Perfect Roe Caliber
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alberta boy
Well-Known Member
Out of curiosity , when will non-lead bullets become mandatory in the UK ? Sorry for the derail .
AB
A Guy Out West
Well-Known Member
It is perfect, and you can use it on stag if you get the chance.
Your experiences are very interesting and I do not doubt them for a second but having shot Roe for the last 10 years or so with a 6.5x47 I can’t help but be surprised. In my opinion it is a step up from a 243 but is no more than that. I suspect the TMK may be extremely frangible. I have not seen excessive meat damage from 120g Pro-hunters or 120g Nosler BT. In my mind the 47 is definitely not a giant killer or a long range hunting round par excellence. Efficient, yes.... capable, yes... accurate, definitely, but hits noticeably less hard than my 308 or 7mm RM. I see it as a short action 6.5x55. Would I shoot Red with it, yes I would, but if I am specifically after Red deer I take something bigger. To get back and answer the OP question, I think the 6.5x47 is a perfect cartridge for Roe. Just my two penneth for what it is worth
welshwarrior
Well-Known Member
222 if we could use it but any deer legal round you can shoot comfortably and accurately I like my venerable 308 but if you like modern rounds 7.6 Creedmoor is a perfect alternative
Reiver Boy
Well-Known Member
I get 2930fps, in a 20" 6.5x47 Lap with Nosler 120BT and RS60 (100%burn), this cartridge punches above its weight with the right projectile.
Well, for my two-peneth worth here I have long fancied a strongly chambered modern rifle in 257 Roberts caliber, perhaps even an "Improved" version, but that requires a lot of additional work feeding the beast so I'd have to think hard about that - I have a .22 K-Hornet so I know a bit about the good and bad (and ugly) of having an improved chambering...
That would be MY suggestion to having a 'Roe Specific' caliber rifle. From what I have read about the 257 Roberts it is a very capable cartridge for medium game sized critters, and has a reputation for being one of those "special" inherently accurate rifle calibers - coincidentally a bit like the .22 KH I have and spoke of above..
My comment about requiring (wanting) this in a modern, strongly chambered rifle is that, a bit like the 6.5x55 Swede I also feed, the over the counter rounds are loaded moderately to pay due homage to the older rifle chamberings as it is an old girl too!.. With a modern rifle, if you feel the need, one can stretch the legs of this caliber quite a bit with +P+ loadings should the need arise, or the original quiet loadings can be used and give many more years of life to the rifle barrel .. Up to the user...
ATB ....... and shoot safely
That would be MY suggestion to having a 'Roe Specific' caliber rifle. From what I have read about the 257 Roberts it is a very capable cartridge for medium game sized critters, and has a reputation for being one of those "special" inherently accurate rifle calibers - coincidentally a bit like the .22 KH I have and spoke of above..
My comment about requiring (wanting) this in a modern, strongly chambered rifle is that, a bit like the 6.5x55 Swede I also feed, the over the counter rounds are loaded moderately to pay due homage to the older rifle chamberings as it is an old girl too!.. With a modern rifle, if you feel the need, one can stretch the legs of this caliber quite a bit with +P+ loadings should the need arise, or the original quiet loadings can be used and give many more years of life to the rifle barrel .. Up to the user...
ATB ....... and shoot safely
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I shoot a 30-06 with 165 grain bullets doing about 2700fps. This does the trick very nice and seems to be less destructive than my mates 308 with his chosen load of 150 grain at I think closer to 3000fps. I have never had a mess of a carcass even at less than 20m from the high seat.
That said I think the ideal roe calibre would be 222 or 223 and it irritates me greatly that I can’t use one legally. I’d be straight out to buy a nice light cz527 in 223 if the law changed!
That said I think the ideal roe calibre would be 222 or 223 and it irritates me greatly that I can’t use one legally. I’d be straight out to buy a nice light cz527 in 223 if the law changed!
You should have a word with Scrumbag of this parish. He is a great fan of the 257 Roberts. (He has a very nice one built on a commercial FN mauser action. Not that I am at all jealous you understand)
David.
I've shot roe with 222rem, 5.6x50r, 243,6mm rem, 6.5x55, 7-08, 7x57, 308 and 30-06.
Of those, the ones I've used in volume are 243, 6.5x55 and 7-08.
Both the 6.5 and the 7-08 recoiled more, dropped more (only a little bit) and damaged the carcass considerably more without bringing any benefits at all for me. I don't download, and don't want to shoot monometal.
222 and 5.6 were lovely to shoot but lung shots took noticeably longer to go down compared to a 243.
243 with a quality 85-90gr bullet is very hard to beat
Of those, the ones I've used in volume are 243, 6.5x55 and 7-08.
Both the 6.5 and the 7-08 recoiled more, dropped more (only a little bit) and damaged the carcass considerably more without bringing any benefits at all for me. I don't download, and don't want to shoot monometal.
222 and 5.6 were lovely to shoot but lung shots took noticeably longer to go down compared to a 243.
243 with a quality 85-90gr bullet is very hard to beat
ChesterP
Well-Known Member
I shoot lots of Munty and now use exclusively the .223 for that. I tried the .308 in 150gr/2650fps lowish loadings but even those created too much mess, with hydraulic shock at close range (sub 100m) causing even well aimed engine room shots to more than occasionally rupture the rumen. The .223 drops them cleanly with little mess and I have not had any runners yet...I probably will in time as the law of averages apply, but a switch to HILAR and a .223 55grn to 65grn Gameking from an accurate, low recoiling chambering are what I now favour. It's a great pity that the .223 is not Roe legal in England and Wales, with the Home office ignorance stuck on out-dated "minimum energy" guesswork instead of recognising that scientific papers demonstrate anatomical reaction to well aimed shots from calibres such as the .222 and .223 are more than adequate to humanely dispatch all of the UKs small deer at reasonable ranges. Until they recognise this and align us with the more sensible Scottish take on minimum requirements, I stick with my 6.5 or .308 both using soft loads for Roe.
I think I might put in for a variation for a "Bob" so I can steal that rifle!I find the Roberts does shoot.
3 larger holes in the larger diamond are 257 Roberts with 120gr Nosler Partitions loaded by Federal. Got rifle out slip, rifle on bench, put 3 in mag, shot 3 not particularly slowly. Decided rifle zeroed and no further shots required...
David.
Curve ball here.
Keep the 270 and wear ear defenders as well if that is the issue. They have the added benefit of keeping your ears warm in the winter and if you get the battery ones it is amazing what you can hear through them. You can also turn down the sound of those flippin pheasants first thing in the morning and the racket they make.
Keep the 270 and wear ear defenders as well if that is the issue. They have the added benefit of keeping your ears warm in the winter and if you get the battery ones it is amazing what you can hear through them. You can also turn down the sound of those flippin pheasants first thing in the morning and the racket they make.
I find the Roberts does shoot.
3 larger holes in the larger diamond are 257 Roberts with 120gr Nosler Partitions loaded by Federal. Got rifle out slip, rifle on bench, put 3 in mag, shot 3 not particularly slowly. Decided rifle zeroed and no further shots required...
Hi 'scumbag'.. Another regular posting shooter on here suggested I contact you about the love of this rifle caliber.. I have ALWAYS wanted a decent quality hunting rifle in this. Have read a load about it over many years and pretty much ALL the critique has been GOOD as long as with any other caliber, it is used SENSIBLY. It (a .257 Roberts rifle) is FIRMLY on my "Wish List" and is at the No.1 spot there for me at resent!!
That "other shooter" I mentioned did say that you had a particularly NICE quality version.. Any picies for my 'Shooting Porn' photo directory to oblige me with an occasional drooling session please mate?? P.M. might be more appropriate so as not to hijack this thread...
ATB ..... and shoot safely
Perfect Roe Calibre (assuming it's your main species)...oh god! LOL
if you don't reload, .243...if you reload .243, 257 or 7x57
I'm not a fan of the 6.5mm bullet range for roe as I find the weight is in the bullets length and not in width, so unless you use a destructive bullet (there's already very little meat on a Roe deer!),,then IMHO and VAST experience with the 6.5, long dead runs are far too common, and factory ammo tend to be heavy for calibre,,,and whilst I like heavy for calibre, it's the 6.5's enemy for hunting rounds...MANY will disagree with me on this, but I will disagree with them and stand by my observations and experiences.
I'm sure our resident expert on everything and wants everyone to know it (dodyknees), will come along soon and tell me I'm completely crazy and he's right...LOL...
if you don't reload, .243...if you reload .243, 257 or 7x57
I'm not a fan of the 6.5mm bullet range for roe as I find the weight is in the bullets length and not in width, so unless you use a destructive bullet (there's already very little meat on a Roe deer!),,then IMHO and VAST experience with the 6.5, long dead runs are far too common, and factory ammo tend to be heavy for calibre,,,and whilst I like heavy for calibre, it's the 6.5's enemy for hunting rounds...MANY will disagree with me on this, but I will disagree with them and stand by my observations and experiences.
I'm sure our resident expert on everything and wants everyone to know it (dodyknees), will come along soon and tell me I'm completely crazy and he's right...LOL...
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