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> Sierra 6.5 tmk
Sierra 6.5 tmk
@ 02:07 am (GMT) |
john mitchellI'm interested if anyone's used the 130 gr tmk on light deer yet . from the size of the ogive they seem like they'd do well. Thanks |
Replies
@ 06:49 am (GMT) |
Thomas KitchenRe: Sierra 6.5 tmkhi john.Nathan has been testing the tmk not sure which calibers he has done few comments on them but so far they seem like they perform well but i think there's more research to do. from his blog A quick Review of the Sierra TMK: Recently I have been testing Sierra’s Polymer tipped Matchking (don’t worry, I’ll be into the new ELD-X range soon enough). This is a relatively new high BC bullet design from Sierra boasting a massive hollow point behind its big green tip. As a quick summary - it works extremely well as a long range hunting projectile. The 168gr .308 in particular has been a great bullet. As a testimony to its performance I made up a batch of downloads for Riley (now 9) with a hefty load of Trail Boss and a magnum primer yielding 1650fps. I zeroed at 120 yards and the load shot fairly flat in between and beyond, again thanks to its very high BC. Riley was able to shoot accurately at the range (as if I would let her get away with anything less) and also use the load in the field to bag two feral goats. Both went down immediately (one shot at exactly 120 yards and the other around 30 yards). Wounding was thorough and penetration excellent. Recoil was near nonexistent for the wee lass yet the pay load was emphatic for close range work. The 168gr TMK works equally well at full velocities and can tackle reasonable body weights at close ranges without issues. Wounds are devastating. This is a very long projectile and takes up good deal of magazine space with a COAL of around 2.815” / 71.5mm working effectively. I you are looking for something a little different to try in your .308 or .30-06, give this a go. also check out this thread http://www.ballisticstudies.com/Resources/Discussion+Forums/x_forum/18/thread/8750.html hopefully that helps it sounds like they are worth trying by all accounts |
@ 11:06 pm (GMT) |
Nathan FosterRe: Sierra 6.5 tmkHi John, I am still in testing.What has surprised me is how well these actually hold together. Each time I hunt, I see weight loss but with a nice mushroom and deeper than expected penetration. The TMK is generally exceeding all of my expectations. My only concern with the 130gr is max ranges. The weight is light so I need to be doubly sure of its cut off points as there is an energy correlation in this caliber that is more prevalent than with heavier calibers (see cartridges book for more on this correlation). |
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@ 03:44 am (GMT) |
john mitchellRe: Sierra 6.5 tmkThanks Nathan. Would inside 500 yards be alright.I did get to use the 200gr eld-x in my wsm on a Dall sheep at 490 yarrds. Bullet hit shoulder / foreleg socket. Didn't exit but fragments tore into lungs and through both sides of the ribs. Pretty happy with that bullet. Had been using the 210 matrix with no problems, but I got the eld x to go a lot faster out of the barrel |
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@ 08:16 pm (GMT) |
Nathan FosterRe: Sierra 6.5 tmkGood to hear John!From 2850fps, the 130gr is good to 600 yards. Beyond this, there is cause for concern and I need to study this in greater detail before publishing any results. |
@ 04:07 am (GMT) |
Ted PringleRe: Sierra 6.5 tmkBagged another deer with my 7mm rem mag using the 160gn tmk's at about 220m.Results below show a bit of a low shot (forgot im zeroed in yards not meters), but the internals where soup & half a lung was hanging out the exit wound. I have these averaging around 2960fps with 2217 & seems to group pretty well just at mag length. Entry 
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@ 04:10 am (GMT) |
Ted PringleRe: Sierra 6.5 tmkEntry
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@ 04:01 am (GMT) |
john mitchellRe: Sierra 6.5 tmkTook 3 blacktails in kodiak with the 130 tmk at 2750. 50,100 and375 yards. 50 was oncoming and hit foreleg thru ribs and exited thru rear quarter (no bone). 100 yard shot was low to high elevation , foreleg thru body cavity and found core on outside hide (weighed 79.9gr). 375 yard shot was bad (in the grass bipod on pack) and hit broadside just off the ribs and exited. Bullet fragmentation still tore up the liver. I thought it interesting that all deer ran some even the 50 yard shot, whereas the sheep hit at 490 with 200 eld keeled over immediately. Something to be said for 30 caliber. |
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@ 08:16 pm (GMT) |
Nathan FosterRe: Sierra 6.5 tmkHi Ted and John, thanks for the shared info. Bad shots are good for sharing too. There is much to be learned from shots that don't go to plan. I see far too many people talk about the good shots. I am glad most of our readers are comfortable talking to me about worst case scenarios. Good to hear that you saw full liver destruction.Yes, the 6.5 sometimes lacks the punch of the bigger stuff. This is also why I prefer 140 grains in the 6.5 over 120 or 130gr. What you speak of tends to be equally and more noticeable as ranges are pushed out to 600 yards and beyond. Nevertheless, internal wounding can be very broad. The TMK has a very wide meplat, you can perhaps imagine how badly things can go when folk use a very small meplat match style bullet, then push ranges way out. Edit- You guys will have to excuse me, I seem to be getting folk mixed up at the moment. |
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