6.5mm Alco bullet review...

LongRange · 08-01-2015, 06:08 PM

GRUMPA told me about Alco bullets so i decided to give them a try in my 260 after talking to Al at Alco bullets. well they showed up today and im not sure if i should call these sex,evil or bada$$??

these are Alco's 140g 6.5mm-RBT-AT VLD target/hunting bullets and at .84 cents ea they probable arnt for most ppl but i like to test new things and if they shoot as well as the stated .735 BC then they should prove interesting to say the least...and yes ive seen the thread on long range hunting so please dont bring all of that into this thread...and im no ballistics tech so for me to calc BC i do it the old school way...by shooting in the wind...and if they buck it better and have less drop compared to the big name high BC bullets well then id guess they have a higher BC LOL!!

to measure the bearing surface i started by using two comparators one on each blade of my calipers like i normally do but was getting different reading because of the design of the boat tail so i measured the same 20 bullets off the base to ogive and they were all .807 to .808 with one being .805(about the same measurements as a 139g lapua bullet)...close enough for me.
next i weighed all 100 bullets and they were all 140.2g except one...it was 140.3g

the bullets come in a nice box of 50ea with padding kinda like the Bergers do...i bought a 100...

this is an Alco bullet seated touching the lands in my shilen barrel...2.465 was the average off the ogive...yes these bullets are long...a 142g SMK is 2.395 touching the lands in this same barrel...the tips are aluminum...

a 142g SMK left and a 140g AB right....

boat tails....142g SMK left and a 140g AB right....

ill get out early tomorrow morning and shoot an OCW but im going to shoot the OCW at 200yds as im thinking 100yds is to close for these bullets.

also to the MODs...if you guys want to move this to the range report section its ok as its going to end up a range report any how.

GRUMPA · 08-01-2015, 08:10 PM

GRAMPA

GRUMPA

LongRange · 08-01-2015, 08:19 PM

Lol i just noticed it and fixed it.

**Robinhood** · 08-01-2015, 08:48 PM

Your going to need a 7 twist for that thing..

LongRange · 08-01-2015, 09:45 PM

Originally Posted by Robinhood

Your going to need a 7 twist for that thing..

We will see tomorrow....they look like cruse missiles and you could dig a splinter out of your finger with the tip...my biggest worry is they shoot and ill have to buy a 500 lot lol.

**LoneWolf** · 08-01-2015, 10:10 PM

They look like armor piercing rounds

**upSLIDEdown** · 08-02-2015, 02:13 AM

#stoked

Can't wait to see what you find out. First I'm hearing about these.

LongRange · 08-02-2015, 08:45 AM

Originally Posted by LoneWolf

They look like armor piercing rounds

i have 7 1/2" AR500 plate targets and 4 or 5 1/4" AR500 plate targets...if i find a load today i will shoot one of the 1/2" plates at 100yds.

Originally Posted by upSLIDEdown

#stoked

Can't wait to see what you find out. First I'm hearing about these.

me too...ive got 26 rounds loaded for an OCW so as soon as the sun comes up im out the door....i had to put these in a magnum ammo box because they are about a 1/4" to long to fit in a 308/6.5mm box....heres a round in a 300WM magazine seated .020 off the lands...

**LoneWolf** · 08-02-2015, 08:47 AM

That just looks ridiculous lol. Need a 6.5-06 to push those bad boys.

LongRange · 08-02-2015, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by LoneWolf

That just looks ridiculous lol. Need a 6.5-06 to push those bad boys.

then you should love this one LOL....a 260 round in a long action...

LongRange · 08-02-2015, 01:54 PM

well i just got back from shooting the 200yd OCW....when i got set up there was zero wind and im 95% sure none of these shots were pulled with the exception of shot #1 of the 42.6g charge and it just broke funny so im not 100% sure i pulled it but they all felt pretty clean...the clouds were rolling in so i didnt set up my chrony until the second string as the clouds seemed to stalled out about a 1/2 mile from me...i knew the Alcos were shooting a little faster than the 142g smk load i shoot which is 42.9gs of H4350 with a CCI BR2 in lapua brass at 2875fps average but was surprised when i seen the actual numbers...i followed the OCW to the letter except i shot at 200yds and didnt clean my barrel as it takes 10 to 15 rounds before it settles in...i set my max charge weight at 44gs of H4350(and should of went a little higher but ill play with that another time...im going to post all the groups so you guys feel free to chime in with what YOU think is the OCW but im defiantly going to shoot the 42g charge again and play with the seating...

bullet...140g Alco seated .020 off the lands
brass...260 lapua fully prep'd
primer...CCI BR2....003 crush set with a K&M seating tool with gauge
powder...H4350...hodgdon should market a 4350 line of Cologne for men
riffle...110BA...sav2 trigger...PT&G bolt head(need to adjust firing pin protrusion)28" shilen select match chambered LONG in 260rem

first this is a fired case from the 44g charge...the marks on the head are from uniforming the primer pockets...

the one that says 0 with 142gsmk was not a 142g smk it was the first 140g Alco so i drop 1 MOA because i knew the rest were going to be high...i made no other adjustments for this OCW test...

**DanSavage** · 08-02-2015, 05:29 PM

I think I would try around 43.5 and adjust closer to the lands,,I say that because the center of group 43.3 and center of group 43.7 are in the same spot.

Man,,, that looks like a mean bullet!

Moving the bullet out will increase case capacity so lower pressure,, to stay in that node maybe stay right with 43.7 5 thou off lands? If it don't like that,, 43.3 charge .025 off, .030 off on back.

LongRange · 08-02-2015, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by DanSavage

I think I would try around 43.5 and adjust closer to the lands,,I say that because the center of group 43.3 and center of group 43.7 are in the same spot.

Man,,, that looks like a mean bullet!

Moving the bullet out will increase case capacity so lower pressure,, to stay in that node maybe stay right with 43.7 5 thou off lands? If it don't like that,, 43.3 charge .025 off, .030 off on back.

thanks Dan i will try that....i was also looking at the 42.6g charge as it only had a 3FPS ES(i know only 2 chrony'd)and it kind of follows the pattern of 42.3gs and 43gs...as far as gaining case capacity goes these bullets at .020 off the lands are only about 3/4s of the way in the neck so im not sure what way to go...farther off would give better/more consistent neck tension but most VLDs like being in or real close to the lands...at 44gs i had no obvious signs of pressure so i think im also going to run the charge up to 45gs as it looks like at 44gs things started to tighten up again.

i had this barrel chambered with a little to much free bore...i have a barrel being re-chambered from Jim at Apache with .040 to .050 less free bore that i think should be the perfect balance for max case capacity and neck tension.

**jsthntn247** · 08-04-2015, 11:31 AM

I'd load 43.3 touching the lands and .010 off and see if they would shrink.

LongRange · 08-05-2015, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by jsthntn247

I'd load 43.3 touching the lands and .010 off and see if they would shrink.

i will try this as well...ill try and get out sunday as we have a match this saturday.

**Dewey7271** · 08-05-2015, 08:47 AM

That's interesting. Seriously cool looking bullets.
Speeds are good also.
Agree with your 42 call but there may be something pretty neat up around that 43.3 load.

LongRange · 08-05-2015, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by Dewey7271

That's interesting. Seriously cool looking bullets.
Speeds are good also.
Agree with your 42 call but there may be something pretty neat up around that 43.3 load.

there might also be something up around 44.5gs 45gs that im going to have to try at some point...at 84 cents each ill only be shooting 3 round groups for now...i think ill try the 43.3g load and seating depth and as Dan said 43.5gs and seating...ill try .010 off and jammed and see how they work.