.

 

it is surprising that Nosler hardly features whereas Hornady seems to be the favourite.

 

I will give the Hornadys a go

 

One thing to keep an eye out for with the Hornady is to only buy bullets in the new packaging and if buying more than one box, check that they are in the same batch. I've twice been caught out by the bullet ogive changing very slightly when I opened the new box up. Regards JCS

[Tiff]

140gr Berger vld's or 140 A-Max both worked great for me on dozens of roe and red, from 12 yards to 300+. Used to shoot them around 2,950 or so from my 6.5x55 rpa f-class/heavy stalking rifle. Both bullets would shed 40-70% of their weight as they traveled through, levaing a golf ball size hole after about 5" in to the chest cavity. Never had any long runners or other problems, all fell either on the spot or within 20 yards if it just hit the heart/lungs and no bones.

[patjack]

140gr Berger vld's or 140 A-Max both worked great for me on dozens of roe and red, from 12 yards to 300+. Used to shoot them around 2,950 or so from my 6.5x55 rpa f-class/heavy stalking rifle. Both bullets would shed 40-70% of their weight as they traveled through, levaing a golf ball size hole after about 5" in to the chest cavity. Never had any long runners or other problems, all fell either on the spot or within 20 yards if it just hit the heart/lungs and no bones.

I use berger VLD hunting 140's in my 6.5 creedmoor would like to use A.max's but they are not considered expanding so are not legal on deer. only shot Roe-Fallow-Muntjac they don't expand as well as I had hoped though.

[Tiff]

I use berger VLD hunting 140's in my 6.5 creedmoor would like to use A.max's but they are not considered expanding so are not legal on deer. only shot Roe-Fallow-Muntjac they don't expand as well as I had hoped though.

 

Lets not let this thread be derailed, but to the letter of the law in England and Wales A-Max are deer legal (but not classed as expanding) which dosen't matter for the deer act in these countries. I use them in 140, 155 and 208 formats and have never had a runner after hundreds of deer between my stalking partner and myself.

[Offroad Gary]

i shoot roe with a 6.5 x 47lapua.

have used 120 prohunter, 120 ballistic tip and 123gn amax all at about 2875fps.

the prohunters are less damaging, and as a consequence kill less quickly. the ballistic tips do a fair job, and the amax are devastating.

i would not shoot roe for meat in the chest with the amax, but if i was taking clients for roebucks there is nothing better (we like them on the ground and not running anywhere), although the carcass would be riddled with lead and copper. i shoot quite a few roe in one spot for the landowners restaurant, nothing is chest shot, and i use the 123 amax or the .243 with 70gn ballistic tips. when stalking as part of the management group on a prestigous roe stalking estate i use a hunting bullet, because traditional stalking and chest shots are the norm (we have gwp at hand and its good exercise if they run on a little), im there this thursday and will be using prohunters because thats what i have at the moment. i've also got some 95vmax loaded up for foxes... i would chest shoot fallow with the 123's because they are bigger and can take a bit more damage, and you have to damage them to kill them.

 

earlier this week whilst out zeroing my AI AE .308 and 155 amax i happened across a roe with a broken leg, i had no option but to chest shoot it with the 155 amax (100m shot moving along a fence line, wouldnt stand). the results were as expected, and somewhat emphatic to say the least.....i dont think any hunting bullet would kill as quickly as an amax, more cleanly yes, but definately not as quickly

[palo]

Hornaday 129gr SP side 1_mini.jpgI like Hornady 129 gr SP Interlock.

http://www.hornady.com/store/6.5mm-.264-129-gr-SP/

I have only ever recovered one bullet which I attach. I recovered it from a small roe buck I shot in the summer of 2011. Regards JCS

I also like the hornady 129gr sp

I have recovered 5 of these bullets over the years and they all look similar to the one in this picture.

They all weighed between 100 and 110 grains.

Mine are also doing around 2750 fps out of my 6.5x55.

[Millwall Paul]

I use 140gn sierra gamekings in my 6.5 x 55. I can probably count on one hand the number of runners I've had from 50+ deer shot with it. The ranges were anything from 40 - 200 yards. The meat damage was always low even when shot on the shoulder. Even with a runner I always had a healthy blood trail and none went further than 50 yards.

[NICK]

Dave T

 

These are my experiences.

 

I used 100 Grain Nosler Ballistic Tip in my Swede to great effect on many Roe. Never had problems with excess damage and i was then taking the Carcass into a Tillhill Larder and the Wildlife Manager was a Tyrant. Bang flop.

 

Now shoot a 6.5X284 with 120 Grain Nosler Ballistic Tip with identical results including Red Stag and Hinds.

 

Lost a Fallow Doe on a Level 2 Witnessed Stalk using a 140 Sierra GK. It pencilled through the Chest and Deer exited Stage left. My AW said the shot was good but we never found the Deer even after sending for the Estate Dog.

 

A friend of mine on our Shoot is having very good results using Berger 140VLD from his 6.5x284.

 

Nick.

[Christian]

Hi,

 

Just to add my two pence worth, I'm currently using Nosler AccuBond 130 grains with great effect. Good performance and minimal meat damage.

 

When living in Denmark I used the Lapua factory load with 156 grain mega bullets. They worked well, but may be a little overkill. Not notably worse in terms of meat damage.

 

I have tried Hornady SSTs. They really knocked the roe deer over, but meat damage was excessive compared to the two above. Even when shooting at medium rage distances (150'ish meters). I have to add that I only shot a handful of roe before I stopped using the SSTs, but it looks like other members have similar experience.

 

 

Regards,

 

Christian

[DaveT]

I now have some SSTs and will give them a go to see how they expand.... hopefully not as radical as the Nosler Ballistic tips although the previous post suggests that they may well be similar.

 

As I said in my original post my Accubond load is showing evidence of passing through without dumping enough of its energy into the deer.