6.5 CM -- Starting over, bullet selection

[SamsonMan22]

Why out of curiosity?

The bullet performance seems to be more predictable in my limited testing, and a slight decrease in recoil was welcome. I would have no problem with the 140 or 147eldm if I couldn’t get the 130 tmk though. My last 2 tikka barrels seemed to prefer the 147 to the 140s.

 

[HOT ROD]

Sierra 130 TMK second choice is a Berger 130 OTM under a charge of 4350....

 

[gethuntin]

156 Berger-41.3 RL16-2650fps
130TMK-42.0 H4350-2820fps

Work up carefully in your own rifle!

Any reason why you went with the TMK over the TGK?

 

[woods89]

Any reason why you went with the TMK over the TGK?

The Tmk have the wounding characteristics I wanted. They are pretty devastating.

 

[The Guide]

Any reason why you went with the TMK over the TGK?

The Tipped Game King isn't known for having the same type of wound channel as the TMK. It is slower to open and makes a smaller permanent wound channel.

Jay

 

[Unckebob]

The Tipped Game King isn't known for having the same type of wound channel as the TMK. It is slower to open and makes a smaller permanent wound channel.

Jay

It still shocks me how many people like to use match bullets vs the same company's hunting bullet Match bullets are potential disasters waiting to happen.

Hunting bullets are tougher than match bullets for a reason.

 

[Flyjunky]

It still shocks me how many people like to use match bullets vs the same company's hunting bullet Match bullets are potential disasters waiting to happen.

Hunting bullets are tougher than match bullets for a reason.

It shocks me that people still think match bullets are somehow inferior to "hunting" bullets. Like has been said many times, Berger hunting bullets actually have a thinner jacket than their target bullets.

 

[woods89]

It still shocks me how many people like to use match bullets vs the same company's hunting bullet Match bullets are potential disasters waiting to happen.

Hunting bullets are tougher than match bullets for a reason.

Have you ever seen what a 130 TMK does between 2000 and 2800 fps?

 

[JGRaider]

Have you ever seen what a 130 TMK does between 2000 and 2800 fps?

Yep. Here's a .284 169gr VLDH at approximately 2850 impact velocity (100 yds) on an average sized TX Panhandle whitetail (200lbs live weight). You berger fans can have 'em all. Also experimented and shot about 20 hogs with them, zero exits, many were very hard to find due to very little blood trail.

 

[Firestone]

I shot a handful of bucks with the 143 eldx and i feel like that bullet was designed for the creed. Super accurate and really good performance at the impact velocities I saw.

 

[prm]

I’ll second the 139 Scenar recommendation. 140 Bergers work too.

 

[docdoc]

Interesting that the 130 grain was the weight of choice by Jack O'Conner and many others for so many years. The 130 grain in 6.5mm will have better ballistics.

 

[woods89]

Yep. Here's a .284 169gr VLDH at approximately 2850 impact velocity (100 yds) on an average sized TX Panhandle whitetail (200lbs live weight). You berger fans can have 'em all. Also experimented and shot about 20 hogs with them, zero exits, many were very hard to find due to very little blood trail.


View attachment 618547

Not a TMK, and not what I have seen with them.

 

[fwafwow]

Fudd trap mission accomplished

 

[Unckebob]

Have you ever seen what a 130 TMK does between 2000 and 2800 fps?

I have seen what ELD-x and TGK have done ... exactly what they are designed to do.
- good wound channel,
- nice exit wound
- "a nice blood trail to track if they run off.

 

[woods89]

I have seen what ELD-x and TGK have done ... exactly what they are designed to do.
- good wound channel,
- nice exit wound
- "a nice blood trail to track if they run off.

So are you really going to indict a bullet you have no experience with?

There's a rather large body of evidence on this site showing that TMK are one of the best killing bullets on the market. Some of that evidence is mine. I'll trust my own experiences and those of individuals I trust way further than any warning on the side of a bullet box.

 

[gethuntin]

The Tmk have the wounding characteristics I wanted. They are pretty devastating.

Make sense. I have the TGK and with a small sample size of 2 antelope and 1 deer they have done well but the rifle splits between my kids big game gun and my long range coyote gun for certain stands. I hit a coyote a little back last year at 400. It hit the dirt but got back up and ran and there was no blood and we never recovered it. I chalked it up to yes a bad hit but impact velocity was too low for that hit and the bullet wasnt violent enough. So i am actually looking for a 6.5 varmint bullet in the 120-130 range. I shot another coyote with that combo at 125 yards frontal and it was messy. I actually bought some 120 eld-m to try. Interesting that the 130 SMK are $50 and the 130SGK are $43 on Midway.

 

[Glendon Mullins]

So are you really going to indict a bullet you have no experience with?

There's a rather large body of evidence on this site showing that TMK are one of the best killing bullets on the market. Some of that evidence is mine. I'll trust my own experiences and those of individuals I trust way further than any warning on the side of a bullet box.

Is there a specific thread on this? I would like to check it out, not opposed to TMK use, would like to research it

 

[PNWGATOR]

Is there a specific thread on this? I would like to check it out, not opposed to TMK use, would like to research it

This one has a thing or two about the TMKs in it:

.223 for bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, and moose.

DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ 176 PAGES? HERE'S THE CHEAT SHEET. “Bullets matter more than headstamps.” “Spent primers offer the supreme tutorial”. I’ve read it here and elsewhere online. It got my attention. I started digging and asking questions and listened. The 77gr TMK delivered by a .223...

rokslide.com

More information here regarding bullet performance here:

 

[woods89]

The thread @PNWGATOR linked is the largest collection. The 6.5/260 thread also has some. For some reason I can't link to it off my phone right now.