6.5 x 47 hunting bullet suggestions

[Idaho-Lefty]

The CHEAPER 140 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip's and 143 gr. ELD-X's, WILL,.. "Work",.. FINE, on Deer,..
WHY, TF,.. Pay,.. MORE ???

 

[WV Hitman]

Klong, .375/.284 XP-100 handgun,.325 WSM XP-100 handgun, .338 MAG JDJ Encore handgun, .308 HS handgun, .41 Mag Taurus Raging Bull Distances- 59 yds. with the .41, all others 150 to 400 yds.
Haven't used my 6.5/.284 XP handgun yet. With it I've done around 18 deer from 500-565 yds. Dropped a 800# kudu in Africa with it & a 125 Nos. PT at 385 yds.
Kracken, never used Hot-Cors. Everything else is working fine.
Killed 2 does last night at 217, 229 with my .375/.284 XP & 260 AB. Both DOA.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Klong, .375/.284 XP-100 handgun,.325 WSM XP-100 handgun, .338 MAG JDJ Encore handgun, .308 HS handgun, .41 Mag Taurus Raging Bull Distances- 59 yds. with the .41, all others 150 to 400 yds.
Haven't used my 6.5/.284 XP handgun yet. With it I've done around 18 deer from 500-565 yds. Dropped a 800# kudu in Africa with it & a 125 Nos. PT at 385 yds.
Kracken, never used Hot-Cors. Everything else is working fine.
Killed 2 does last night at 217, 229 with my .375/.284 XP & 260 AB. Both DOA.

I will take to heart what you have posted. Nothing like real world experience.

 

[dk17hmr]

I have successfully killed elk with 129gr LR accubonds from my 260 rem. I'd also consider 120gr Barnes or the 122gr PVA Cayuga

The smaller capacity 6.5s live in the 120-130gr for me. I have a couple 6.5 short mags one set up for 140s and the other for 156s.

 

[boltfluter]

For 300m+, Berger 130 VLDs, one and done.
blue wildebeest, 271 meters. 6.5x47L
View attachment 1675212

Very impressive on such a tough animal. Good eating I would imagine.
Paul

 

[nakneker]

I’ve had good luck with the Berger 140 hunters and LR accubonds at distances over 400, under four hundred a traditional bullet will work just fine. Partitions, game kings, even CorLokts work great. My rifle prefers Varget, most guys tend to use H4350 for the 140s but my rifle definitely liked Varget.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

The 130 vld is a great bullet in the 47. Works well in BR too.

 

[hogpatrol]

I also shot the 130 VLDs hunting version in a 6.5-284 and as 26 Nosler and while good for long distance, the Nosler was a little too much for short range, small to medium size plains game.

 

[Lefty2506]

The only 6.5 I have is a Grendel, and I load it with 105gr MKZ for whitetail here in Indiana. A stiff charge of N530 pushes it around 2800 fps out of a 1:8 24" upper and it shoots around 1/2 moa for me. My farthest kill was a prairie dog at around 700 yards (laser). My farthest deer was 295 yards (also laser). The deer was a decent 8pt that I should have let walk for another year. He dressed out at around 180. I had seen a big boy (200+) the evening before in the same area and got a case of mistaken identity. The buck was quartered away VERY heavy. If he had been any more so, I would have passed on the shot. He had started walking away and I waited until he turned to the right slightly to check scent where a doe had been earlier. I put the bullet right behind the rear rib, Through the heart, and out through the front shoulder/brisket. He ran about 50 yds. Based on the wound cavity, I'd say the bullet had good expansion, good tissue damage, and complete pass through. I'd estimate the total penetration to have been around 36". That was also part of the reason I took the shot. I wanted to push the limits of the bullet to see what it could do. I'd put it through the front shoulder of a nice doe that was quartering towards me at 220 yds the year before with similar results. They are expensive at around $1 ea (last time I bought them anyway), but I wouldn't hesitate to use the 105gr or 118gr MKZ in pretty much any 6.5/260. I really like them in the Grendel because the 105 has a really high BC for its weight, and the monolithic design really maximizes what the little cartridge can do.

 

[10XSHOOTER]

130gr Nosler Accubond for 200 yds!

 

[waverly]

if you can find them I love the 130 Swift Scirocco. 39.5 grns. H4350 kills SC deer at what ever range. I think I waited 1.5 years for the last one’s I got. Also at $ 1.00/ bullet they aren’t cheap. I do love them though.
I also second the 130 Nosler Accubonds, and the Barnes 127 LRX.

Waverly

 

[bobinpa]

Pretty tough to beat a good old fashioned 120 grain Nosler Ballistic tip for deer and similar.

 

[Lefty2506]

Pretty tough to beat a good old fashioned 120 grain Nosler Ballistic tip for deer and similar.

I started off with a 115gr NBT in my 25-06 and wasn't all that thrilled with the penetration on a big buck (167", 225lb field dressed). Dead is dead, and it killed him, but with that particular shot, I would have really liked to see more penetration. I used to use the 140 NBT in a 16" 7-08 Encore. It gives me better penetration, but with the shorter barrel I only get about 2600 fps (N550) out of it where as I was pushing the .257" 115gr NBT at close to 3100. All of that to say that with the Nosler Ballistic Tips, I think you need to pay more attention to your expected impact velocity relative to the bullets weight for caliber, and what kind of shot you're willing to take on an animal. I'm less prone to pass on a deer because of a less than ideal angle, so I lean a little more towards wanting more penetration. I hunt archery as well (and have used 45cal patch and ball), and I CAN limit my shots, but I don't want to put that restriction on myself if a wall hanger steps out in the CRP at 200 yds.

 

[Edd]

if you can find them I love the 130 Swift Scirocco. .......

Waverly

They are in stock at Swift.

 

[waverly]

They are in stock at Swift.

But two years ago Scirocco bullets were unavailable everywhere. I bought 4 boxes of the 130’s, and now have enough to last the rest of my hunting days.
The 90 grn. 6 mm were also in very short supply. 2-3 years ago.