Best All Copper Cartridge for Whitetail Deer for a Tikka T3x 6.5 Creedmoor?

[timcorcoran]

Hi Folks,

I am looking for recommendations on a cartridge with 100% copper bullet to use for white tail deer in my wife's Tikka T3x 6.5 Creedmoor. She has been using Sako Super Hammerhead cartridges with great luck the past couple years, but would like to switch to an all copper bullet.

I would appreciate hearing any of your recommendations!

-Tim

 

[sndmn11]

Barnes VOR-TX Long Range 6.5 Creedmoor Ammo 127 Grain Barnes Long

Barnes ammunition is manufactured to precise tolerances to ensure excellent accuracy and consistent velocities. VOR-TX LR is an extreme-distance load...

www.midwayusa.com

Barnes VOR-TX 6.5 Creedmoor Ammo 120 Grain Barnes Tipped Triple-Shock

Barnes bullets have historically had the reputation of offering quick, clean and humane kills. Now they are taking their highly regarded bullets to the...

www.midwayusa.com

Winchester Copper Impact 6.5 Creedmoor Ammo 125 Grain Winchester

Winchester Copper Impact rifle bullets are engineered with longer ogives and boattails providing higher ballistic coefficients, which increases accuracy...

www.midwayusa.com

I'd shoot the Barnes 120

 

[Macintosh]

Ive had good luck with barnes ttsx in 7mm08 120’s. This fall used 6.5mb federal trophy copper 120 on an antelope—sample of one and it worked as advertised and shot well out of my gun. I would definitely try barnes lrx in 6.5 if you can find them.

 

[Rangerpants]

TTSX bullets are great. I've shot probably more than 35 deer, elk, pigs, bears, antelope, and a few coyotes and javelina and never had a bullet-related issue. They penetrate like gangbusters, but need speed to open up. If you keep your impact speeds over 2000fps, they work great!

 

[Nosferatu]

Are you looking for factory loaded ammo or just the bullet for your own reloads?

 

[peaches]

127 LRX will expand down to at least 1800 fps in my tests. Great bullet.

 

[35WhelenAI]

In any case until he comes back again there's not going to be more information, it's been 10 days.

 

[godwinmt]

I've had great luck this year with Hornady Outfitters with the 120gr GMX out of my Bergara. 1/2-3/4 MOA @ 200 yards, and still expands plenty on the closer shots. Shot 2 does with it this year at 80 and 150 yards respectively. Minimal meat loss (right behind the scapula on both), and both were down inside of 20 yards.

As the outfitters are getting hard to find, I've got a box of TTSX to try after the end of season. Hoping for good things with it.

You're definitely making the right move with copper. Working on getting my wife switched over. She's been using the Hornady whitetail rounds, and while they kill (I think she's killed close to a dozen with them), they fragment inside of 100 yards like nobody's business out of her 6.5, and you're lucky to salvage much of atleast one, if not both shoulders.

 

[Soloften]

I smoked a pronghorn at 287 with a 120 gr superformance (GMX), no steps, just down. Funnily enough, it's my "wife's" rifle although she has never taken a shot. I wholeheartedly endorse both men and women owning a 6.5 and not simply (as I am) hiding behind a spouse.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Thanks for the thread resurrection, hope the OP saw the info folks posted.

.277 110 TTSX 270 Win- pronghorn and elk.
.308 130 TTSX out of an '06 has done the same.
.308 180 XBT (original X boattail version) 300 Win Mag- mule deer and elk. This was the first cartridge I loaded with them.
.284 160X, 150 XBT 280 Remington- elk and whitetails.
.358 200X, 225X, 250X and 200 TTSX 35 Whelen AI- more than a few elk, mule deer and whitetails over the past 22 seasons.

Lead is gonna go by the wayside sooner than later. Wasn't thinking that way back in the day, as the Barnes X worked so dang well I didn't need another option to my simple mind. Not sure if I was an "early adopter" of the Barnes X, but started loading them in 1993. Ya'll could start loading them now and in 30 years have a good sampling to post up about.

 

[Kevin in NH]

I have had great results with barnes expanders. Double expansion = DRT

 

[mattot]

Ive had good luck with barnes ttsx in 7mm08 120’s. This fall used 6.5mb federal trophy copper 120 on an antelope—sample of one and it worked as advertised and shot well out of my gun. I would definitely try barnes lrx in 6.5 if you can find them.

Glad to hear this, just picked up some for my 7mm-08.

 

[WI-Carcosa]

Different calibers but hope this data helps:
Federal trophy copper 165g 300wsm: 3 deer, 2 dropped in tracks, one made two bounds and done
Hornady CX 165g 300 wsm: 4 deer all dead on impact
Hornady GMX (CX now but very similar) 165g 30:06: 1 deer dead on impact

Hoping to test out some 175g Barnes LRX and 165g TTSX this season. My .308 I use 165g trophy copper and taking my 6.5x55 out with 120g Hornady CX bullets next year.

I have found with personal experience with whitetail (all shots 10 yards to 200) the copper provides more shock to the deer and less meat damage than lead. Never tracked a deer with a copper bullet. All but one bullet full pass through. The one recovered was hard quartering to and found perfect mushroom in back ball joint.

 

[EmperorMA]

If the Winchester Copper Impact 125gr shoots well in the rifle, that is what I would run. That bullet expands better than other copper bullets which makes it a very good choice for deer. It opens quickly, does a ton of damage because of it then usually leaves a very nice exit wound.

 

[BlackGreyhounds]

Old thread, but Sako makes monolithic copper "powerblade." Might be worth a try since you had good luck with the super hammerheads. Just a thought.

 

[polishmanmike]

So question to all of the folks giving advice here, I have been reading and reading and reading... seems like paralysis by analysis (and an overwhelming amount of different input) is real.
My understanding is that a copper bullet needs more velocity to properly expand.
With my simple thinking... If I shoot a whitetail within 50-100-150 yards with a 6.5 CM, the velocity will be MORE than enough to hit with authority, expand properly, exit (most likely), and in theory have a DRT deer, with little fragmentation/bloodshot meat. Or am I missing something here?

Looking to switch to all copper myself, mostly hunting in GA so shots under 150 yards, unless I'm in a field.

Looking at Hornady GMX (CX now I think), Barnes TTSX, and LRX (in another mag for those longer shots). Maybe Nosler eTip.

 

[Macintosh]

Youre not missing anything except that DRT isnt a guarantee with any cartridge, big or small, copper or lead, traditional expanding or fragmenting. If you can settle for “good kills”, then you are right on the money—inside 250 yards (and probably much further) this is all close-enough to a wash to not worry about.
I would also not worry about ttsx and lrx in different mags, just pick one and use it. There is zero down-side to the lrx at closer range, if it shoots well just run it, its the best of the three imo. Any $ savings will be offset by buying 2 different cartridges. They wont shoot to the same poi anyway.

 

[polishmanmike]

Youre not missing anything except that DRT isnt a guarantee with any cartridge, big or small, copper or lead, traditional expanding or fragmenting. If you can settle for “good kills”, then you are right on the money—inside 250 yards (and probably much further) this is all close-enough to a wash to not worry about.
I would also not worry about ttsx and lrx in different mags, just pick one and use it. There is zero down-side to the lrx at closer range, if it shoots well just run it, its the best of the three imo. Any $ savings will be offset by buying 2 different cartridges. They wont shoot to the same poi anyway.

where were you with this info for the past 2 days haha

much appreciated!!!

 

[polishmanmike]

Youre not missing anything except that DRT isnt a guarantee with any cartridge, big or small, copper or lead, traditional expanding or fragmenting. If you can settle for “good kills”, then you are right on the money—inside 250 yards (and probably much further) this is all close-enough to a wash to not worry about.
I would also not worry about ttsx and lrx in different mags, just pick one and use it. There is zero down-side to the lrx at closer range, if it shoots well just run it, its the best of the three imo. Any $ savings will be offset by buying 2 different cartridges. They wont shoot to the same poi anyway.

Is there such thing with these coppers as... too close? too much velocity?

 

[Macintosh]

Nope, not that Ive ever seen. Including a few measured in feet, not yards.