6.5 Cal bullet for whitetail deer

[rebel]

I didn't make it clear in my other post but used the 143 eldx. The 140 eldm is a different design and not meant to expand. I shot a 130 or so lb. doe at around 158 yards. High tip back of front shoulder, 4 inches below the spine.
Deer died there without so much as a leg kick. Took out the upper parts of two ribs going in, lungs took out but not jellified, upper parts of two ribs out. Spine snapped from hydrostatic shock. Tenderloins not even bruised and heart completely intact. No shrapnel internally at all and one sliver of jacket on the off side, probably from hitting the bones.
Hey, all the bullets mentioned, as said, will get the job done. I just chose a high BC offering that shot decent in my rifle. A Sierra game king would have served just as well at that distance. The ELDX is a great hunting bullet and looks pretty good on paper as well.

 

[jsthntn247]

I've killed a couple with the 130 AR Hybrids from a 6.5x47 inside 200 yards. They all dropped but I had no exit and couldn't find a trace of the bullet, it must have disintegrated. If I was shooting a big buck instead of does at short range, I would want something like a Barnes ttsx or 130 Scirocco. I like 2 holes.

 

[500Stroker]

500, I hope this was a typo!

Opps try humain

 

[Barlow]

I used the 120 Nosler bt in my Brux barreled 6.5x55 last fall because I could run them faster than the heavier weights and they have a pretty good bc. They are super accurate in this rifle and though I have not shot any critters at 600, a mule deer at 330 yards died. Barlow

 

[wyoming .260]

I plan on loading for a 6.5 x 55 BJAI for whitetail deer this year. Where I hunt, I can have shits out to 600 yards with majority being 300 or less. I have 130g JLKs, 140g JLKs and 143g ELD-X. I have seen the JLK bullets to perform almost exactly like the Berger hunting VLDs. No experience with the ELD-X.

What do you guys think? What would you shoot?

Wade

Any of those you listed will kill deer quite dead. The JLK's may tear up more meat on a shoulder shot. But just as dead.

 

[rebel]

Opps try humain

Nope - Humain is a Chinese noodle dish. Humane is the word you are looking for.

 

[500Stroker]

Nope - Humain is a Chinese noodle dish. Humane is the word you are looking for.

Do you live in WI, you sound a lot like my old grade school English teacher. I never could understand that SOB.

 

[gopherslayer]

I've used plain cup and core bullets to 300yards out of my 260s with out a problem. I know it's not cool and sexy like a match bullet but still worked without any fuss. This year I shot a doe at 540yards with a 100gr Nosler BT. Dropped at the shot and almost fully penetrated. The core was shed but still dead, barely twitched.

 

[CaptainMal]

140 Hiornady SST in my 260 Improved. Have made kills into the 600 yard range.

The deer are the ones that sh#t.

 

[rebel]

Do you live in WI, you sound a lot like my old grade school English teacher. I never could understand that SOB.

I have been called an SOB but no a bit further south than WI

 

[AckleymanII]

120g Nosler ballistic tips work very well at 2900

 

[Medium rare]

140 vld has worked better than any other bullet for my wife and I on whitetail and pigs.

 

[BAM]

2017 Extreme Long Range Kill Shots - YouTube

 

[rwk]

One word Nosler partion!

 

[Down South]

I'm a VLD fan, they kill like lightning from my experiences.

 

[kyreloader]

2017 Extreme Long Range Kill Shots - YouTube

BAM, thanks alot, I had not seen this video nor did I know that the LR guys were using ELD-Xs (I thought they were still using Berger Hunting VLDs).

 

[Terry_M]

Any of the bullets you have listed will work just fine. Pick the one that gives you the best accuracy and don't take questionable shots.

If you're concerned just line up some empty gallon milk jugs of jello and see how many you can penetrate at 600yds with each bullet.

 

[1K6BRA]

I have shot 12 deer here in northwestern Pennsylvania and south western New York with my cooper model 52 Jackson hunter rifle in 6.5x 284. I have only used Barnes TT SX 100 grain slugs. Only a few of them have taken more than four or five steps after being shot in the lung- heart area. I have not chronographed the load I use but I am guessing 3100 fps.

 

[Larryh128]

All of the bullets listed will kill deer, so will a FMJ. Personally I don't want to be limited in bullet selection if it's close or far. The very best bullet that I've EVER used is a Barnes 127gr LRX, low drag , good BC, Superior penetration and expansion. And yes, I have used the others mentioned and they will kill deer BUT if you want the best in my opinion it's the LRX. I have killed hundreds of deer and pick up loads in a culling operation so I've seen bullet performance and I don't use cup & core bullets for hunting (big game) anymore.