New 6.5 PRC

[cjl2010]

1 minute ago, PRDATR said:

Have you shot any animals with them and if so what was the much meat damage? What ranges?

We killed 3 whitetail last year. 450, 350, 550. Muzzle velocity of 2820fps.

 

One penciled at 450 yards and one splashed on high shoulder at 550 yards.

 

After checking the meplats, my specific lot of 500 had about 20% that were clogged. I now check every tip on my hunting loads.

 

[lancetkenyon]

1 hour ago, PRDATR said:

Have you shot any animals with them and if so what was the much meat damage? What ranges?

I should be able to let you know in a couple weeks, when Taylor smokes a pronghorn with them....

[zackcarp]

On 7/29/2019 at 4:59 PM, lancetkenyon said:

I went light and fast(er) in my 6.5SLR.  130 OTM @ 2888.  Very similar retained velocity and energy at 900 yards as the 147 ELD-M @ 2685fps.  45" less drop, but 3" more drift in a 10mph 90° full value wind, reduced TOF too.

Lance, just curious why you're running the 147s that slow. I thought the PRC was supposed to be pushing those faster. Was it a pressure issue or accuracy?

[Big or Bust]

36 minutes ago, zackcarp said:

Lance, just curious why you're running the 147s that slow. I thought the PRC was supposed to be pushing those faster. Was it a pressure issue or accuracy?

He's not using a PRC, but a SLR...

[AZBIG10]

If you don’t reload what are you doing with your life? 

[cjl2010]

1 minute ago, AZBIG10 said:

If you don’t reload what are you doing with your life? 

Probably saving money lol

[AZBIG10]

4 minutes ago, cjl2010 said:

Probably saving money lol

I’m dead. This is spot on. 

[10Turkeys]

6 hours ago, cjl2010 said:

Probably saving money lol

Let's not leave out time!

[loboscout]

Just reading through. As for the 130 OTM by Berger, they are not intended for hunting. Pretty sure that they have the thicker jacket Berger uses on target bullets. 

Back in the day, Berger match bullets used thinner jackets. Hunters love them, but the thin jackets would explode when target shooters ran them really fast. Berger switched the target bullets to thicker jackets and uses the thinner jackets in their hunting line.

So, if you are running a Berger target bullet, I would expect the results you had with penciling more often. Definitely open the meplat to try to get better expansion. The better solution is to use a hunting bullet from Berger. I get the allure of running the OTM, they are great shooting bullets. And, Federal match ammo is loaded with them as well. 

[lancetkenyon]

3 hours ago, loboscout said:

Just reading through. As for the 130 OTM by Berger, they are not intended for hunting. Pretty sure that they have the thicker jacket Berger uses on target bullets. 

Back in the day, Berger match bullets used thinner jackets. Hunters love them, but the thin jackets would explode when target shooters ran them really fast. Berger switched the target bullets to thicker jackets and uses the thinner jackets in their hunting line.

So, if you are running a Berger target bullet, I would expect the results you had with penciling more often. Definitely open the meplat to try to get better expansion. The better solution is to use a hunting bullet from Berger. I get the allure of running the OTM, they are great shooting bullets. And, Federal match ammo is loaded with them as well. 

Have you shot much game with the "target" or "match" bullets?

 

[Big or Bust]

29 minutes ago, lancetkenyon said:

Have you shot much game with the "target" or "match" bullets?

 

 

No....

[loboscout]

All I shoot are Berger hunting bullets. I only started hunting a few years ago so my personal experience is limited. But, in September, my 7mm Sherman Short mag took 2 reindeer and 3 blacktail. All were one and done with Berger 180 VLD at 2970 at the muzzle. A good variety of distances. 2 at 100 yards, 1 at 425 and 2 at about 575. A friend who build the same gun runs the 180s and he took a mule deer and elk, both beyond 500. I turned another buddy onto Berger, and he runs the 130 hunting VLD in his 6.5 cm and has had great success on a couple of hunts. 

I have done a lot of research, reading, and lots of reviews on bullets before I decided to go with Berger. Since then, I have have had lots of discussion with friends and contacts I have made in the long range shooting world who shoot long range and hunt long range, especially with 7mm variants like 28 Nosler, 300 BC Warrior (7mm/300 wm) and the like. Unless the velocity is really high, all the experience is that a clean shot into the vitals is a devastating shot with a match bullet. You get a few inches of penetration and then the bullet basically explodes (The ELDx is more like a traditional hunting bullet, but has some of the same effect). The guys I am talking about build and sell lots of rifles, run long range classes, and have a lot of clients reporting their successes and failures to them. Barbour Creek and Evolved Ballistics are two of them that come to mind. Barbour Creek has some test videos in ballistic gellatin that are helpful. Among them, the Berger 180 VLD is the go to 7mm bullet. They did try the 180 target hybrids, because the bullet design is easier to load for but they did not get the performance. They tried the 195 Bergers too, but came back to the performance of the 180. If you want Berger's hybrid shape, their Elite Hunter line is hybrid shape with thinner jackets. They have a new 175 Hunter Elite in 7mm that I am working up in loads, just to see if I can get a little more velocity out of them.  Accuracy of my 180 load is .5 moa and better without much work.

One of my contacts has had a couple of shots when the Berger VLD left a flesh crater on impact and did not penetrate at all, but that was close and at high velocity. It is debated by my contacts what caused it, but if I am hunting with my rifle in my hand, I always load some plain accubonds for any quick shots inside 150 yards just because the velocity on my Berger would be too much. I could push them to 300 accurately if necessary, but longer shots like that I can usually dump the accubonds and chamber a Berger.

From my research, most of the discussion around match bullets for hunting are Berger hunting bullets, Hornady ELDx and ELDm. A few I have seen use Sierra matchkings. As long as the other match bullets have a "thin" jacket and the meplat is open, then it will perform generally like a Berger hunting bullet. If the tips are closed, they would not perform. As above, the OTM are not built for hunting, so the tip is manufactured with variation so some are closed (besides the jacket). Berger hunting bullets are manufactured so the tips are open. On bullets with closed tips, like a 115 DTAC sold by Dave Tubb but manufactured by Sierra, the meplat would have to be cut or opened. I run those in my match gun and they are awesome. But, rather than messing with meplats, I have 115 Berger hunting VLD loads for my 6 creedmoor. In the end, Berger hunting bullets are match quality and shoot so well, that is all I use. I do load for myself.

[loboscout]

3 minutes ago, Big or Bust said:

 

No....

True, I haven't. What I have shot, I have with match bullets though. 

Edited to add this: Make your own call. All of Berger's bullets will kill. Its just that the hunting bullets are better designed for it.

https://bergerbullets.com/faq-items/can-i-use-my-target-bullets-for-hunting/

But, people use them successfully all the time. 

http://panhandleprecision.com/berger-6-5-mm-130-grain-ar-hybrid/

[lancetkenyon]

1 hour ago, loboscout said:

True, I haven't. What I have shot, I have with match bullets though. 

Edited to add this: Make your own call. All of Berger's bullets will kill. Its just that the hunting bullets are better designed for it.

https://bergerbullets.com/faq-items/can-i-use-my-target-bullets-for-hunting/

But, people use them successfully all the time. 

http://panhandleprecision.com/berger-6-5-mm-130-grain-ar-hybrid/

Is this a contradiction?

The Berger link you imbedded is not necessarily the best source.  It basically says "If you suck at shooting and can't hit where you need to, the Hunting bullet version might help you out a bit more as the bullet grenades inside a bit better than the target version, maybe catching some vitals.".  ☺️

Don't get me wrong.  I mostly hunt with Berger bullets too.  A few Sierra as well.

.223 69 SMK or 50 VMAX

6CM 105 Hybrid

.250AI 100 SMK

.25-06AI 115 HVLD (a hunting bullet)

25SST 131 Blackjack

.260 Rem 140 Hybrid

6.5SLR 130 OTM or 140 Hybrid

6.5SS 150 SMK

6.5SS 156 Elite (a hunting bullet)

.280AI 175 Elite (a hunting bullet) or 160 TMK

7RM 180 Hybrid

.300RUM 215 or 230 Hybrid

From close or very far, from slow to very fast, all have performed flawlessly...so far.

[lancetkenyon]

On ‎7‎/‎29‎/‎2019 at 5:54 PM, PRDATR said:

Have you shot any animals with them and if so what was the much meat damage? What ranges?

Taylor shot her pronghorn with one in August.  391 yards.  Right in the crease.  No ribs hit, little bloodshot on the entrance, about baseball size bloodshot on the exit side in the rib area.  Not bad.