Which brand/bullet to choose in 6,5x55 for roe deer stalking?? HELP!

[Azazelbe]

Hello guys,

I'm sorry if this question already ever came up but I'v been browsing this forum now for days and I read so many things. And sometimes very contradictionary things. So in fact, the more I read, the more I'm confused.

Let me give you the overview where I'm now.
I have currently:

- Merkel RX Helix in 30.06 for driven hunts. I shoot with RWS HIT (leadfree) so I can use it also in leadfree environments + they penetrate deep so I can also use them for wild boar and heavier game

- Merkel side-by-side express 8x57 JRS for driven hunt (for small distances) which I shoot with RWS EVO

- Browning stainless X-bolt .270 Win which I also shoot with RWS HIT (because I also shot on state territories in Germany where lead is forbidden)

Now I'm selling the Browning .270 (although I'm very happy with it. I shot up to 140 Kg Boars with it, Red deer, Roe deer,...all down with 1 bullet)
Why, because I ordered a Blaser R8 professional Success in .300 Win Mag for stalking for bigger game all over Europe and African Plains game.
I'm planning on shooting it with Hornady Precision Hunter ELD-X for high knock down power, even over longer distances.

Also, I ordered a second barrel for it in 6,5x55. I was planning on ordering a .243 but a friend who I trust talked me into the 6,5x55 because it would give me a bit wider spectrum of game to hunt.
I will put a Swarovski Z6i 2,5-15x56 BT on it.
This set-up will be used for roe deer stalking in the morning and evening time, hence the 56 Swaro.
But also, it could be used for highseat, where most of the times it will be roe deer too but occasionally a hinde or wild boar could appear.
I read so many things about the 6,5: good stuff, bad stuff, it being slow, it being fast, it having a bad BC, it being one of the best European all-round calibers....etc.... in other words, I have no idea anymore what bullet/brand to take?? Help
What I need is a round that will knock down roe deer on the spot, whether they're being shot on the shoulder or just behind, but will also have enough stopping power for the occasional red deer and wild boar. 95% of the time I will hunt in territories where lead is allowed.
I'm looking for great accuracy on distances to max 250m.

I narrowed it down to:
- RWS Doppelkern 140 gr
- Hornady Superformance SST 140 gr (with the Superformance GMX 120 Gr as leadfree alternative)
- Norma Vulkan 156 gr
- Norma Oryx 156 gr
(and maybe even Norma Nosler Partition 140 gr)

Your help would be much appreciated as I have no experience with any of these rounds.
I know one will give more exit than the other etc...but I have difficulties on finding the best one that matches my needs.
No need to say other calibers are better as I already ordered and made up my mind already about those.
However, advize on the rounds for the other rifles I have is also much appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your help.
Great communities like this exist!!

Fred

 

[Grand Slam]

It all depends what the rifle likes shooting to be honest mate. You could find that it doesnt group well with any of the ammo you stated above.

 

[Azazelbe]

Hi Grand Slam,

I realize that. But it's a bit hard to find a shop where I can buy 10 rounds of each to try them...

What would be great is to have a ranking of the above mentioned rounds.
Like, in theory X is the best for your needs, Y runner-up, Z 3rd.

And then I would just try X first, if they suck at grouping, I would try Y and so on.

Thanks

 

[sh1kar]

FWIW my .243 and 6.5 group exceptionally well (clover leaf) with RWS Tmantel Its also a good round along the lines of a nosler partion so will deal with what you need it for The oryx 156g I couldn't get better than 1 1/2inch group at 100m This may matter if you are going to be taking 250m shots

But as stated, rifles have individual tastes

S

 

[mallettn]

For roe, fallow and occasional red deer I am very happy with 130gn Nosler Accubond standard or LR. It is very accurate (more accurate than Partitions) and has less meat damage than the BTs I used previously. It was meant to replace the Partition so is well constructed (i.e. good weight retention) and so is ideal for larger deer like fallow and red. I don't know about boar, but with good bullet placement I suspect it would be fine. There is a 140gn version if you prefer a heavier bullet.

 

[User00014]

Either Barnes 140gn tsx or 120gn ttsx will serve you very well driven at about 2850fps !

 

[white van man]

I've just sorted a round out for Fallow mainly but will use for Roe and Red.
140 gr interbond with 47 gr of IMR 7828ssc I have shot a couple of Fallow and a Roe with 129 gr interbond but the 140 seems to be the sweet weight for the 6.5x55.
Steve

 

[stubear]

Ranking the ammo you mention is tricky as, personally, I dont really rate Norma ammo! It looks lovely, but didnt group worth a damn in my hunting rifle and was pretty erratic in the various target rifles I've used it with too...

That said I gather the Oryx has exceptional terminal performance, and if your rifle likes it then you may be on to a winner for deer, boar, the lot.

The Hornady SST is a very popular bullet and the Superformance ups the velocity you get, so again if your rifle likes it then it could be good for deer but not necessarily boar due to its rapid expansion.

I shoot RWS ammo in .22 and its very good, and I've heard good things about it in centrefire as well - Worth a punt and see how it works in your rifle!

The other make to try is Federal - I can get hold of, and really like, Federal Power Shok and I know a lot of other people who shoot this bullet and really get on with it. I gather a lot of the other Federal ammo lines are very consistent and tend to shoot well in a lot of rifles. See what your local supplier can get and give it a try!

 

[Dalua]

... RWS Tmantel Its also a good round along the lines of a nosler partion

From memory (I used RWS .243 100gr T-Mantel some years ago) T-Mantel is in fact just a plain softpoint. AFAIK the nearest RWS equivalent to Partitions would be the Doppelkern (DK) bullet.
I would question whether partition/doppelkern is necessary, or indeed desirable, for roe.

 

[sh1kar]

Quite right. I am getting confused with H mantel. Interestingly my homeload 100g Sierra softs recipe also shoots to exactly same position as rws and with similar consistency
S

 

[Uncle f]

Rws twin core 140gr great round shot all sorts with it

 

[Pheasant Feeder]

I've tried various bullets on the range through my Sauer 202 in 6.5x55 and all the following delivered sub 1/2" groups at 100m

RWS 127gr
RWS 140gr
SAKO 156gr
Lapua Naturalis (copper) 140gr
PPU 139gr

I've only used the RWS 140 on Roe and they've been spot on.

I've a couple of mates on here who swear by Hornady Superperformance 140gr and they seem to be just as good as any of the above.

 

[Edinburgh Rifles]

I wouldn't choose US brand factory ammo as a long term choice personally.
no one is really looking at the impact of REACH on factory ammo but you can take an educated guess what powder is in US ammo....US or EU?

 

[The deer man]

RWS don't do the T Mantel in 6.5x55 anymore but what they recommend for Roe is the DK Geschoss 9.1g.
I have no idea how it performs but if it's to replace the T Mantel it's probably quite good, the RWS ammo I have used and others I know who use it find it very accurate and effective BUT expensive!

If you reload, the Sierra 140gr SPBT Gameking or Sierra 120gr ProHunter work very well. I use both but prefer the slower 140's that still have the trajectory of a 243 but with more energy, I use them on Muntjac to Red.

 

[Dalua]

Looking at my figures from when I had a 6.5x55 (20-and-a-bit" barrel), the RWS KS/Conepoint 127gr and the DK 140gr both did a rather lame 2550fps. That's about 300fps below the book value - but apparently the book value is based on a 29" barrel.

In the end, I went for Norma 120gr stuff, which went a bit faster, because I wanted something less loopy for the hill.

 

[big ears]

Anything from 120gr up will do. The norma with the nosler bullets are very good. That said he 140gr seem to be what my 6.5 loves and the partitian would be my choice

 

[25 Sharps]

I wouldn't choose US brand factory ammo as a long term choice personally.
no one is really looking at the impact of REACH on factory ammo but you can take an educated guess what powder is in US ammo....US or EU?

Apparently it will stop a lot of CCI rimmie ammo coming in.

Federal fusion groups well in my 6.5x55, have only shot a couple of deer with that before I sorted a load and they didn't run off!

 

[deeangeo]

Interesting reading through this, a friend recently bought a Finnish Lakelander in 6.5x55. Oldish, but nice condition L/H rifle. Testing it with various ammunition, Fed. PPU, Rem, RWS & Norma, most was poor average, but the Norma With 120gn Nosler BT - absolutely outstanding, rifle loves it. The bullet will certainly stop roe, but, meat damage will be variable from high to low.

 

[Heym SR20]

The 6.5x55 is one of those calibre that just seem to work well. Any softpoint bullet in the 140 to 156gn range will be pretty flat shooting and have a good Terminal effect. I would start with a box of the cheapest and most readily available and work up from there. The PPU ammo, if it works for you is good ammo, ditto Gecko and S&B.

I like the RWS ID classic and H-mantle in the 7mm. And have used the T-Mantle in 243 for years. I have used the DK in 7mm and not a fan. It is hard and doesn't seem expand very well. I have shot Red with it and they just don't seem to respond even though hit properly. I had one stag that required four shots before it fell over. And all where in the boiler room.

Norma are good Bullets, but expensive.

 

[Nojden]

Lapua Mega 155 gr are worth trying as well - shoots very well in my rifle, reasonably cheap and although it's a traditional soft nose, it's quite hard and will normally do a good job with no mess. Have taken full grown moose with it but mainly use it for roe. Works fine for boar as well. I've measured the V0 from my 65 cm barrel to about 2460 fps. However, it's not a long range round. For distances beyond 200 m I'd go for a 140 gr bullet.