Advanced Marksmanship Optimum 6.5 Creedmore bullet weight hunting small game long range

[Roger Harris]

I hunt foxes, and got a new 6.5 Creedmore Tikka TX3 , I’m currently using .95 gn Hornady , zeroed @ 200yards and shot a fox in the head @ 320 yards so seems to be little drop. Also quite windy , 15mph gusty crosswinds , but zero wind drift at that range, very pleased, as I had been using 204, but any wind and that blows around. Which was why I’ve upgraded to 6.5.
I have also used 14O gn bullets and they are super accurate @ 200yards. I am new to 6.5. I hear most people like the 140 gn for long distance , but I’m not shooting deer, but no fur trade anymore (!!) so don’t care what state fox is in , just that it is dead ( feral in Australia)

I’m looking to be able to hit foxes out around 350-450 yards but I am not familiar with this calibre/ bullet drop and what holdover I need.

Any advice on .95 drop at that range vs 140 gn and whether I need to factor in wind drift with 6.5 would be great. My biggest concern is wind drift. Should I just go 140 gn?

If I zero @ 200 yards , I think that it would be approx 1” high @,100yards ?

What hold over @ 300 yards , 400 yards?

I’m using a thermal with LRF , so know distance.

Cheers from Oz

 

[OREGUN]

I think 130gn is kind of an underutilized sweet spot for 6.5. You might look into those options. I’ve never gone as light as 95.

Use jbmballistics.com to compare drop and drift.

 

[Roger Harris]

Appreciate the feedback

 

[Slides]

There are numerous calculators you can use to work out drop, depending on thermal you can probably load several zero profiles for different ranges or just choose a recticle that works for hold overs. The 140 class stuff has best resistance to wind, if you want to use speed you would probably be better off shooting 87gr Vmax in 243 or buying the ADI bulk ammunition with those projectiles, it is very flat to a few hundred yards.

Assuming you are hand loading? If not Sellier and Bellot 142gr hpbt factory ammunition or winchester 140gr hpbt match ammunition is cheapest available in Australia. Otherwise there are 2000 projectile slabs of 140 ELDM projectiles getting around, worked out at 70c a bullet for the one I bought.