6.5x55 or .243?

[Overlay]

in a nutshell the 6.5 has a greater range of bullets weights my one i use 120 and 165 and they both shoot extremely well and have tremendous knockdown capabilities
.243 again a lovely caliber 57 hrn BT for foxing and 100 grn SP for deer - both are good calibers

downside the 6.5 SP perform better if you use BT expect carcase damage. .243. 100 grn SP will render a leg to mush if you catch it on the way through.
it seems the lesser the caliber more damage ???

overall the 6.5 is the more versatile on bullet weights and hits harder it’s suitable for all deer species IMHO ahead of the 243

243 is easy to shoot cheaper to feed and a decent round. i use my 243 on Roe and Muntjac. the swede on any species

 

[User00025]

Thanks for all the replies guys! Really appreciate it. The only other caliber I’m looking into at the moment is a 25-06 but search engine isn’t coming up with any goods!

25.06 Is a good calibre for all deer but you have a .270 so why a 25.06.
If you were just after one all rounder for deer I would go 7 x 57 or 6.5 x 55.
A good vermin killer all rounder would have to be a .222.

 

[enfieldspares]

I'd simply look at "managed recoil" factory ammunition, or reload to such, for your .270 and be done with it. I think that there are 100 grain bullets available in .277''?

 

[Edinburgh Rifles]

Maybe chose it on which bullets you want to shoot rather than caliber. If in doubt, go for the Swede!

This^

You don't say where you are shooting or what spec the rifle is that you would like.

if Scotland or England the requirements change the spec on offer

100gr .243 ammo is a bit anaemic as the rifle in 1:10" was designed to throw 50-80gr pills at 3000fps or more
when upped to heavy/long for calibre in Scotland Red Deer Legal and 100gr form it is out of its comfort and efficiency zone
A 90gr bullet is a much better option

Homeloading will give a wider range of performance

The 6.5x55 is also relatively anaemic in factory form due to the lower pressure rating the cartridge carries
in practice it is much more capable than the circa 2400-2750 MVs the factory ammo has.
Easily stoked up to 260Rem levels in a modern rifle with good component choice.


I am not a believer in the 243 being the all round deer rifle the Police and Home Office would have you believe it is.
Whilst it is used extensively and extremely effectively in the right hands, those hands tend to be very experienced, volume users
It is not the best option as a single cartridge for large UK species

But for a cartridge between 270 to 22-250 it does work

 

[James0586]

I have shot both and then bought my 6.5x55 it uses 140 gr SST Hornady and nothing to date hasn’t dropped on the spot. In my opinion it’s violent on muntjac but great for everything else. It dropped a large red hind at 180metres (engine room) as if it didn’t exist however it’s where you hit them that counts.

The biggest question I would be asking myself is why do I need it?

Surely your .270 is all you need for deer.

 

[Overlay]

270 is a cracking calibre in all respects

I used to shoot the calibre many years ago in Scotland, no moderator it kicked like a mule, it was a BSA model although accurate you knew you’d shot it after 4 - 5 rounds off the reel

I shot a Roe doe in Scotland with it, the shot was slightly out as the deer was at an angle the shot took out both front legs and the chest front big time

I then changed to the .243 and over the years have deer calibres .222 Muntie and foxes, 243 Roe and Muntie, 6.5 and .308 for any species. General layman calibres but all do the job

I’ve found the ammunition each calibre likes and only reload for the 6.5 now, as factory Ammo suits the other three calibers for accuracy and performance, if the rifle will sub an inch at a 100 it will grass anything

Settle on the calibre you like and shoot well, the three largest species the 6.5 will not let you down

With my 6.5 I shot it out to 250 in increments and got used to the bullet weight and for each distance once you link up with rifle it will serve you well

The swede is a cracking calibre

 

[Blobby159]

The swede is a cracking calibre[/QUOTE]

Indeed it is, as long as bullet choice is considered and adhered to...

ATB..... and shoot safely.

 

[ejg]

I'd prefer the 243, which is perfect for long range fox and small deer. The 6.5x55 is neither this nor that, neither short nor long action.... not a proper foxing cal and not a proper deer cal either. Some of our guides won't take you out with the 6.5x55, in Germany some won't let you shoot boar with it. If one chooses a deer rifle one might as well go 7-08 upwards. Several of our German customers have had a stint with 6.5x55/6.5Creedmoor and have changed again back to 308 because they were not happy with the performance.
edi

 

[James0586]

Ejg I don’t agree with it’s not a proper deer calibre.
6.5x55 out performs a .243 hands down on knock down power alone. I know of estates in Scotland where the .243 is inadequate for the size of the deer?
Your guides won’t take people out with a 6.5 is very strange.

 

[ejg]

James I did not mean in comparison, the 243 would have an ideal role as foxing, small deer rifle. Don't rate the 243 for larger deer. The 6.5x55 is neither ideal as a foxing rifle nor a large deer rifle, too much for one too little for the other. OK as a target round but their is better out there too. That the guides don't like the 6.5x55 in certain situations is based on experience. Recon it all depends on where and what one is shooting.
If one is choosing an universal big game rifle that might cover boar in the future or Sika stags in the rut and in heavy cover you are better off choosing neither 243 nor the 6.5x55. Let's face it, many that choose these cartridges only because of the low recoil.
edi

 

[James0586]

Edi, I agree with the .243 as a good small deer rifle. I have shot both boar and large red deer with my 6.5x55 and nothing has stood up to it. The low recoil is a god send I agree. I’m not looking for an argument over it far from it but I feel you are underestimating the capability of the 6.5 slightly. In all honesty my original post I asked why would you need an additional rifle when you have a 22-250 and a 270.
Cheers

 

[Swedish]

6.5x55 is an excellent round for Deer of all sizes, just ask the Scandinavians...
Modern loads for modern rifles can push the energy levels up considerably. Just don't stick 'em in an old Mauser or it might come to bits.

 

[WildBoarHunter]

Here, 6.5 mm and 2500 J at 100 m is the legal minimum for hunting grown up red deer and wild boar. 6 mm and 1800 J at 100 m is legal minimum for hunting yearlings of red deer and wild boar. Some 6.5×55 factory loads achieve 2500 J of energy at 100 m, some don't. Here the 6.5×55 is considered as a minimum for big game hunting. Adequate for still hunting big game from a hide, but not recommended for driven wild boar as the risk of a bad shot placement is always high. I just ordered a spare barrel for my R8 in 6,5×55. And yes, that's because of the low recoil and some health related issues of mine. I do consider the 6.5 adequate for what i need it. I'd say shot placement is more important than caliber. No animal carries a bullet proof vest... And most people shoot more accurately with a caliber that doesn't beat the shooter.

 

[ejg]

James, nothing wrong with 22-250 for fox and Roe, 270 for the bigger stuff. Similar 243 + 308. I have 223, a few 308's, 270's and 300wm. Would need a 243 again for in-between but can't see a use for a 6.5x55 for myself. I know some have issues with recoil and one South African hunting outfit would hand out a 243 for plains game saying it is the largest that most of his customers can handle. The again, I had a 15yr old girl shooting small balloons one after the other with my 300wm. (her father is a SF shooting instructor) One can learn to handle recoil at least to the level of a moderated 270/7-08/308.
edi

 

[User00033]

Ejg I don’t agree with it’s not a proper deer calibre.
6.5x55 out performs a .243 hands down on knock down power alone. I know of estates in Scotland where the .243 is inadequate for the size of the deer?
Your guides won’t take people out with a 6.5 is very strange.

Its all so subjective James. We had an interesting debate with a private hunting outfit that operates on the property adjacent to our previous one, and suggested to them that they put a minimum calibre & cartridge and bullet weight & construction rules on their website, because turning down a guy with a paid up booking after he's driven 6 hours to get there, was likely to result in a very bad review. It did! The shooter had a .22-250, very widely used on deer all over NZ for head and neck shooting. The new guide didn't agree with that, his personal opinion. (The legal minimum here is .222 Remington.) The new guide doesn't work there any more.

My view is that private operations can do what they like. If the country's minimum calibre / weight / energy rules are X, and the private operator says you need Y, then that's up to him. But what needs to be clearly defined is what Y is so interested estate customers understand what is what before the commit.

In Aus for example, the different states have different rules with subtle differences. In Victoria, the minimum calibre for large deer (reds, sambar, rusa) is .270 & 130gr, whereas chital and fallow can be taken with a .243 and 80gr. But because of the differences across the states and the risks of making a licence losing mistake, the SSAA strongly recommend all shooters adopt a .270 as a minimum for all deer. Yet there is one farm in Victoria near Benambra where the owner refuses to allow sambar to be shot with anything less than a .30-06. Just his personal view, up to him!

There is a video from a well known YouTube channel in NZ of two guest shooters being guided for fallow. The first shooter uses a .22-250 to take a fallow, instant death. The second shooter takes a .30-06 and makes a complete hash of it and wounds the animal, which runs off. They didn't find it. Which is my way of saying you can have as many rules as you like, but none of them will ever solve the risk of incompetence.

 

[dlz90]

I try my best not to get sucked into calibre debates but heck I will tell my story anyways, I know a retired forest ranger who used a .243 for all his deer management life Red, Sika, and fallow the forest service offered him a brand new sako 85 in 6.5x55, he tried it for a while but went back to his trusty .243 lakelander very soon afterwards, I asked him why ? he found that in the 40 years he worked with the service the .243 just got the job done and there where no deer anywhere he could not shoot with it he simply could not get on with the swede, a creature of habit maybe but an interesting story non the less.

D

 

[big ears]

James I did not mean in comparison, the 243 would have an ideal role as foxing, small deer rifle. Don't rate the 243 for larger deer. The 6.5x55 is neither ideal as a foxing rifle nor a large deer rifle, too much for one too little for the other. OK as a target round but their is better out there too. That the guides don't like the 6.5x55 in certain situations is based on experience. Recon it all depends on where and what one is shooting.
If one is choosing an universal big game rifle that might cover boar in the future or Sika stags in the rut and in heavy cover you are better off choosing neither 243 nor the 6.5x55. Let's face it, many that choose these cartridges only because of the low recoil.
edi

Not sure this is true I’ve shot a big red stag at 270m with a 6.5x55 it fell easily. The guide I was with was happy with the 6.5 and even a 26-06. Seems your guides are prejudiced only towards a 270!

 

[big ears]

I try my best not to get sucked into calibre debates but heck I will tell my story anyways, I know a retired forest ranger who used a .243 for all his deer management life Red, Sika, and fallow the forest service offered him a brand new sako 85 in 6.5x55, he tried it for a while but went back to his trusty .243 lakelander very soon afterwards, I asked him why ? he found that in the 40 years he worked with the service the .243 just got the job done and there where no deer anywhere he could not shoot with it he simply could not get on with the swede, a creature of habit maybe but an interesting story non the less.

D

Best quote so far. Both are good. Scratch the itch you have, mine was 6.5!

 

[tac29136]

I would go for the 6.5 Swede too. Better all round cartridge for all sizes of deer IMO. Smooth recoil and not too much meat damage.

 

[Blobby159]

I try my best not to get sucked into calibre debates but heck I will tell my story anyways, I know a retired forest ranger who used a .243 for all his deer management life Red, Sika, and fallow the forest service offered him a brand new sako 85 in 6.5x55, he tried it for a while but went back to his trusty .243 lakelander very soon afterwards, I asked him why ? he found that in the 40 years he worked with the service the .243 just got the job done and there where no deer anywhere he could not shoot with it he simply could not get on with the swede, a creature of habit maybe but an interesting story non the less.

D

Hey "diz90"... It is the old "gun fighter" critique isn't it though?....
"Be ESPECIALLY wary of the man who wears/uses just the one gun for he is likely to be VERY competent with that one arm,... so much so in fact that he has found no need to weigh himself down with any more than that one, much favoured and much practice with gun"!!
This translates easily into:-
If one is restricted in use to just the one firearm, the user will become intimately and thoroughly at ease with its use and with it's foibles, strengths and weaknesses and so can maximise its use in any given situation, which could also include passing up a shot at quarry in a less than ideal situations.

ATB ..... and shoot safely.