6.5

[Garryzgarage]

How does the 1-9 handle the heavy bullets, I am looking at the 19.5'' or would the 24" be better, will be shooting in Nevada at coyotes.

[JohnOD]

Groups with my 20" 1/9" Sabre barrel run 5/8" to 3/4" with Nosler 120 Ballistic Tips and Barnes 120 TTSX's (100 yard, five shot groups). It likes 100 grain bullets a touch better. I haven't tried anything heavier than 120's yet.

[RangerRick]

Hi Garry,

Not sure how you define "heavy bullets", but you'll get about 100-120 feet per second faster muzzle velocity out of the 24 inch as opposed to the 19 for bullets in the 100-123 grain range.

I get about 2530 feet per second out of a 20 inch barrel (1:8.5) with 120 grain bullets. I like 130 Swift Sciroccos if you like heavier bullets, but I only get about 2350 fps out of them using LeveRevolution.

I get about 2700 fps out of 100 grain bullets.

I presume in Nevada you are going to get some pretty long shots. With the ballistic coefficients of the common 6.5 bullets a 120-123 grain is going to give you the best energy out past 300 yards.

The muzzle velocity of the heavier bullets is low enough that the 123's will beat their energy at less than 300 yards and stay very close after that, even though the heavier bullets have better BC's.

The better velocities of the 123 grain class bullets will make your windage issues easier, because the extra 7-10 grains isn't enough to overcome the longer flight times in the 130 class bullets.

Some people like the better penetrating capability of the heavier bullets, though, so it all depends on what you want to do and at what range you want to do it.

Yotes aren't particularly hard targets (like pigs) so 120-123 grain bullets will be fine for them, even the 100's will do the job.

The Noslers (both 100's and 120's) have great accuracy, but they are pricey. The Hornady AMax should do OK against yotes and they are half the price and just as accurate.

Note: If you shoot Noslers with other bullets, shoot the Noslers last or clean your barrel before shooting other bullets. Several people have reported that their accuracy stinks for the first 10 rounds or so after shooting Noslers unless they clean the barrel.

Speculation is that it has something to do with the jacket alloy Nosler uses.

RR

[txgunner00]

I use 160 Hornady RN for sub sonic loads out of a 20" 1:8.75 and they are stable. I've also shot 140 Hor SPs but not past 100 yds. 123 is the heaviest I've shot at distance.

I'd shoot yotes at 500 yds with 100gr NBTs all day long. Beyond that the wind really licks their butt so I's switch to 123 SMKs or Amax.