Best all-round “calibre” aka chambering…

Foxyboy43

Foxyboy43

Well-Known Member
Much has been said on this and other (spit) sites about the “best” chambering for all UK deer. Many elderly be-kilted SD types vouch for the .270 whilst some of the younger (obviously) non-binary types wax their legs lyrical about something called the Creedmoor. Personally, apart from the shorter action/case the latter offers nothing over the Real Man’s 6.5x55SE or even the good ol’ fashioned .260 - unless you have a machine gun of course…
Sooo do tell me why the 6.5x55SE doesn’t reign supreme, go on I dare you?
🦊🦊
 
The 6.5x55, shot it for nearly two decades and still do, reigned supreme with lead based bullets, hand loaded with bullets such as the 140g nosler partition. It still reigns supreme in Scandinavian with 156g bullets. US factory ammo is anaemic at best and should be avoided at all cost - due to legal fear of blowing people up using small ring Mauser actions which can’t handle modern pressure loads.

With copper, 100 and 123g offerings it still performs amicably.

I love the 7x57 and think that moving to non-toxic, it potentially is the optimal cartridge for spanning the transition from lead to non-toxic with lead, it delivers excellent ballistic and terminal performance from 140g to 173g bullets. Great for target shooting and stalking alike, and nothing looks prettier than 7x57 engraved or stamped on a good Mauser 98 action.
 
I loved my Swede FB. I think to many look at the numbers and think more is better.
Unfortunately they are selling themselves short. The Swede has plenty legs and with them long bullets will go plenty deep. Excellent for varmints with 90gn v max.
 
I've used various 6.5x55's for 17 years now; currently a Tikka T3X. It's shot all species except CWD, and has proved very effective when culling red hinds on the hill.
 
MarinePMI said:
6.5x55 has declined because many factory loadings are anemic due to the possibility of being used in older firearms.
Click to expand...
That pretty much refers to the old military “Swedes” which have lower proofing but the modern SE is a fantastic chambering - if it drops moose and elk it must be heap good medicine…
🦊🦊
 
For years Remington core lokt, federal powershock and such were almost the only offerings on UK shelves in 6.5x55, if they had any! This US ammo was loaded down so much several of my rifles would have protruding primers after firing, only with US ammo for that reason. Lots of runners / dead runs with deer.

For years I would custom order 140g Norma Vulcan, oryx and then hand load partitions when Norma stupidly moved their 6.5 offering to 156g, again, creating a lot of dead runs.

I believe the new SKAN is more a high pressure target round than a hunting round.

I have a long funny love hate relationship with the 6.5x55, but have to say, if buying another 6.5 as a new rifle, I would probably go with a more commercial cartridge on a short action. If and when i re barrel my tikka m65, it will either be another swede or 7x57
 
Doesn't the Creedmore have tighter chamber tolerances and so is potentially more accurate?

How do you define best?
Velocity
Bullet weight
Energy
Accuracy
Efficiency
Oh it's the cartridge I use

I have used #### since 1978 in 3 rifles, yet haven't refused to shoot a rifle in that calibre and one a student the other with the scope set so far back it hit me forehead.
 
Foxyboy43 said:
Much has been said on this and other (spit) sites about the “best” chambering for all UK deer. Many elderly be-kilted SD types vouch for the .270 whilst some of the younger (obviously) non-binary types wax their legs lyrical about something called the Creedmoor. Personally, apart from the shorter action/case the latter offers nothing over the Real Man’s 6.5x55SE or even the good ol’ fashioned .260 - unless you have a machine gun of course…
Sooo do tell me why the 6.5x55SE doesn’t reign supreme, go on I dare you?
🦊🦊
Click to expand...
Fighting talk and nonsense :lol: If the Creed was so bad why is it so popular? I appreciate we are more accepting as a society and thats probably why :)👍

In reality there is so little difference with the 6.5s ...but Creed is best ...so suck it up :lol:
 
dunwater said:
I have a Swede and a .270, theres a noticeable difference in performance between them.
The Swede is easy to shoot, the .270 hits harder, you can see the difference.
Click to expand...
I had CM and .270 for several years - as you say, a clear difference.

I wouldn’t say one is ‘better’ - they do different jobs. One is more suited to general purpose use in farmland and woodland where roe predominate. The other is more suited to focussed culling open hill or clear fell where things like sika predominate.
 
Geese, whatever a pumpkin spiced late is (sounds utterly disgusting) and changing seasons, personally I really like the 7x57, but for a really good all round cartridge that will take any deer or big game in Europe, and most things in Africa that don’t need a 375 H&H minimum then the old 7x64 deserves a close look.

7x64 and sister 7x65R have always been a fast twist of c 1in 8” (but usually closest metric equivalent). They were designed and chambered to shoot long round nosed 173 gn Brenneke style partition bullets (these were around long before the Nosler Partition). They shoot very well with long ballistically efficient 140 grain solid copper bullets with good enough velocities so that they work well down range. And yet they don’t push these at such high velocities that they make a mess of smaller deer at closer range.

The 7x64 pretty much mimics the trajectory of the 270, whilst giving more the terminal impact of 30-06. And its recoil is much more of a shove, than the snap of a 270, and more comfortable than the 30-06.

No they don’t fit short actions, but then the likes of the Tikka T3x is a long action regardless of cartridge so you may as well make use of the length.

The 7x64 is very popular in Europe, but has never been at all popular in the UK.

Saying that, a properly loaded 7x57 will do the same job. The 7x57 has been let down by cheap (no longer) anaemic American sourced ammo. - same story as the 6.5x55.
 
Pretty much all the mainstream UK cartridges ie 243Win, 270 win and 308win are all fine with non lead bullets.
6.5x55, 7x57 mauser, 30-06, 8x57 Mauser, 9.3x62 also generally no big surprises.
I have a 6.5x55 and 2 308's.
Best allrounder I would say is the 308win.
The Swede needs a longish barrel to perform optimally. I made the mistake of shortening mine to 53 cm. Suffice to say when it gets rebarrelled it will be 24".
triggertrix said:
For years Remington core lokt, federal powershock and such were almost the only offerings on UK shelves in 6.5x55, if they had any! This US ammo was loaded down so much several of my rifles would have protruding primers after firing, only with US ammo for that reason. Lots of runners / dead runs with deer.

For years I would custom order 140g Norma Vulcan, oryx and then hand load partitions when Norma stupidly moved their 6.5 offering to 156g, again, creating a lot of dead runs.

I believe the new SKAN is more a high pressure target round than a hunting round.

I have a long funny love hate relationship with the 6.5x55, but have to say, if buying another 6.5 as a new rifle, I would probably go with a more commercial cartridge on a short action. If and when i re barrel my tikka m65, it will either be another swede or 7x57
Click to expand...
Screenshot_20251007_120828_Google.webp

Same same but different. Clear as mud 🤣
 
dunwater said:
I have a Swede and a .270, theres a noticeable difference in performance between them.
The Swede is easy to shoot, the .270 hits harder, you can see the difference.
Click to expand...

Did you need justification for two centerfires?

I've a .308 but wanting another chambering probably either 6.5 PRC or .270. My super seems to be a bit of a nit picker. Has cut my ammo allowance from 500 to 150 on my last renewal.
 
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