Weatherby 6.5 WBY RPM 124gr Hammer Custom – Superb 20 Round Box

Description

The 6.5 RPM is Weatherby answer to the 6.5 PRC, and it does the job in a lighter, shorter rifle. The Weatherby 6.5 WBY RPM 124gr Hammer Custom is the fast end of the cartridge: a light solid copper bullet at 3250 feet per second.

• Magnum Velocity Without the Magnum Action
• Weatherby 6.5 WBY RPM 124gr Hammer Custom Specifications
• Honest Notes on This Load

Magnum Velocity Without the Magnum Action

Weatherby built the Rebated Precision Magnum family so that magnum performance would not require a magnum-length action. A rebated rim lets a fat case body work against a standard bolt face, and the result in 6.5mm is a cartridge that runs with the 6.5 PRC out of a rifle that is shorter and lighter.

The Weatherby 6.5 WBY RPM 124gr Hammer Custom takes the fast side of that. At 3250 feet per second with 2908 foot-pounds it shoots flat enough that a 300 yard zero keeps you inside vital-zone holds past 400, and at 400 yards it is still carrying 1673 foot-pounds, which is plenty for deer and antelope.

The Hammer Custom bullet is turned from solid copper with a deliberately short bearing surface, which lowers friction and pressure at a given velocity. On impact the nose petals shear off and radiate outward while the shank keeps driving at close to full diameter, giving both a wide wound and deep penetration.

Weatherby 6.5 WBY RPM 124gr Hammer Custom Specifications

Because it is solid copper the Weatherby 6.5 WBY RPM 124gr Hammer Custom is lead free and legal anywhere non-toxic ammunition is required. Weight retention is near total, which matters at these velocities where a conventional cup-and-core bullet can come apart on the near shoulder.

The one thing a copper monolithic asks for is impact velocity. Petals need roughly 1900 to 2000 feet per second to shear reliably. Starting at 3250 that threshold sits past 600 yards for this load, so it is not a practical limitation, but it is why these bullets do not suit downloaded or reduced loads.

Copper is less dense than lead, so a 124 grain copper bullet is longer than a 124 grain cup-and-core. Factory 6.5 RPM barrels handle it, but check the twist rate on a custom barrel before ordering a case.

• Cartridge: 6.5 WBY RPM, Rebated Precision Magnum
• Bullet weight: 124 grain
• Bullet type: Hammer Custom monolithic copper
• Muzzle velocity: 3250 feet per second
• Muzzle energy: 2908 foot-pounds
• G1 ballistic coefficient: 0.478
• Lead free: yes
• Case: brass, boxer primed, reloadable
• Series: Weatherby Select Plus
• Rounds per box: 20
• Manufacturer part number: M65RPM124HCB
• UPC: 747115452026

Honest Notes on This Load

Buy the Weatherby 6.5 WBY RPM 124gr Hammer Custom if you hunt deer, antelope or hogs with a 6.5 RPM and want the flattest trajectory the cartridge offers with a bullet that holds together. It is also the load to buy where lead ammunition is restricted.

Step up to the 156 grain Berger Elite Hunter if your shots run long and you want the higher ballistic coefficient, or if elk are on the list where the heavier bullet carries more energy at distance.

Two practical notes. Copper monolithics usually print to a different point of impact than lead-core ammunition, so re-zero rather than assuming. And 6.5 RPM is proprietary to Weatherby with limited factory options, so buy enough for the season when you find it in stock.

Heavier option in the same cartridge: the 6.5 WBY RPM 156gr Berger Elite Hunter. For a bigger 6.5 case, see the 6.5-300 WBY 129gr Hammer Custom. Weatherby publishes complete Select Plus ballistics charts on its own site.

MAG5 Firearms stocks Weatherby Select Plus ammunition and the Mark V and 307 rifles chambered for the RPM cartridges. Ask about lead-free requirements for your hunt area before you order.