What's A Good Hunting Bullet in 6.5mm?

[Forester]

Regarding my recent thread about shooting my first deer, I am gathering info about a better bullet for hunting. The spitzer I used, though very accurate, failed to expand one bit and left zero blood trace on the ground. Jessie mentioned in that thread that the bullet was not designed to expand at the velocity I am shooting from the sporterized Swede I am using.

Anybody out there recommend a .264 caliber bullet that will offer decent expansion at +/- 2300 fps?

 

[Damn Yankee]

Have you looked at the 129 GR Horandy?

 

[Forester]

I've pretty much stuck with Sierra and only for punching paper to date.
The load I was using was a 140 grain Sierra Spitzer over 34 grains of Varget. An extremely accurate load out of my old '96. Velocity is around 2250 if my memory is correct.

This was my first shot ever on a deer. I could not even locate the entry wound and the exit was very small. The heart did have one small hole on either side of it, though so that helped. Deer only went 20 yards so it was a clean, nice kill but the expansion is a bit worrisome.

I will look in to the Hornadys.

 

[NKJ nut]

For hunting I like the Hornady 160 gr. RN. I have killed a pile of deer with this bullet. All one shot kills.

 

[Forester]

For hunting I like the Hornady 160 gr. RN. I have killed a pile of deer with this bullet. All one shot kills.

Jess, I was just looking at that on Hornady's website. Thanks.

 

[hf1960]

Depends on skill or distance. The 140 AMAX is a great game bullet performance slug on game.

 

[Treeman]

I've had good results with the Speer 120grain Hot Core from the Swede Carbine. Definitely expands. Penetrates well.

 

[borntoraisehogs]

I've had good results with the Speer 120grain Hot Core from the Swede Carbine. Definitely expands. Penetrates well.

I like the 120 gr Speer too for deer sized game. I demand a clean fast kill. They are going along and next thing they are in deer Heaven.I have never had to track a deer shot with my Swede. They are so dead they bounce.
I shoot Norma 120 factory rounds too. They are hard to find.
Sportsman Guide and Cheaper than Dirt.

 

[VAdoublegunner]

I like the Hornady 129 in mine if loading to higher pressures in a modern rifle. I drive them pretty fast in my Ruger Model 77. They are superbly accurate.

However, at lower velocities in military Swedes I've found the 120gr Nosler Ballistic tip to be a better bullet for reliable expansion, and plenty accurate, although getting it to shoot where you want with the standard military sights will take some doing. It will be really high. The Hornady 160 round nose is a good bullet in the military rifles.

 

[Snapping Twig]

I use the 120g Nosler BT and 140g PT in my 6.5-06.

I also use Core-lokts.

In my 7.62x39, the 150g NBT works well @ 2100fps, so for your needs, the NBT is probably the straightest flying, most devastating round to use - IMO.

 

[cgt4570]

I agree with the 160gr RN. It's the size and shape the Swedes were designed around (the spire point came along later). I've only shot it out to 200 yards, but it was very accurate and consistant at that range.

 

[Forester]

Thanks everyone.

 

[boatbum101]

I've had good luck with Hornady 140 SP & 160 SP . For larger game the Nosler 140 Partition , 160 Sierra SMP , along with the Lapua Mega 156 & Norma 156 Oryx work well .

 

[K.38]

I've harvested 2 nice bucks with one shot each using a Hornady 140 grain spire point from my CZ550 6.5x55.

I tend to shoot for a lung/heart shot and both times I hit dead center in the lungs. The deer didn't go but a few yards each time and piled up. What is nice about the swede and the hornady bullets is there is no meat loss. You can eat right up the hole as one of my old hunting buddies used to say.