Deermanagement
Well-Known Member
Btw..... 20" 6.5 Cr Carbon Wolf with LP Titanium mod is the sweetest of rifles to shoot.
6.5 creed for Sika? (🪖💣)
- Thread starter PaddyMac
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PaddyMac
Active Member
Purchased the a new benelli Lupo with Bavarian monte Carlo wood stock in .308 lastnight, the synthetic stock is a lovely weapon also... Must have took me an hour to decide but in the end the feel of the wood swayed me..
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ChesterP
Well-Known Member
6.5 CM +140 SST's driven at 2700fps will take all UK species with proper bullet placement and is a recognised effective combination. As others have said, very accurate (I get match accuracy with these bullets in mine), high BC means less affected by wind, and more choice of factory ammo in many places over other 6.5's presently due to popularity. I suspect those still using the "man bun needed" type comments are in one of two camps: 1. Those that haven't tried it yet and are just making tiresome comments and 2. Tongue in cheek just for the Craig. Nothing wrong with the Swede which has been doing the job on Elk for probably a century now but CM has advantages, is a little cheaper to load for and is high pressure in all factory loads. Short action is another advantage as is the retention of sight picture. I use both it and the 308, love both cals and there's really nothing to chose between them for UK hunting other than the 6.5 is more pleasant to shoot, has less muzzle blast, less recoil and is popular for a reason. Nothing wrong with 260 Rem either which in some ways was doomed due to being released almost too early on, when introduced being the new kid on the block wasn't taken up in anything like the same numbers as the popular 6.5CM. Because of that and more sales of the 6.5CM than any of the 6.5 Chamberings today you're far more likely to find more new rifles and factory ammo in 6.5CM.
If I wanted one rifle to do it all, I think starting from scratch today, I'd buy the 6.5CM and use it for everything. However, the modern "Classic three" which I use to cover all bases includes 223 Rem, 6.5CM and .308. All short action, all with plenty of ammo availability, all versatile and each better suited to specific tasks. 308 still comes in handy when the odd boar opportunity might arise.
If I wanted one rifle to do it all, I think starting from scratch today, I'd buy the 6.5CM and use it for everything. However, the modern "Classic three" which I use to cover all bases includes 223 Rem, 6.5CM and .308. All short action, all with plenty of ammo availability, all versatile and each better suited to specific tasks. 308 still comes in handy when the odd boar opportunity might arise.
Alces Alces
Well-Known Member
Agreed, an October Sika Stag is a formidable beast that is full of testosterone and adrenalin. Shooting a Sika Stag with a perfect heart shot is like releasing a fully blown up unknotted balloon, around a room. I used to regularly use a .243 on all beasts but opted for a 30.06 for rutting Sika Stags, after witnessing some incredible distances travelled by beasts that including jumping fences when shot with a .243 in the boiler room!
This is the direction I went in, .223 for cheaper shortish range target shooting, smaller deer and vermin. From the 6.5 and .308 I wanted a rifle for larger deer & AOLQ and a rifle for longer range target. I wasn't particularly fussed at the time which calibre did what and I had 6.5 without specific chambering on ticket, so could have gone CM or Swede or any other chambering in 6.5. A .308 stalking rifle cam my way at a very good price. Once that was bought I opted for 6.5CM for the reasons discussed already in the thread.
so much rubbish about Sika , they die just fine with 80 plus lead bullets in 243 win std broadside shots the works, including Big Stags in their prime . I personally use 260 rem 100 grain TTSX copper at 3300 fps No problem at all ranges , actually get few death runs and when i do they are short . talking large deer
If you follow the deer act then that is more than ample ( though roe in England and wales do not need 243 win minium , they die just like Scottish Roe with a 222 and a 50 grain )
If you follow the deer act then that is more than ample ( though roe in England and wales do not need 243 win minium , they die just like Scottish Roe with a 222 and a 50 grain )
Hook'N'Bullet
Well-Known Member
I H/L shot 5 (not many by some) rutting Sika stags this year with factory .308 150g Sako Super Hammerheads. All between 150 and 200 meters. I think only one didn't keel over on the spot. He made it about 5 meters. The rest dropped like a sack of spuds.
Bad shooting , placement choice or poor bullets ! I have shot Giant Sika in the Rut most of them with .243 . Average run would be measured best in feet
Alces Alces
Well-Known Member
I suspect everything you shoot is 'Giant' and bigger and better than the average person!
I just read an interesting comment on Facebook from a chap who likes blood trailing deer with his dogs. It went something like this (not word for word) … I wish everyone used a 243 or 6.5 mm as these by far give more blood trails than any other calibre!!
Food for thought !
Food for thought !
I’ve shot sika with 6.5x55, 25-06, 308 and 7mm RM.
Chest shooting a pumped up sika stag with any and you’ll be blood trailing for several hundred yards possibly, but I’d say the RM put them down faster than the other 3. If I was just on sika and reds I’d be leaning towards slightly more horsepower. That being said I also think a lot of the bad press with 6.5 is based on the woeful factory ‘55 rounds that typically run shy of the fairly paltry speeds quoted! Creed should be much better, as is a ‘55 with home loads.
Nowadays it’s pin or neck/head shots on sika in the thick cover I typically get them in. Following blood for hours gets old, quick.
Chest shooting a pumped up sika stag with any and you’ll be blood trailing for several hundred yards possibly, but I’d say the RM put them down faster than the other 3. If I was just on sika and reds I’d be leaning towards slightly more horsepower. That being said I also think a lot of the bad press with 6.5 is based on the woeful factory ‘55 rounds that typically run shy of the fairly paltry speeds quoted! Creed should be much better, as is a ‘55 with home loads.
Nowadays it’s pin or neck/head shots on sika in the thick cover I typically get them in. Following blood for hours gets old, quick.
Utectok
Well-Known Member
In general I’d say lighter bullets say 100-120gn work better in 6.5 calibre rifles at least the non magnum calibres. The breakthrough for me was using yew tree tlr which has given me a lot of confidence in the calibre in terms of dispatching deer and most ranges. I think that bullet choice is at least as important as calibre and if your pushing the wrong bullet it doesn’t matter if it’s a rem mag or a 223 it’s still going to struggle.
I now almost exclusively shoot a 6.5x55 on reds and roe and some sika. Pretty much good bullet placements job done out to 350m or so.
I now almost exclusively shoot a 6.5x55 on reds and roe and some sika. Pretty much good bullet placements job done out to 350m or so.
Hook'N'Bullet
Well-Known Member
Might happen if you shoot them with an FMJ
I've never had to track a Sika deer more than 30 yards with a .308Bang flops all round
I kind of giggle at some of the comments about needing more velocity for the likes of Sika.
I shoot majority Sika but I also shoot a large amount of red . Not one has failed to drop with the 6.5 creed , I haves mates in the US that shoot Elk out to 750yrds with 6.5creed. I am sorry I think unless you have culled alot with 6.5creedmoor you won't really know its potential.
I use 6.5 creed and .270 both accurate for what is needed . The 6.5 creed is more efficient than the .270 in many ways but the both have their plus sides and very few downsides
Use what you like to use and feel comfortable.
I shoot majority Sika but I also shoot a large amount of red . Not one has failed to drop with the 6.5 creed , I haves mates in the US that shoot Elk out to 750yrds with 6.5creed. I am sorry I think unless you have culled alot with 6.5creedmoor you won't really know its potential.
I use 6.5 creed and .270 both accurate for what is needed . The 6.5 creed is more efficient than the .270 in many ways but the both have their plus sides and very few downsides
Use what you like to use and feel comfortable.
Utectok
Well-Known Member
enjoy
PaddyMac
Active Member
Cheers lad
Heym SR20
Well-Known Member
Any deer legal calibre rifle with an appropriate choice of bullet is perfectly capable of taking any UK deer species with a quick and humane kill.
Choosing a bullet that combines good penetration and expansion for any shot through the boiler room is key. Not choice of cartridge.
Choosing a bullet that combines good penetration and expansion for any shot through the boiler room is key. Not choice of cartridge.
Might happen if you shoot them with an FMJ
Bang flops all round
Fair enough, if that’s your experience.
I used to shoot sika near Tarbert with a few lads that had a lot of stalking there. When they asked what I’d brought (308, 150gn) they rolled their eyes. Said it was the worst for runners. Their opinion was velocity was key. I’m not here to tell you that is gospel but they shot more than most so I wasn’t in the position to argue.
I can say that rutting sika stags have been the bane of my life for runners, hours of searching, seen several heart shot do 300m plus into Sitka, which elicited the shot placement I mentioned
. The worst I had was with 120g 25-06, a stag I had called, bumped then re-called and chest shot. Looked for 3 hours, found it but was very close to quitting.Similar threads
