6.5x55 or 25.06

glyn

Well-Known Member
hi guys
First post but been lurking for a few months ,i know they are miles apart ballistically but its the end result that im interested in. I have just applied for a fac after a GOOD FEW YEARS OFF, originally after MUCH thinking and months of research on here and else where i was going for a swede ! im on a very tight budget and it was going to be a cz with something like a cheaper leupold on it, HOWEVER ive just been staying with a rfd friend in scotland and he has a tikka t3 lite with a docter 3-12x56 scope and harris bipod on it at a riculously low price (mates rates and its only fired a few (50) rounds!) BUT its in .25-06 ! i have searched on here and see a few members use one to good effect like "sikamalk",and i will eventually reload so ammo supply is not a problem ! my main species will probably be roe and sika in sw scotland but there will be oportunities down here in devon for reds and heres the reason for the question! how would a .25-06 cope with a large red stag ? if the oportunity arose ! i apreciate i would be using bullet weights at the top of the scale with a .25 how does this compare with the swede using mid weight ? also there would be a bit of foxing done with this rifle and it would save me trying to get a .223 later on ,also how good are the optics on a docter it seems ok but not looked through one in low light ! at the end of the day its deer that get the priororty !!!!!


sorry mods wrong section could you move it please :oops:
 
Go with the 25!
Dropped plenty of reds with mine,big ones as well!
If you for the 6.5 then go for something other than the 6.5x55.


regards
griff
 
I,ve had a .25 now have a 6.5swede both will do all you ask if you do your bit the gun and scope are both good quality if you can get theese at mates rates dont let calibre hold you back. ;)
 
john robbo [url said:
www.yorkshired]I,ve[/url] had a .25 now have a 6.5swede both will do all you ask if you do your bit the gun and scope are both good quality if you can get theese at mates rates dont let calibre hold you back. ;)

Good answer!
 
The .25-06 is a good round. If you're foxing with it maybe it even beats the 6.5x55. Now I love the swede - it's what I shoot, but the .25-06 is more like a .243. Lighter bullets, flat trajectory etc, but with a lot more punch. Only down side I can see is it's a bit of a boomer, but it will certainly do the job. I don't know many people who have them but the ones that do are very happy with them. Meat damage from the high velocity may be an issue, but don't quote me on it?
 
quote="njc110381"]The .25-06 is a good round. If you're foxing with it maybe it even beats the 6.5x55. Now I love the swede - it's what I shoot, but the .25-06 is more like a .243. Lighter bullets, flat trajectory etc, but with a lot more punch. Only down side I can see is it's a bit of a boomer, but it will certainly do the job. I don't know many people who have them but the ones that do are very happy with them. Meat damage from the high velocity may be an issue, but don't quote me on it?[/quote]

it was the velocity/penetration before expansion issues that i was thinking more about rather than the actual damage to the meat ! i know its down to load but it is a fast round ! clean kills are paramount ! i like to think im a stalker rather than a shooter ! really not overly concerned weather i get the shot, just enjoy the stalk ! though ultimately its the chance of a shot that gets me stalking if that makes sense ! what ever i end up with it will eventually end up with a can on it ,i have shot a friends swede and its such a sweet round and seems to kill ok for him ,thats what first drew me to the round but the price im looking at would allow me to get much better optics "i think "from the start . though i do like wood as im a bit of a traditionalist " but the tikka does feel very nice to carry and most of my stalking will be on foot
 
The 25-06 is pointless. It does nothing that the 270 Winchester doesn't do better.

The 6.5x55 is a totally different and for the UK very useful cartridge for all deer.
 
Both your options kill deer as will all legal rifle ammo combinations with a good shot. BUT

My concern is trying to get a best fit calibre to do all say. One bullet is NOT best over all others because to be fair Sika for example are real buggers to put down even with a bang on hit and something agressive like .270/.308 is advisable to save a real treck after one but Roe go down sweet with .223 (in scotland).

My point is where you are going to be shooting across the species get some that really means what it does at the top end like for red/sika and also your 25 which has great potential from foxing up to the medium sized bambie.

Good luck
 
enfieldspares said:
The 25-06 is pointless. It does nothing that the 270 Winchester doesn't do better.

The 6.5x55 is a totally different and for the UK very useful cartridge for all deer.

I'm not sure the 25.06 is pointless!? :confused:

It is a very effective round and is increasing in popularity because of that fact. I'm sure the .270 is also effective but it has a reputation. The shops are full of secondhand .270's which dealers cannot sell. I wonder why? :confused:
Back to the question:
Both calibres are ok but I think the 25.06 would have the edge over the 6.5 on larger deer. Bullet choice is not as vast but you can still send a 117 grainer fairly quickly which should do the job nicely!
If it is cheap - go for it! ;)
 
For the deerstalker it has to be the 6.5 . choice of bullets good out to any normal stalking ranges and it can cope with the small muntie i am told or the biggest stags Britain has to offer. 150 grn in this big lad.

25pointmassive22JPG-1.jpg
 
The shops are full of secondhand .270's which dealers cannot sell.

Very true...it is in many ways also a "pointless" cartridge in that today with MODERN powders one can do pretty much the same with 6.5x55 or 7mm-08.

Especially with the trend for 22" barrelled rifles. I shot my first deer with a 22" barrelled 270 Winchester and 130 grain factory W-W cartridges and that put me off the calibre for years until I tried one with a longer barrel and factory 140 grain "fodder".

However the big advantage for me and that those of use that still like the 270 can get bargains such as this:

A35.jpg


And ALL for £250 plus the premium...so £307.00...and I sold the Zeiss 'scope on eBay for £225 and replaced it with a 4x32 and 6x32 Diatal-C I had!
 
enfieldspares said:
And ALL for £250 plus the premium...so £307.00...and I sold the Zeiss 'scope on eBay for £225 and replaced it with a 4x32 and 6x32 Diatal-C I had!

Got any pictures I would like your 270 mounted with 2 two scopes :)

You could describe any calibre as pointless it adds little value to answer the posters question.

.25-06 is better ballistically and has a far better selection of factory ammo.
 
.243, .25-06, and the .270 are probobly the 3 most popular rounds in scotland.

why?

because they are flat shooting over long ranges
remember the forrestry comission uses the .270 for a reason

pick one of these three and you wont go wrong
 
I would certainly only look at things larger than the .243 .The reason being it was suggested to me that the forestry had decided to move there foresters up to the minimum of .270 and forget the .243 as it wasn't the best calibre for night shooting and with the new laws allowing us to night shoot DCS laws then it is a thought that they might insist on this coarse with regards calibre for us all or do you think they will let us carry on using our small calibres like the .222 :cry: .
 
LDG,

years ago there used to be regulations where a minimum calibre had to be used at night. The way I now understand it is that as long as it is a legal calibre, then it can be used. It used to be min .243 for roe and min .270 for red and sika (i think).

Anyway, back to the original post. This arguement has been done to death in the past over many posts. I am waiting for Thar to come in any time soon on the 6.5 issues. Me, I love the 6.5x55. Had a 25-06 and didn't like it, but thats me....... The only thing I would say is, if you are shooting the really large reds in the south compared to our smaller reds in Scotland (or Gods land, i forget) then I would choose the 6.5.

It is all a purely individual choice at the end of the day. If you can shoot then any of these calibres will do.

My 2p
 
Nothing wrong with either calibres, except the 25 shoots flatter and hits harder for my money.

Besides its were you put the bullet that counts, and the rifle fitting you and feeling comfortable. Both calibres will do much the same out to 200yds.
 
It's slightly off the original topic, but I feel I have to stand up for the venerable .270Winchester. It's reputation of being a bit fierce in the recoil department is not really deserved unless you happen to be shooting a very light rifle without a moderator.

I shoot a .270 (an old Parker Hale Safari) with a compact predator moderator as my stalking rifle and it's fine - it's a bit harder on the shoulder than a .308 but certainly no more to manage than a .30-06 or some of the metric magnums. It is also a great flat shooting and hard hitting calibre that's easy to reload for - there's a good few stalkers around that use the .270 as their 'do everything' calibre. make the most of other people's ignorance and grab yourself a bargain from the dusty end of the gun room's shelves ;)

Adam.
 
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