6.5x55

Lloyd90

Well-Known Member
I was just wondering aout this calibre. Its quite a big round although I didnt think the calibre was a massive one as it goes.

However I have been reading about how it is used in alot of places to take large game like moose and bear :eek:

So I was wondering if anyone knows anything interesting about it ?
Where does it compare to say a 243 ? 270 ? 308 ?

Thanks for any info :D
 
It seems to be a calibre that attracts a lot of conflicting views! I've had a 6.5x55 for just over a year, and have shot muntjac, roe & red deer, all with Federal 140 gn soft points.
My rifle recoils less than the .270 & .308 I've had previously, is very accurate and I'm more than satisfied with the end results.
Most dealers stock a reasonable range of ammunition, although not as wide a variety as you can get in .243/.270 & .308 etc.
I'd recommend it but, as I said, others will disagree..still, each to their own!
 
It has an odd base diameter: .480 as opposed to .473. Means that the bolt face of 6.5 rifles is unique. The sectional density of the 160gr bullets takes some beating too. If you look at the 160gr round noses you will be impressed by their length. I am led to believe that they have penetration to spare and as it goes, millions of dead scandinavian moose cannot be wrong.
 
In terms of where it sits, between 243 and 270, but nearer 270 in performance than 243. Traditionaly the 6.5 has been loaded with heavier bullets (140-160gr) than the 270, but a much slower speeds, 300-400fps slower. I can easily achieve 3000fps with a 140gr in a 270, though I chose not to.

It is a good mild calibre. With modern bullets, I think it woulld do better to be loaded with 120-130gr bullets.
 
Bigthug

It is slightly more powerful that a 243 and less powerful than pretty much every other popular big deer legal calibre. Don’t take my word for it look at some reloading manuals. As been said works best with lighter bullets 120/130 gn bullets, with 160gn bullets and a 22” barrel it struggles to stay deer legal for Scotland.

Don’t be fooled by thinking because it is legal for "moose" in Scandinavia it is a powerful calibre, it is only European Elk legal because 100 years ago this was the service calibre of the armed forces and there fore because thousands of hunters owned rifles of this calibre the government made this the minimum. There is talk of 30-06 being made the minimum calibre for European Elk.

Moose in the USA is considered a soft animal for its size; North American Elk is considered pound for pound a far tougher animal. North American Elk or Wapiti are related to our red deer.

Do your home work, look back over some of the old threads, I am usually involved with the discussion at some point. ;)

ATB

Tahr
 
Thar speaks the truth! It is a bit more powerful than .243 and less powerful than nearly every other common deer round in this country.

In my view, that makes it a super choice. My lightweight rifle is chambered for this calibre, and it combines (relatively) gentle and undramatic characteristics on firing with effectively slain deer. Lighter bullets (120-140gr) in robustly-loaded (European) rounds allow the short-barrelled rifle to reach the all-important minimum MV for Scotland. I actually find it more pleasant to fire than the .243 which I used to own.

Declaration of interest: I also have a .308
 
I'll give my view on the calibre as it is my main stalking rifle. That said, don't take it as right because my experience is limited!

I picked it because it recoils fairly mildly. Velocity is low but the bullets are heavy. It stands more chance of doing a good job on bigger animals than a fast light bullet that will slow fast when it hits the target. I think the only drawbacks of the 6.5 are loopy trajectory and maybe the fact that it doesn't make that big a hole!

It's not a vastly powerful calibre but in fairness does it need to be? The 6.5 will easily go right through a Red Stag and mash up the heart and lungs on the way through. That equals a dead Deer. Why put up with the kick and blast of a bigger round if you don't need to? Plenty of people take Reds with a .243. The 6.5 is in the same kind of energy group but just gives you a little more penetration and a good blood trail if you get a runner.

If you maybe want an in between, try the .260 Rem. It handles lighter bullets better. The 6.5 seems to shoot well with 120-160grn loads but the throat is too long to be accurate with lighter bullets, the .260 shoots better with sub 130s but doesn't have the neck length to give good velocities with heavy stuff. That puts it closer to the .243 but without struggling to shoot 100grn+ rounds well.
 
6.5 X 55 Is an excellent deerstalker calibre its got more kick than the girlie .243 and keeps it calm on the big lads bullet choice is all important when deerstalking and the 6.5 works the ranges i have shot 85gns in to an inch at 100 and i have shot 168 grn into an inch at 100 what other calibre with a mild recoil can do that. It is also the choice on many an occasion of the long distance chaps because of it stability.not my thing i am an up close and personal type of deerstalker. ps i have shot the rest and have kept the best i shoot 6.5 at the minute and will continue to do so there is no compromise with it. Its the jack of all trades. ;)
 
L.D.G said:
6.5 X 55 Is an excellent deerstalker calibre its got more kick than the girlie .243 and keeps it calm on the big lads bullet choice is all important when deerstalking and the 6.5 works the ranges i have shot 85gns in to an inch at 100 and i have shot 168 grn into an inch at 100 what other calibre with a mild recoil can do that. It is also the choice on many an occasion of the long distance chaps because of it stability.not my thing i am an up close and personal type of deerstalker. ps i have shot the rest and have kept the best i shoot 6.5 at the minute and will continue to do so there is no compromise with it. Its the jack of all trades. ;)
Steady on now LDG!, You know the rest of that quotation "Jack of all trades"! :rolleyes:
 
L.D.G said:
the 6.5 works the ranges i have shot 85gns in to an inch at 100 and i have shot 168 grn into an inch at 100 what other calibre with a mild recoil can do that.

Bullet selection.

270= 90gn to 160gn or 180gn custom bullet.
7mm= 100gn to 175gn or 195gn custom bullet
30cal = 85gn to 220gn bullet.

Do your research chaps, ;) now days there is just as much bullet choice or even more with any of the main stalking calibers as there is with the 6.5mm cal’.

Best rgds

Tahr
 
shootingtarget.jpg


I Don't really think it's got that loopy a trajectory. not as flat as some of the others but it does the trick for what i want.

Ezzy
 
Thar i said it (6.5)put them in an inch now i have shot the .270 in fact it was my main rifle for years i have shot the .3006 for a full season and i shoot my fair share i have owned a .243 now none of the calibres would group different weights of bullets like the 6.5. in fact the the only one that came close was the .3006 ;) We make choices in life and we live an die by them and i can assure any one if the calibre i chose was not up to the job i would get rid of it in a minute and call it for what it is thats what i did with the .243 meat waster :cry: .
 
Hi L.D.G.

Cartridge discussions are largely theatrical ones, in my view, so please don’t take criticism of your chosen one personal. I don’t dislike any particular rifle cartridge; I try to acknowledge the strong points and weakness of them all and remain objective.

I am first to admit in the past I have wound a few posters up in these threads. ;) :lol: However in this case I will try to keep things more balanced and keep to the facts, my criticism is only so less experienced stalkers understand were the 6.5X55 lies in the great scheme of rifle cartridges. It is an effective deer cartridge in the right hands. For the record the second deer legal rifle I stalked with was a 6.5X55. The 6.5x55 as I have already said is slightly more power full than a 243 and less so than every other common large deer legal calibre, that does not mean it is no good, in my view it works best with 120gn to 130gn bullets. It is hampered by a low maximum working pressure and a heavily tapered case limiting its capacity, it therefore struggles to push heavier bullets at high velocity compared to other cartridges based on 308 or 30-06 cases.

It is very unlikely that you can legally shoot deer with a 160gn let alone 168gn bullet from a 22” barrel in Scotland, as it will fail to meet the legal minimum velocity of 2450fps. it is important that all 6.5 user are aware of this. It is also considered too light for boar of cause. I am pleased to see your 6.5 shoots 85gn to 168gn so well, I don’t know if my 270 would shoot 90 to 160gn bullets equally as well because as I have never found the need to use anything else other than 130gns, everything from fox cubs to rutting red stags and Bull Tahr seem to be equally as dead when shot. 8) Even when taking it aboard last year, hunting among other things wild boar did I change bullet weight.

Ezzy post is an interesting one, as a 130gn bullet at 3100fps from a 270 with a 22” barrel would have the same 13” of drop at approximately 350yrds as his the 6.5 does at 250. :eek:
For a lot of stalker this is largely academic as most shots are under 200 yrds, but never the less it puts things into perspective.

Accept the 6.5 Swede for what it is a mild recoiling calibre, if you are looking to shoot a cartridge without using a moderator then it might have some merit.

As for the 243, I have used one on 5 of the six species of UK deer, including red stags and rutting sika stags, just over the South Lanarkshire boarder if fact, with no problems. It would not be my first choice of cartridge for this, but with the right bullets and good shot placement no problems. I have also hunted boar over sea with a 243 again no problems, and there is plenty of none shredded meat in my freezer. :D

Please take time to look over some of the old post as we have had the arguments of the merits or other wise of the old Swede for page after page, once you have found the time to have read them and then if you subsequently believe some point has been missed by us please bring it to our attention, so we can be enlighten or discus it more.

Best rgds


Tahr
 
Is it really such a sore subject? I know some people say it's hugely over-rated and others swear blind it can take any animal on the planet but it's all personal opinion. Why get grumpy about it?

I didn't go for mine because it was a super calibre. It just offers a little more punch than a .243 without getting into kicky, harsh for beginner .270s and .30s. It does the job for me.
 
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