6.5 Creedmoor/260 for Deer, Elk, and whatever else.....

[thinhorn_AK]

What powder? I have had great results with the 156 in one of my creedmoors. And I'm sure Berger has some info if you reach out to them.

I have reloader 17, varget and h4350. I think that’s about all I have for 6.5

 

[Castle Rock]

@Formidilosus I've seen you advocate for the TMKs and ELD-Ms and I'm fairly confident that you must have spoken about Nosler Ballistic Tips, but I don't recall seeing anything. Where do you rank the NBTs versus the TMK and ELD series of bullets?

Before I had access to LRFs and reliable dialing scopes I built a 260AI specifically to shoot the 100 grain ballistic tip as a point and shoot deer and pig rifle and have had great success on many hundreds of deer and pigs and no issues that could be attributed to the bullet

 

[deerhunter628]

I just bought 4 more boxes of the TMK through Midway. They removed the 2 box limit.

 

[Grundy53]

I just bought 4 more boxes of the TMK through Midway. They removed the 2 box limit.

Nice! I'll have to get some more.

Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

 

[Montucky]

260rem 24in Bartlein, H4350, 140 VLD, mv 2873fps….running hot on Nosler brass…..

 

[Montucky]

Killed a couple deer & antelope plus some expendables. continuing to notch the stock……my kids conquer behind this rifle…..

 

[Montucky]

Daughter blasted her deer with it this year……heart literally fell out of exit cavity

 

[Montucky]

These Bergers don’t pencil…..LOL

 

[Unckebob]

260rem 24in Bartlein, H4350, 140 VLD, mv 2873fps….running hot on Nosler brass…..View attachment 545826View attachment 545825

Shooting a skylined animal?

 

[Kimber7man]

I just bought 4 more boxes of the TMK through Midway. They removed the 2 box limit.

Red River Reloading has them for a little bit less, in case anyone is looking

 

[woods89]

I have reloader 17, varget and h4350. I think that’s about all I have for 6.5

I was going to reply the other day and then forgot. For what it's worth....

I did some workup with H4350 and these bullets. I personally wanted to see close to 2650 fps from them, and H4350 sort of ran out of gas just before it got there. 2650 was right on the line of pressure signs. I wanted it to work, as I have a lot of that powder on hand, but it just didn't get there. RL16 went almost to 2700 before pressure signs, so I backed off about 3 tenths to right around 2650. This is out of a 22'' barrel.

Varget is lagging behind H4350 in velocity with 140s in my experience so I wouldn't think it would be a great powder for the 156s. I don't have any experience with RL17.

My opinion is that, while they work very well out of my rifle, they are just a bit too heavy for a Creedmoor. I feel they really shine in 6.5 PRC tier of cartridges. Honestly I started using them out of a bit of misplaced thought of maximizing penetration out of the Creedmoor. In the last few years I've seen enough good results with moderate 6.5mm, 6mm, and 22 cal cartridges to realize that it's probably not necessary to go to those lengths. On the other hand, they are very well made bullets, they seem to perform well in tissue, and the BC is no joke. I've realized in the last few years that I'm probably just going to be a 400 yd and in shooter, and the extra velocity and slightly diminished recoil of 130s and 140s are a better fit for me.

Good luck if you try them, just know you will walk a fine line of enough velocity to stablilize them and pressure signs. I suppose a longer barrel would help!

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I was going to reply the other day and then forgot. For what it's worth....

I did some workup with H4350 and these bullets. I personally wanted to see close to 2650 fps from them, and H4350 sort of ran out of gas just before it got there. 2650 was right on the line of pressure signs. I wanted it to work, as I have a lot of that powder on hand, but it just didn't get there. RL16 went almost to 2700 before pressure signs, so I backed off about 3 tenths to right around 2650. This is out of a 22'' barrel.

Varget is lagging behind H4350 in velocity with 140s in my experience so I wouldn't think it would be a great powder for the 156s. I don't have any experience with RL17.

My opinion is that, while they work very well out of my rifle, they are just a bit too heavy for a Creedmoor. I feel they really shine in 6.5 PRC tier of cartridges. Honestly I started using them out of a bit of misplaced thought of maximizing penetration out of the Creedmoor. In the last few years I've seen enough good results with moderate 6.5mm, 6mm, and 22 cal cartridges to realize that it's probably not necessary to go to those lengths. On the other hand, they are very well made bullets, they seem to perform well in tissue, and the BC is no joke. I've realized in the last few years that I'm probably just going to be a 400 yd and in shooter, and the extra velocity and slightly diminished recoil of 130s and 140s are a better fit for me.

Good luck if you try them, just know you will walk a fine line of enough velocity to stablilize them and pressure signs. I suppose a longer barrel would help!

Everything you said is about what I was thinking already. I’ve got 150g ABLRs moving just under 2700 fps but I can’t find anymore of them so I was hoping to try the 156 Bergers.

 

[DangerRanger]

How I feel reading this thread

 

[ResearchinStuff]

where's the button for 2k 140 eldms?

 

[DangerRanger]

where's the button for 2k 140 eldms?

Lol that too, Too many options!

Mostly just I was excited to finally get a shot at a 500 count of tmks but now I’m second guessing if the extra money is going to change anything for my over more shots down range

 

[ResearchinStuff]

I ended up with 100 130 eld, 100 143s, 500 tmks, and 2000 140s. When theyre all done it'll be time for a new barrel.

 

[Montucky]

Shooting a skylined animal?

Vaporizing a Skylined varmint….

 

[Unckebob]

Vaporizing a Skylined varmint….

What about potential people, livestock, property damage downrange from the varmint? You have no idea if there is someone who could be injured.

 

[Nomosendero]

And I have no idea what was on the other side of the mountain, I would rather give Montucky the benefit of a doubt that perhaps he did know. I would put his potential knowledge of the area over someone stroking a keyboard who was not there.
BTW, nice pic!

 

[BjornF16]

Graf’s, Midsouth, and Creedmoor Sports all sent me in stock/back order available notifications for 130 TMKs