6.5 SAUM Bullet Selection

Joined
Jul 31, 2017
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690
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Oakley, CA
I am sure this has been discussed somewhere but thought I would ask you fellas. Have a 6.5 saum coming from HCA in a week or two. 24" tube 1:8 twist. Was hoping to get he 156 eols to shoot and make this my do all rifle from deer antelope to elk and replace my 280ai. I have good luck with 143 HHs in my 280ai and great accuracy with 168 LRABs and it I hear the 156 and the 140 Hybrids are performing well but it also got me thinking abou the LRAB as well. I have plenty of h1000 on hand so that will be my powder of choice. I guess worst case i use my 6.5 for deer and lopes and save the 280ai for elk? In a perfect world while great rifle would mind selling he 280ai
 

LightFoot

WKR
Joined
Feb 21, 2016
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1,361
Location
Texas
6.5 is elk capable, but not elk optimal.

Your 280 AI can be your elk-specific rifle and the 6.5 for everything else.

If you are gonna shoot elk with the 6.5, I would pick from the following (not necessarily in this order):
156 EOL
127 LRX
130 TSX
140 Accubond
142 ABLR
140 Partition
140 A-frame
160 Woodleigh
155 Lapua Mega




>>>----JAKE----->
 

Goose2345

FNG
Joined
Feb 16, 2020
Messages
26
I just finished up load development on my 24 in saum! Ended up at 2980 with the 156 could have went faster but the groups were too good to move to the higher node! Haven’t killed with it yet other than plates but that bullet really hammers on the plates
 
OP
B
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Jul 31, 2017
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Oakley, CA
Sorry for late response but thanks guys sorry I was outbid sell service was fortunate enough to get an invite to go with a buddy who had a friend that had a AZ sheep tag. Hope the 156 will work we had a discussion down there with a huge group of good hunters manynwwre talking about the 156 pin holing with 6.5 cM and they weren’t a fan of the hybrids but huge fans of VLDs u think cause the CM just didn’t push the 156 fast enough? Another guy loves the 142 LRAB just worried may be mining a touch fast in close shots
 

5RWill

FNG
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
58
We've been running the 143gr ELD-X here with great results but it's just white tail. Can't speak to elk. I can say i've yet to see a bad review on the ABLR.
 

woods89

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Sep 3, 2014
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Southern MO Ozarks
Sorry for late response but thanks guys sorry I was outbid sell service was fortunate enough to get an invite to go with a buddy who had a friend that had a AZ sheep tag. Hope the 156 will work we had a discussion down there with a huge group of good hunters manynwwre talking about the 156 pin holing with 6.5 cM and they weren’t a fan of the hybrids but huge fans of VLDs u think cause the CM just didn’t push the 156 fast enough? Another guy loves the 142 LRAB just worried may be mining a touch fast in close shots
I shot one whitetail with a 6.5 Creedmoor and 156 EOL this fall. Impact around 2530 fps. It did a beautiful job, with pieces of lung on the ground behind the impact. From what I saw, it was going to take a lot less velocity to "pinhole".

I'm guessing you are going to start them quite a bit faster than me with that SAUM. I think it's more likely that you'll deal with some meat damage at closer ranges if you hit some bone.

Just a data point of one.
 

brushape

WKR
Joined
Nov 13, 2013
Messages
881
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rohnert park, Ca
I’ve been hunting with a 6.5 saum for a while now and had great luck with a bunch of bullets. I settled on the 130 jlks at 3295 for the last few years with great results on blacktail, mule deer, cow elk and wild pigs. I have a new tikka action build that will have a 7.5 twist and I hope to primarily shoot the 156s with it and will hunt all NA game with it


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brushape

WKR
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Nov 13, 2013
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881
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rohnert park, Ca
Should add I have many times carried 1-2 rounds loaded up with a Barnes ttsx in case I get in real close range of a larger animal like bull elk or boar


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Joined
Nov 17, 2017
Messages
312
Location
Rainy Western WA.
My 6.5 saum shoots the 156 very well but I have other customs to handle heavier loads so I’m focusing on the 135-140 gr window specifically the 139 Scenar or 143 eld-x.

Most 6.5 saum’s and a 24” barrel should shoot a 140 class bullet around 3150 FPS so a 156 at 2950 FPS won’t beat the 140 until past 1k yds.
 
OP
B
Joined
Jul 31, 2017
Messages
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Oakley, CA
My 6.5 saum shoots the 156 very well but I have other customs to handle heavier loads so I’m focusing on the 135-140 gr window specifically the 139 Scenar or 143 eld-x.

Most 6.5 saum’s and a 24” barrel should shoot a 140 class bullet around 3150 FPS so a 156 at 2950 FPS won’t beat the 140 until past 1k yds.
Great point!!
 
OP
B
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so would you boys recommend the Hybrid 140 or VLD? i was recently lucky enough to tag along ona desert sheep hunt and several in camp talked about the hybrid not expanding. Which was what i wanted to hear since i have a box of them.
 
Joined
Dec 30, 2014
Messages
8,172
My 6.5 saum shoots the 156 very well but I have other customs to handle heavier loads so I’m focusing on the 135-140 gr window specifically the 139 Scenar or 143 eld-x.

Most 6.5 saum’s and a 24” barrel should shoot a 140 class bullet around 3150 FPS so a 156 at 2950 FPS won’t beat the 140 until past 1k yds.

Agreed on this. I figured the 156 would beat a 140 notably on wind but the numbers dont show that.

I will say that both my SAUM barrels (25") have been happier around 3050-3100 with the 140s but I have been shooting mostly 135 classic hunters or Atips at 3125-3150. This is all with H1000. Both my barrels have been 8.5 twist so i haven't even considered the 156. For overall # crunching, the 135 Atips look good but I haven't killed anything with them.
 
Joined
Nov 17, 2017
Messages
312
Location
Rainy Western WA.
Agreed on this. I figured the 156 would beat a 140 notably on wind but the numbers dont show that.

I will say that both my SAUM barrels (25") have been happier around 3050-3100 with the 140s but I have been shooting mostly 135 classic hunters or Atips at 3125-3150. This is all with H1000. Both my barrels have been 8.5 twist so i haven't even considered the 156. For overall # crunching, the 135 Atips look good but I haven't killed anything with them.
Agreed sir, not much in NA I wouldn’t gladly point the 6.5 saum with a good 135-140 in it. I too am curious to see how a-tips perform on game as the number behind them are impressive.
 

Gunaddict

FNG
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Dec 10, 2020
Messages
88
Any of you guys have a 6.5 Saum with a 26 inch barrel? Not sure if I would run 140 Bergers or shoot the Hammers. I am looking to build one after my 2 other build are done.
 
Joined
Nov 17, 2017
Messages
312
Location
Rainy Western WA.
Any of you guys have a 6.5 Saum with a 26 inch barrel? Not sure if I would run 140 Bergers or shoot the Hammers. I am looking to build one after my 2 other build are done.
I run a 24” for portability but have buddies with them at 26. All of us shoots the 139 Scenar, 143 eld-x or 156 Berger.
 
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