6.5 x 55 could this be the ultimate stalking round ?

LSF

Well-Known Member
Hello I the proud owner of a cz 550 in 6.5 x 55 with a t8 mod and a mediocre scope ( soon to be upgraded ) and I am new to stalking ,I took my first deer with john robsons sako in 6.5 x 55 and culled 5 red deer on new years eve with the afore mentioned cz of my own using lapua 155 grain soft points,I dropped 3 with boiler room shots and 2 with head shots,the head shots were instantly fatal and 2 out the 3 boiler room shots folded instantly and 3rd animal took 3 steps and then folded.Before selecting a calibre and applying for it I did my homework and spoke to alot of shooters and shot alot of their rifles some of which tried to knock my teeth out and dislocate my shoulder and after more thought and more reading I decided on the swede I dont know if it was because of the mild shooting,low recoil,keeping your sight picture,low pressure,varied bullet weight ( 100-160 grain ),low meat damage,or that with the correct bullet choice and correct shot placement it will tackle all 6 deer species in blighty,could I have got the ultimate stalking round from the off ?.......It has been around for 100 years or so , so are we stuck in our ways and slow on the uptake ,as the europeans use it for boar and also moose in scandinavia and it does the business for them !

please discuss,cheers lee
 
No mate you should have read some of the threads on here, and got your self a 270 this is the Ultimate deer round full stop.:D:stir:

PS as a newbie why are you head shooting?

ATB

Tahr
 
As to hopfully going stalking on my own and hopefully be purchusing my first rifle soon it's nice to see your thought on such rifle.. As a newbie starting this conversation would probly hae worded it wrong so decided against it :)
 
A very good choice, i had one for about 7 years and shot a lot of animals with it, very easy calibre to like for all the reasons you have mentioned, the only reason i moved on from it to 30-06 was for wild boar in croatia/hungary, i know people will argue that a 6.5 will kill them but for me it had to be 30-06, i would love to have a 6.5 for some stalking at home but unfortunatley i have no more room for any more centrefire rifles, it is a very under-estimated round but very popular around where i am, good luck with it and dont scrimp on the scope.
 
if i had the pennies i would buy a really nice 6.5 x 55 and use it on glorious autunm mornings with frost and fallow emerging from the wood. but back to the real world and its a 308 for me. i also did lots of research and was amazed with what the scandnavians shoot with the 6.5. but here in britain we cant use it on boar so if the time comes i can at least go after boar with my 308
 
It is a fair round. I would not knock anyone shooting at any British deer with one. It does have limitations, namely a rather swoopy trajectory as a result of being one of the slower rounds, but even this is no hindrance to someone who learns to use their rifle on paper at any given range they plan to shoot deer at. I hope it gives you years of pleasure.
There is an old saying 'beware the man with one rifle', and that would certainly hold true for someone who's only rifle was a 6.5x55.
 
Hello Thar,the 270 is a good round but recoil and meat damage can be excessive,now in answer to your question about head shots I am new to stalking but have been using rimmies on bunnies for a few years now ( head shots only ) and have spent many hours on the range and fired many many rounds at different ranges through the swede,on this particular cull it was necessary to drive the deer so i had a good backstop and when driving the deer they tend to bunch up sometimes quite tightly so as we were only after specific animals in the herd head shots were the best and cleanest options ( I was on a bipod over a landrover bonnet and the ranges were typically between 30-80 yards ) so this was the option I used,lee
 
Yes, i was going to add that your thread will be hijacked with lads telling you such and such is the best calibre, its whatever you are comfortable with, i shot hundreds of deer with my 6.5 at varying ranges, they do have their good and bad points but i loved mine, i wouldnt be swayed by other peoples opinions on the 6.5, some stalkers hate them, i personally think a good rifle man will do the biz with any gun.
 
You had to drive the deer? With a 4X4?

Shooting rabbits and on the range is not the same as shooting deer, even the best shots on the range can get “buck Fever” however seeing you dropped them on the spot then it is hard to criticise too much.

Of the five deer you shot the result would have been exactly the same with any of the other deer legal calibres, I would have put money on it. Secondly how many deer have you shot with a 270???? None I would wager, now I have never never had any money deducted for any deer I have ever shot with a 270. Meat damage is a large wound channel never a problem when you are shooting though the ribs, if you hit a shoulder it is bone fragments that cause more damage than the bullet itself.

The smaller wound challenge is caused by a bullet not expanding coupled with a small frontal area, and little to no Hydrostatic damage(a controversial subject mind), propel any bullet of any calibre slowly and you get a narrow wound channel, or use a “tough” bullet and you will have the same effect at higher velocity. A 270 downloaded to Swede velocities’ will recoil at a similar level while a Swede loaded to the max at lighter bullet weights to try and match the 270 velocity will recoil to a similar level, “newton’s law” for each action there is an equal and opposite one.

At 270 uses a 6.8mm bullet and comes in a range of weights between 90 and 160gn bullets what magic do you think a 0.3mm of different makes between a 6.5 and a 6.8 calibre bullet on a deer weighing a live weight of 100lbs to 1000lbs? Do you think that really makes such a big difference? The only difference is that the 270 can drive them heavier bullets at higher velocity than the Swede can and hence have much larger muzzle energy and less drop at longer ranges.

If you take the time to look over many old posts on the 6.5X55 you will see the arguments made over and over again. The swede is an adequate deer calibre without doubt (although I have friends who think otherwise) but in terms of power it lies ahead of a 243 and behind just about every other deer legal commonly used calibre.

The most important thing is the calibre of the man behind the stock not the calibre of the chamber in front of it.;)

I shoot 95% of my deer with a 243.:D

ATB

Tahr
 
Tahr
A 243 for deer, are you insane man? You'll be reckoning on using them new fangled plastic pointed bullets next, you know, them that blow deer up and there's only a few scraps left for the crows!

Sorry, couldn't resist!

HME
 
Tahr
A 243 for deer, are you insane man? You'll be reckoning on using them new fangled plastic pointed bullets next, you know, them that blow deer up and there's only a few scraps left for the crows!

Sorry, couldn't resist!

HME

i've heard of them bullets, are they the same as the ones my mate (clueless mate) uses for foxing and actually thinks they have a tiny bit of C4 or similar under the ballistic tip? He thinks they are actual exploding bullets. clueless!!!
 
I shoot 95% of my deer with a 243.:D

ATB

Tahr


Hi Tahr

I shoot all my deer with a .243. I love the round and get on very well with it. I fully understand that we all have our favorites, but what you said is very true. "It's the nut on the butt that counts the most."

Thanks

Paul
 
Just love it for what it is, I have my 6.5x55 with 129grain bullets doing in the region of 2660fps Deer legal anywhere in the UK.
Now I could if I wanted because I hand load get this up to 2900fps possibly,but then you would loose the things that made you buy it in the first place ie,low recoil,l ability to see bullet strike,little muzzle flip.
As Thar stated you cannot get away from physics, if it goes out one end quicker then it pushes back harder in the opposite direction.
Personally if I needed a rifle to shoot boar or for larger weight bullet choice I would just up into the .30cal rifles.

Head shooting animals in a herd?
As I wasn't there I will just say that on a personal note this would make me feel uneasy, bullets can do some wonderful changes of direction when in contact with bone. Shooting animals in a herd is not a problem if you are shooting on the periphery or the herd is well spaced if this is the case then heart/lung shots for me.
Could you clarify that if you where shooting off the bonnet of a land rover at 30-80 yards these would be park deer.
 
6.5 x 55

.270 :rofl:

My vote for general stalking would be the 6.5, good all round calibre, pleasant to use and does the job in style :D

ATB

Phil
 
When I am shooting my 6.5x55 it becomes the BEST DEER CARTRIDGE AVAILABLE TO MODERN MAN. When I'm shooting my 308, the 6.5 becomes 2nd rate. When I'm shooting my 7x57, both of those become irrelevant! When I shoot a 30-06! Well! I quiver at the thought!!

Seriously. The best stalking cartridge is what a person likes and uses well. If it results in a well killed deer, it's OK with me, no matter what it is.~Muir
 
The effectiveness of any deer legal calibre depends most on the user putting in sufficient range time to learn how that particular rifle/calibre/round combination performs, and then not trying to exceed his proven ability in the field. It's just as easy to miss with a .30.06 as a .240 at normal deer stalking ranges.

I currently use a 6.5x55, and have previously owned a .270, 7mm-08 and a .308....all did the job well for me. The .270 was a bit of a bitch, but that was before I discovered moderators!
 
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When I am shooting my 6.5x55 it becomes the BEST DEER CARTRIDGE AVAILABLE TO MODERN MAN. When I'm shooting my 308, the 6.5 becomes 2nd rate. When I'm shooting my 7x57, both of those become irrelevant! When I shoot a 30-06! Well! I quiver at the thought!!

Seriously. The best stalking cartridge is what a person likes and uses well. If it results in a well killed deer, it's OK with me, no matter what it is.~Muir

A good level headed post... as for the .270!!!! tahr's going to get some home truth's when I see him in 1/2hour. Seriously the mans deranged:stir::cuckoo::drool:




nutty
 
I have a 6.5x55 and love it, I also have a rem mag and love that, had 2506,.243, .308, ect ect.
they all as said earlier do the job if they are steered correctly.
Its a bold statement to say this or that is better.
As even my magnum with heavy bullets kicks less then my moderated 6.5 because it has a muzzle brake, just like a light sporter will kick more then a varmint firing the saame load.
But then theres stock design and where the scope is mounted all effecting where your cheek is placed.
This thread like all the previous "this is best" threads is going no where and is pointless.
The swede is a great cartridge at home and abroad but like all the others can be limited by what you shoot through it and how good you are wiith it.
But be aware the guy with 1 gun. and old saying and very true if he uses it often enough.
 
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