Long range practice rounds for Tikka 6.5cm

rob86jeep

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I recently picked up a Tikka Superlite in 6.5 cm and settled on the TTSX 120 grain for hunting purposes. I'm looking for an accurate target round which will shoot similar to the TTSX that I can use to practice with and get my experience up to shoot at further distances. Anybody know of an accurate target round that shoots a similar drop to the TTSX or am I out of luck without reloading my own? Hopefully I'm explaining this correctly.
 

mt100gr.

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It won't match up with TTSX but grab a box of Hoready American Gunner 140gr HPBT. I picked up 50rd boxes for $45ish.

What I would recommend, and what I did, is find where this stuff zeros relative to your TTSX load. Write down the adjustments and preset that zero when you switch to the AG ammo and dial accordingly. Hopefully you are using a tested, reliable scope.

I'd be surprised if the AG wasn't quite accurate in your tikka.
 
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I shoot a fair volume of 6.5cm through my M1A. S&B is very accurate for target practice and sells for around .50 per rd
The American gunner sells for .70per rd and I've never been able to get it to group consistently. I bought 5 cases (1k rounds) and use it exclusively for plinking or letting the kids mess around. Out of a 20rd mag, its 50/50 for hits on 30" steel at 650 yards. Very inconsistent. Ymmv.
 

thinhorn_AK

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I had good luck with federal blue box 140g.

I had horrible luck with Hornady American white tail 129g....I thought my gun was broken....
 
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Hahahahaha, that was my initial reaction to the AG ammo. I have the optics for my M1A on Bobro qd mounts, I thought they were defective. Never in my life would I have assumed that crappy old S&B soft points would outshoot Hornady ammo.
I had good luck with federal blue box 140g.

I had horrible luck with Hornady American white tail 129g....I thought my gun was broken....
 

mt100gr.

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It always surprises me how different rifles can be so picky. This is 5 round of American Gunner from my CTR 6.5. ES isn't wonderful but it's plenty good to ring a 12 inch plate 10/10 at 670. 20190616_114707.jpg
 
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rob86jeep

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So it sounds like there's really nothing out there that will match my hunting round so just pick an accurate target round and verify the difference for when I'm hunting?
I plan to start reloading eventually which will alleviate this problem, but I have some other priorities first.
 

pyrotechnic

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American Gunner has shot well out of my 6.5 and is affordable for what it is. I'd just find a round that your gun likes well enough, that's cheap enough you can practice with it regularly.
Just rezero with your hunting ammo prior to season and make sure you have the correct drop charts to reference when you go hunting.

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Pandesal

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I ran the HAG through my 6.5 Creedmoor for the first 200 rounds to make certain it would be stable for the Bergers I planned to run. I have heard that some barrels can speed up after 150-200 rounds. It shot okay enough, but I treated it like the appetizer before the main course.
 

Wrench

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You need to burn a few boxes through your rifle and range validate your hunting load to create the dope......then have a practice round. The notion that two rounds will share dope is hard to swallow with a common bullet, let alone one as unique as a barnes.

Use two bullets, load recipes.......anything that changes bc, velocity or poi and you need new dope.
 

MattiG

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The least accurate ammo for me has been the vaunted 143 ELD-X. But my scope was loose at some point during the session, so jury is arguably still out. Here was the best group:
fc3267862626ec4665d51a3a92f6ed66.jpg


Whitetail was the next best:


I actually shot much better with whitetail.
aeafdbfb6a7f3ade221b5c5047c09e4d.jpg


And Nosler 120 (if they have more than one flavor in 120, I don't remember which one it was until I get back to my range box)
6facf4cc350028fb761d40252e07fd69.jpg


Headed out this morning to zero with new scope rings and to try Barnes 127 vor-tx. High hopes!

Cheapest ammo at the local sportsman's was 17 bucks a box (Remington core lokt maybe?) The s&b is a few bucks cheaper online. Haven't tried either.

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I just got 4 boxes of HSM ammo on sale for $19.99 for just your purpose. Haven't shot it yet, hope it works. If not it will give me some trigger time with the gun. I'm shooting Federal Trophy Bonded Tips and the Federal Fusion, at $25/box was pretty close at 100 yards, but it was sold out everywhere I looked.
 

EmperorMA

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And Nosler 120 (if they have more than one flavor in 120, I don't remember which one it was until I get back to my range box
If memory serves, Nosler loads the fantastic 120gr Ballistic Tip and the 120gr E-Tip in its various lines of ammunition.
 

16Bore

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I wouldn’t worry as much about drop as I would drift. Drop is on the dial, drift is voodoo.

What’s your hunting distance max?
 

MattiG

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If memory serves, Nosler loads the fantastic 120gr Ballistic Tip and the 120gr E-Tip in its various lines of ammunition.
Yes, it was the ballistic tip 120. Just as accurate the second time. The 143 ELD-x worked better this time. Moving that from bench to bullpen. I was disappointed with the Barnes vor-tx. Not bad, just not great. Still need to try Berger (both the HSM and the Federal varieties).

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rob86jeep

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I wouldn’t worry as much about drop as I would drift. Drop is on the dial, drift is voodoo.

What’s your hunting distance max?
Right now about 250-300 yards. I'm not a bad shot (not great either), but I haven't had the time to figure out my two hunting rifles. I got the Tikka to stretch my yardage a bit and for some fun so i'm hoping to become more accurate at distances (just looking at 300-500 for now). I'm not really thinking about taking a hunting shot that far, but figure it would make sense to use target rounds that shoot similar to my hunting rounds (although I now see that's probably not feasible) just in case I feel comfortable and a shot presents itself.
 

tdhanses

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Try Hornady Match 147ELDM, so far I’ve had decent results with it. Sighted in my new 6.5cm and burned through a few boxes at 100yds getting velocity and trigger time. Put one box down range at 300yds and easily hit a 6” gong every time. So far for factory ammo I’m pleased. In the bottom pic, top left is with the magneto speed on.

Just ordered some 156gr Berger’s and RL16 to start load development but I bought 8 boxes of the Hornady Match to break the barrel in and get brass.

D7A987CD-9AC2-4015-B015-AAC57C57A788.jpeg84563BBD-B1BA-4D08-AFA2-A7B21C25B496.jpeg
 

tdhanses

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Right now about 250-300 yards. I'm not a bad shot (not great either), but I haven't had the time to figure out my two hunting rifles. I got the Tikka to stretch my yardage a bit and for some fun so i'm hoping to become more accurate at distances (just looking at 300-500 for now). I'm not really thinking about taking a hunting shot that far, but figure it would make sense to use target rounds that shoot similar to my hunting rounds (although I now see that's probably not feasible) just in case I feel comfortable and a shot presents itself.

My personal suggestion, use a higher BC bullet for hunting like a Berger 140 or Hornady 147, no reason to use a 120gr bullet you only shoot for hunting to only a few hundred yards, practice a ton with what you’ll hunt with, any bullet will perform if you have good shot placement. Also if only shooting to 500, that 120 will work but the heavier higher BC bullets will be better.
 
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