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6.5 Bullet Selection #5410841 11/10/14 06:47 PM
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j-thames Offline OP
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I finally gave in and purchased a used custom 6.5 creedmoor this weekend.
Now I am looking for components. The original owner primarily shot factory 140 grain Amax's through it achieving .5 MOA which I confirmed yesterday clap . I would like to load these as well but as you all probably already know there are none available anywhere that I can find.
What is the best substitute in your opinion?

I am considering the Hornady 140 HPBT because they are cheap. Does anybody have any experience with these?

My next thoughts were around the 142 grain Berger Hybrids because they have the highest BC I have seen.
However the cheapest i have seen these in a 500 round pack is around the $204 mark versus the Hornady HPBT at $130.

I know that every gun likes different bullets and everyone has a different opinion on what is the best but I'd like to here your thoughts.

I will primarily be shooting steel but would like to be able to use the same bullet for hunting if I wanted, hence the desire for the Amax and I already know the gun likes them.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: j-thames] #5410901 11/10/14 07:10 PM
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The 140 A-max's shoot well. But the Berger will out shoot the A-max. It's a very good bullet. But the Berger is also very destructive on meat. For a dual purpose round, it's hard to beat an A-max.


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Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: j-thames] #5410987 11/10/14 07:42 PM
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A-maxes if ya can find them, Bergers if ya don't mind the price. I shoot both and enjoy the results of both. At a dime a bullet cheaper, for the A-max, it is what I shoot the most.

Oh, and start around 41.6 gr of H-4350 and work up to 42.6-ish in .2 gr increments. The Creedmoor seems to shoot a 140 gr right in that area.


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Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: j-thames] #5411024 11/10/14 07:52 PM
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I shoot amax through my 6.5x55 and it loves em.. will be using 210 gr on my 300 win mag.


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Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: j-thames] #5411056 11/10/14 08:02 PM
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I have shot A-max's but they are really scarce these days. I have shot scenars quite a bit as well but they are as high as the Berger's. I scored 800 140 Hybrids the other day so I am good on bullets for the 6.5's for a bit. When I have been in a pinch previously, I have bought the Nosler Competition and they shot pretty damn good, and they are cheap. You might give them a shot.

Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: j-thames] #5411585 11/10/14 11:39 PM
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j-thames Offline OP
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Thanks for the input guys.
So no experiance with the HPBT huh?
Sounds like if I want the dual purpose I need to wait to find some Amax. How often have ya'll been seeing these come in stock?

Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: j-thames] #5411709 11/11/14 12:28 AM
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I use the hornady sst in 140 for my 6.5 creedmoor and it shoots awesome.

Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: j-thames] #5411780 11/11/14 12:56 AM
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I considered those since they would be a good dual purpose but it's hard for me to give up that much BC.

Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: j-thames] #5411928 11/11/14 02:01 AM
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Also considering the 130 berger hunting bullets.
Pro's - Con's??

Thanks

Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: j-thames] #5411944 11/11/14 02:04 AM
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Only con is shortened barrel life. Around 1200-1500 as opposed to 2500 rounds with a 140 gr. But the 130's do shoot awesome at 2950-ish fps. And that is fast for a 6.5 mm.


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Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: j-thames] #5412085 11/11/14 02:49 AM
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I'll be honest, if you are hunting with a 140 BTHP or a 139 Scenar or whatever match bullet, I wouldn't hesitate to use them on TX game. A Hornady 140 BTHP on target is better than another bullet not on target. So use what you can shoot well. If you are in TX, then there's not much that won't anchor a deer, pigs, or anything smaller.


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Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: j-thames] #5412539 11/11/14 06:10 AM
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139 Scenar, have used them for target and on deer, they work well on both. I shoot them at 2910 fps from a 6.5-284.


lf the saying "Liar, Liar your pants on fire" were true
Mainstream news might be fun to watch
Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: j-thames] #5412888 11/11/14 02:50 PM
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"From my cold dead hands"

"Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain - and most fools do."

Benjamin Franklin

Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: j-thames] #5413443 11/11/14 06:45 PM
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Thanks!
500 A-Max's on the way.
Here are some pics of my rifle (Rem700, 24" Brux 8 twist, Manners T2 w/MCS-DBM, SWFA 5-20x50) and the 3 shot group I shot with the factory 140's. The first group was about .75 on a clean barrel. This was the second. Then my dad shot a third that measured .42"
Pretty happy with it so far. Cant wait to see what it can really do.



Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: j-thames] #5414142 11/12/14 12:35 AM
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Combination is plenty capable from zero to 1400 yards. Well done! up


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Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: j-thames] #5414547 11/12/14 03:01 AM
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Nice setup..


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Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: j-thames] #5426517 11/17/14 08:08 PM
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I shot a 200 pound Tx panhandle whitetail this weekend using 140 a-max 6.5 -284at 325 yards DRT only bad thing was I should have let him get closer to dang road bang

Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: kmon11] #5426558 11/17/14 08:23 PM
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Originally Posted By: kmon1
139 Scenar, have used them for target and on deer, they work well on both. I shoot them at 2910 fps from a 6.5-284.



Do you get good expansion with the scenar? I shoot a hog with one and didn't seem like it expanded? I had small entrance and exit, I didn't open the hog up so for all I know that could of been the core exiting


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Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: Kelly223] #5427805 11/18/14 03:22 AM
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Awesome. I'm Goin doe huntin this weekend.
Hopefully I'll get to see how the A-Max performs on meat.

Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: j-thames] #5427933 11/18/14 04:18 AM
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A-max will work on meat. The lapua bullets have expanded ans left various exit holes a lot dependent on what they hit going through. They worked but consistency is not up to a 0artition but then again what is


lf the saying "Liar, Liar your pants on fire" were true
Mainstream news might be fun to watch
Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: kmon11] #5427950 11/18/14 04:27 AM
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Originally Posted By: kmon1
A-max will work on meat. The lapua bullets have expanded ans left various exit holes a lot dependent on what they hit going through. They worked but consistency is not up to a 0artition but then again what is


Gotcha I guess I expected them to be more like the Berger vld and amax where it's going to expand very rapidly.


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Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: j-thames] #5428477 11/18/14 03:11 PM
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Pat Sinclair kills a bunch of animals every year for a Scenar not to be a killing worth bullet. If you don't know who he is then you can probably google but he hangs out on 24hr a bunch and kills more crap in a month than most guys do in a year.


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Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: Judd] #5428531 11/18/14 03:25 PM
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Originally Posted By: Judd
Pat Sinclair kills a bunch of animals every year for a Scenar not to be a killing worth bullet. If you don't know who he is then you can probably google but he hangs out on 24hr a bunch and kills more crap in a month than most guys do in a year.


Some record book kills i believe. He also said he used a 220 swift for many years.

He had one if not the first 6.5 SAUM and used a Swift Sirocco II (sp?) on a large brown bear. A real nice guy to visit/email with and builds or designed a nice hunting sling.


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Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: Judd] #5428848 11/18/14 05:46 PM
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Originally Posted By: Judd
Pat Sinclair kills a bunch of animals every year for a Scenar not to be a killing worth bullet. If you don't know who he is then you can probably google but he hangs out on 24hr a bunch and kills more crap in a month than most guys do in a year.


He is why I grabbed some. One piggy is hardly a test though, they shot awesome at 650

I just figured on 30lb piggy's a little more damage but deads dead


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Re: 6.5 Bullet Selection [Re: j-thames] #5436109 11/22/14 01:06 AM
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Look at the JLK bullets, SWAMPWORKS.COM Swampy is back cranking them out awesome BC, like a 140gr missile, kills VERY dead too. I used their 180 VLD in my 7mmWSM, Expensive, but I really don't think most of us here give a chit if we get bugholes
just my .02


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