6.5 for fox

d foxxer

Well-Known Member
i am a foxer at heart but just applied for variation for a 6.5 x 55 as i would like to get into the stalking game
i normally shoot 223 but might sell it because dont really want to run two centerfires i was reading a post
by someone who says many deem the 6.5 as not good for foxing apperently one went as far as to say that its
a worse than usless caliber for fox i find things like this intresting reading and would like to hear from the many
as to why in their opinion the 6.5 is not suitable also would like to read from those who are for the 6.5 iam not trying
to open a can of worms i find that by reading differing opinions much can be learnt over to you gents
 
I have a 6 1/2 and it's suitable for anything in the UK. If you shoot urban foxes you may want to go light say 100 grain BT just for added safety but remember what ever caliber you use you must have a SAFE BACKSTOP!
 
Foxxer
you will find many on here who are probably mainly keyboard worriers who like to think themselves Experts :-|
The real people who shoot a lot dont bother going on about calibres it gets boring:zzz:
All calibres send lead out in an arc and if you shoot at moderate range all are very similer.
6.5 seems to be a widley used very versitile cal coping well with wide range of loads it is comfortable to shoot
Yes it is a good all round cal is accepted on every estate I know of from munties to big reds for deer.
many proffesionals use it.I have tried all sorts over the past 40yrs and its the first out of the cabinate most of the time pointed in the right direction it will do all you need :old:
 
I've used a 6.5x55 with 95gn vmax on fox and it was fine, as deer man says just watch your backstop as you will mostly get an exit with them.
If you are comparing it to something like a 22/250 with vmax where all the energy is dumped in the fox and the bullet doesnt exit then it won't be as good but 6.5 is a good fox/deer bullet
 
I've used a 6.5x55 with 95gn vmax on fox and it was fine, as deer man says just watch your backstop as you will mostly get an exit with them.
If you are comparing it to something like a 22/250 with vmax where all the energy is dumped in the fox and the bullet doesnt exit then it won't be as good but 6.5 is a good fox/deer bullet
Out of interest what powder you using for the Vmax,

kindest regards
Garry
 
I've used a 6.5x55 with 95gn vmax on fox and it was fine, as deer man says just watch your backstop as you will mostly get an exit with them.
If you are comparing it to something like a 22/250 with vmax where all the energy is dumped in the fox and the bullet doesnt exit then it won't be as good but 6.5 is a good fox/deer bullet

+1 on this. I loaded 95g VMAX for my 6.5 with full laod of varget (obviously worjked up to that load0. It shoots sub moa at 200 yards and has a manageable drop out to 300 yards. I ahev shot peltny of foxes with it, but they do exit and pretty much cuts a fox in half at ranges upto 140 yards so you need to be careful where you use it. I use my 22.250 (and about to get a 204 too) for most of the land I shoot at but will still use the 6.5 on one particualr piece of land thats out in the wild very windy and shooting foxes at long range. Obviously the round is much slower that a 22.250 which on a twitchy fox at sub 150 yards isnt ideal. I like to hear the impact as soon as I have touched the trigger but at 200 yards with the 6.5 you can obviously hear the round travelling out to its target (at night). I woudnt say its the ideal foxing round but its certainly more than capable in the right circumstances.
 
I use 100gr Sierra Varminters from my 6.5x55, they shoot to the same point of aim as my 129gr SST's at 100yds. It is an excellent calibre for just about anything in the UK. It will do the job.


Some folks get hung up over FPS and have to have the fastest bullet out there. Personally I only carry one rifle at a time and the 6.5 will do the job nicely. I would have bought a .308 to start with if my Firearms Department had let me have it for fox too, but the largest calibre they would let me have for fox and deer was a 6.5, so that is what I bought.


Simon
 
thanks to all who replied especially about the bullet exit luckily i know my patch well and always bait up in front of a good back stop
i will load light for fox any one know whats the lightest bullet i could use for fox with 1in 8 twist
 
Not sure about the absolute lightest you could use but I load sierra varmint 85 grain in my 6.5x55 for fox, shooting less than an inch at 100m no problem.

Rifle is a Tikka T3 Varmint and my load is:
VV N150 - 44.5 grains
Lapua Brass
CCI 200 LR Primer
OAL 70mm
Velocity 1000m/s

Here's a link to the VihtaVuori reloading data:
http://www.lapua.com/en/products/reloading/vihtavuori-reloading-data/relodata/5

yes, I think the 85g is the lightest ive seen. Must be nice adn fast and realatively and flat shooting that.
 
I dont think foxes will know the difference between 85gn and 135gn.

never seen a fox get up and run from a 130gn 270 bullet when used.

think people get hung up on super fast and frangible rounds for foxes.
this is an idea populated by the manufacturers and the "Varmint brigade". stalkers have been shooting foxes with stalking ammunition and calibres for centuries.

Get your bullet placement right and any stalking calibre will be effective on foxes
 
thanks gents i will keep all the info you posted and try the suggestions you all sent many thanks
 
Get your bullet placement right and any stalking calibre will be effective on foxes
Just try getting a stalking calibre for fox as a first use, in any of the less educated counties, where we "Stalker/Varminters" shoot fox around three nights a week, & have had to develop fast & frangible .223's to make headway.
 
i use a .223 55gr for foxing, excellent round, but will be changing my .243 for a 6.5 x 55 shortly - a decent load for foxing is it around 85 grn on a BT I will be reloading the 6.5 instead of shop ammo any one got any loading data for fox and deer loads that would suit SAKO 85 I guess loads could be circa 85, 120 and 140 grn to cover all

Any advice would be greatly appreciated to get me on my way
 
After a fair amount of research into a one-size-fits-all cal for fox and deer I settled on a 6.5x55 as the idea of running two CF rifles didn't seem like a good financial or logistical idea. Now, as much as i'd like start re-loading I simply haven't motivated myself having recently sourced some pretty decent eastern european factory stuff for £20 a box (a snip to the £40+ federal 140's) so maybe my experience and view arn't from the same angle. Sourcing even a limited range of factory 6.5 flavour ammo - anywhere - was a ball ache and it is a case of take what you can get (and get your pants pulled down in the process). Whilst i haven't shot loads of fox's with the 6.5 I have found 'over-penetration' a issue on occasion where a) the fox didn't go well and b) the bullet had legs on the other side - obviously into a safe back-stop and all but thats not the point - we all know what funny things bullets do sometimes doing things that defy logic and physics and I sure being a foxer 1st, stalker second you'll know that a fair few are accounted for amongst livestock.

I've got a .223 and 6.5 now - sometimes i've got one when I wish I had the other but thats life.
 
i see yokels point about over penetration and thats why i choose to reload with a lighter varmint bt bullet and hopefully

minimise the the chance of o p someone will have already tried this and hopefully chime in with the results
 
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