Forums.NitroExpress.com

Well, it's been since last year but the little Mannlicher scored for me again on Friday the 16th of August, 2019.

Doe antelope tag. I spotted a heard of them at about 1/2 mile and worked my way up to them about 300 yards off. When they were that close I went to my hands and knees. I worked up to about 150 yards and got in front of the heard as they were slowly moving toward an alfalfa field below me about 1/4 mile.
I then went to my belly and as I worked up to a low hump in the ground that formed the side of the gully the antelope were coming down. A few of them came right up to the brow of the hump and one stuck her head over it and saw me but didn't know what I was. She snorted her little reedy bark. I was set for a prone shot and I had only her head and neck in sight over the crest, but at only 20 yards it was more then enough target.

So the little 6.5 scores again. I butcher tomorrow.
load was 39 grains of 4350 and the PPU 156 grain soft point. PPU brass and CCI primer.

That PPU bullet is exceptionally accurate in this barrel, which I made from a Green Mountain blank. It's a 1-8" twist and at 107 yards it is more accurate then I dare write about --- because no one would believe me.
But I am safe to say it shoots VERY well, and I am not the marksman I once was due to my eyesight being less then 1/2 of what it was a few years ago.

This bullet hit her sightly off center of the neck as she faced me directly. It exited at the bottom of the back of the neck about 2" in front of the shoulder hump of the spine. Not very far through, (maybe 10")but the bullet hit 3 vertebra and shattered them, and then curved upwards a slight bit and blew out the top center of her neck where it meets the back. I was happy I missed all the shoulder loins.

This is the only kill I have made with a PPU bullet, and a doe antelope is not a "hard test" for a bullet, but it seemed to hold together better then the Sierra I killed the last one with. I have shot the Hornady 160s, the Sierra 160s (no longer made) and this PPU 156 bullet and so far, the PPU is the most accurate, but all 3 shoot well and I would not hesitate to use any of them on antelope of deer. For elk I would say the PPU may be a bit better then the Sierra. The sierra I killed last years buck with came apart when it hit the neck higher where the bones were smaller. 2 kills are not a definitive teat, but so far that what I have seen.
no picture. I didn't have a camera with me this time. The doe was 112 pounds dressed.

My next PPU test I hope is from a 285 Grain 9.3MM that I will shoot from my 9.3X57 Husqvarna M46. May be a deer, antelope or even an elk. We'll just have to see.

Post Extras