6.5*55 or 308
- Thread starter DW86
- Start date
pj1
Well-Known Member
toss a coin good idea. i have a 308 wouldnt be without it. have applied for a 6.5 x 55 though so not really much help. personally i find the 308 very effective. Fallow and roe. the 6.5 i always wanted and personally i find nicer to shoot. smoother recoil but then i like light loads in my 12 bore. if your happy with 28 / 32 gm loads in a 12 bore then get the 308. does everything.
i believe home office guidance is 270 and up for boar so 308 it is. having said that a light ballistic tip from a 270 is far from appropriate for boar where as a 156 gn round nose from a 6.5x55 would do the job nicely
i believe home office guidance is 270 and up for boar so 308 it is. having said that a light ballistic tip from a 270 is far from appropriate for boar where as a 156 gn round nose from a 6.5x55 would do the job nicely
Last edited:
For wild boar, I personally think 6.5x55 is on the light side, unless it's shooting from a high seat, and even then, you'd want to head shoot. 308 would be my choice of the two.
It’s a hard choice my dad has 6.5 and his friend has 308.I have shot both and I found 6.5 smooth to shoot but I didn’t find the 308 harsh either as I am not recoil sensitive through shotgun shooting.The general advice I’ve got from stalkers I know is there isn’t enough performance difference to decide.
308 has been highly regarded by most I have spoken to with the ease you can find ammunition. But the people that like the 6.5 really love them.The comments from you guys is making me think 308.
Generally speaking, people always like the rifles they have, that's why they have them, and generally speaking, people tend to recommend the rifles (calibres) they have to other people. It's human nature.
The problem is, you're looking at shooting at opposite ends of the scale, Roe, to boar.
I don't have a 6.5x55, but I do have a 6.5x47, and it does a very good job on deer, but I wouldn't want to use it for boar, unless I was shooting from a high seat, at circa 50m-70m to a feed station. I also use a 7x64 for boar from a high seat, and even with this, I've had more runners than i'm happy with, and that's with a good heart lung shot.
A 308 will do everything, with a wide rand of bullet weights, up to 220g. If you were doing more boar hunting, especially driven, I'd be suggesting a 30-06.
I shoot a fair bit of driven boar
I wouldn't get a 6.5 based on what you are saying about wanting to shoot boar. No doubt 156 grain will knock a boar over but the MV of 6.5 x55 of that weight bullet is about 2500fps, which makes that a fairly limited round especially if you want to shoot stuff at longer ranges. Beauty of a 30-06 or 308 is that you can lob boar weight bullets at a sensible velocity of say 2800fps which means you have an ideal do anything round from close up roe to longer shots on big reds and also world boar.
Claret_Dabbler
Well-Known Member
The 308 is a great round and rarely a bad choice. That said, I have a 6.5x55 and a 30/06.
I’d spend more time thinking about the rifle rather than the calibre. Think about a good trigger, barrel length - not too long, and a stock that fits. If in doubt, buy a Sako or Tikka with a 20” barrel.
I’d spend more time thinking about the rifle rather than the calibre. Think about a good trigger, barrel length - not too long, and a stock that fits. If in doubt, buy a Sako or Tikka with a 20” barrel.
Uncle f
Well-Known Member
Clearly for Uk bore .270 is the minimum I have both .6.5x55 and .308 and both great rounds if you have reds available frequently then I would look at the .308 more favourably but that is not to say the 6.5 won’t do the job because it will you will just have a little more scope and bullett with the .308.
Only my opinion
Only my opinion
Similar threads
