6.5 cm ammo options.

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Jun 4, 2025
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If you had 3 options of ammo to try in your 6.5cm, what would they be? It’s a 20” tikka that will be used for deer, antelope, and once in a very blue moon for elk(at a respectable distance.)Going to sight in my new rifle when it arrives.
 
I am staring at a big pile of the 147-grain ELDM’s that I need to reload sometime before deer season. I probably should have also picked up some slightly lighter ones too. I have more stuff that needs to be reloaded than I have time to reload right now…

I just found what I think is a decent deal on some AAC 140-grain FMJ for practice sessions this summer and early fall.


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Whatever three were most readily available at my local store. Because once you find the one that shoots the best out of your rifle you will want to buy an entire case or two of that same lot. Yes, lots matter.
 
Whatever three were most readily available at my local store. Because once you find the one that shoots the best out of your rifle you will want to buy an entire case or two of that same lot. Yes, lots matter.
Newer to longer shooting and stuff like this. Why does lot matter? Will you see a big difference in shot placement?
 
You could potentially see a more consistent STD between rounds in the same lot vs comparing multiple lots if the QC is off.
Because everything can change in between lots. Different brass, different primers, different powder. Even within the exact same brand and series of ammo.

I will give you an example. My brother recently sighted in his 6.5 PRC with Hornady outfitter ammo. 130 gr CX. Because he’s not a detail guy, and never listens to anybody about anything, and incredibly cheap. He only bought a couple boxes of this ammo once he found out that his rifle shot it well. Of course he soon ran out of just those two boxes and went to the store to buy more a few months later. Same Hornady outfitter, 130 gr CX. This lot was 300 FPS slower. Yes, that much.

Component shortages affect manufacturers too. They have a hard time keeping everything the same these days. And by necessity may have to change powders or something else important. It’s been widely broadcast recently.

So once you find what ammo your gun likes, you need to make sure you have a long-term supply of that same ammo, from that same lot, or you will be constantly sighting in again, and having to calculate your drops with new dope.

Also, do not listen to what anyone else says worked well or work poorly in their gun. Even the same make and model as yours. All guns and barrels have their own unique personalities that will respond to different ammo types quite differently. You need to find what your individual gun likes and the only way to do that is to try Several different types.
 
Hornady 140,143, and 147 ELD have been very good in my gun. I am going to try the 120 ELD soon.

142 ABLR has also been good.

Federal fusion was fine.

The two worst for me have been Palmetto's sabre black tip and Black Hills controlled chaos.

Of everything I have shot, the vast majority have been well within most shooters' margins of error.
 
buy a bunch of sellier & bellot 140 grain ammo to practice because it's way less expensive that anything else and pretty damn consistent.

then any other decent hunting ammo in 140 grain flavors that shoots well and it readily available to you. which will be most of them probably. i dont think any of my tikkas have truly disliked any major brand of ammo.
 
Most accurate in mine was the 143 ELD-X precision hunter from hornady (.6 inches). The hornady match 140 ELD-M were not bad either.

Handloads with 120 nosler ballistic tips and 127 Barnes LRX are better.
 
Most accurate in mine was the 143 ELD-X precision hunter from hornady (.6 inches). The hornady match 140 ELD-M were not bad either.

Handloads with 120 nosler ballistic tips and 127 Barnes LRX are better.
At some point I’d like to start hand loading, in the future.
 
At some point I’d like to start hand loading, in the future.
It’s fun hobby if you like to tinker and have the space/time, but the value is diminishing every year. Cost and availability of reloading components is a big issue, and high quality ammo seems to be much more readily available. Unless you are hyper focused on accuracy or shoot something unique I’m not sure it’s worth jumping in to anymore.
 
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