Would you change a .243 for a 6.5x55?

[Thar]

Heym

I believe your decision is the right one.

John

I wanted a yes or no so we had a definitive on your position before I debated the issues around loading your 6.5X55 hotter. There would be no attempt at anything personal if that was your concern, I will assume you class yourself as an experienced homeloader so for you that is a yes then?

Seeing that Heym20 has made his choice does he wish us to continue the debate? Or shall we start a new topic around some of the issues raise in this post? As I still have a few things to clarify with John and other points to raise

Over to you Heym20/John.

But remember as I posted 2 pages earlier.

One thing I will conceded is that I am of the firm opinion, that the most important calibre in stalking is the calibre of the man behind the butt.

Latter I hope

Tahr

 

[Grantoliver]

hi

 

[JAYB]

Heym, that is a very succinct post, how we never sorted that out pages ago is beyond me, but at least we keep everybody thinking.

Thar, I don't know about you but I am sick to death of this post. Heym has come to a conclusion, which if we had anything to do with it is a minor miracle in itself, I think it is time this one was put to bed. I almost hesitate to say this but, raise your new topics and we shall see what mayhem we can cause then

John

 

[Davie]

May i come in here as i am just off the vit vuri page and a statement made earlier with regards smaller engines not producing higher power i feel might be well off the mark . But again the vit site might be well out of date and the editor might have been one Richard Prior. So here we go my mate !Has just got a 6.5 284 and when he looked at the stats he says it out performs the .270 now i might be wrong but i checked and it did and it has a smaller bullet and a smaller case slightly.
I also have shot a 270 wsm it looked very much a smaller case than the .270 i have but i was told it out shot it with a smaller case so if? this is true then just like cars smaller engines can well out perform larger ones.

If this is to far away from the deerstalking we love just pull the thread

 

[Heym SR20]

Grant,

I will give those federal 80 grainers a go on the Roe, am currently using 100 gn RWS. What are they like on hinds, although technically and legally they are too small. But then statistically 50% of 100 gn bullets will also be below the 100 gn minimum allowed in Scotland.

By the way the 6.5x55 rifle that whetted my appetite and thus sparked the debate is a Medwell & Perret custom rifle coming up for auction in the forthcoming Holts auction - http://213.219.62.57/asp/fullCatalogue.asp?salelot=1021++++1104+&refno=+++19643&saletype=

Nice looking rifle, particularly if there were not many bidders!

 

[Thar]

So here we go my mate !Has just got a 6.5 284 and when he looked at the stats he says it out performs the .270 now i might be wrong but i checked and it did and it has a smaller bullet and a smaller case slightly.

If this is to far away from the deerstalking we love just pull the thread

I was going to let this topic drop but as "6.5X55" is back and not letting go oh well.

6.5X55 not trying to get this post pulled before I could put you right are you?

Using your data from the Vit' site gives max’ data for the 6.5-284 using 139gn bullet with a 26” barrel achieving velocity of nearly 3000fps.

There is lots of data available for the 270 using 140gn bullet with a 24” barrel achieving velocity of 3000fps.

So one rifle has a 24 barrel one has a 26 barrel both the same velocity now tell us all which is the most powerful?

PS I have 3 mates that use 6.5X284

Heaven help me, you think educating kids is hard.

Yes you are wrong.

Tahr

 

[300wsm]

6.5,

A 270WSM case has approximately 12% more case capacity than a 270win.

A 6.5-284 also has approximately 12% more case capacity than a 6.5x55

A 6.5-284 has the same case capacity of the 270win

The 6.5-284, 270wsm and 270 win all have a much greater safe maximum chamber pressure than the 6.5x55

Now gents discussion is one thing but please everyone keep it civil.

 

[Thar]

Sorry WSM

Sometimes I feel like I am banging my head against a wall ,

We will not mention the internal ballistics yet.

Best rgds

Tahr

 

[Grantoliver]

Dont mean to be shallow Heym, but I have just had a look at that link and I think you ought to forget all this nonsense about calibres and buy it. Its very pretty.

 

[ejg]

I still can't believe what I'm reading here, how can one recomend a 6.5 swede ? It might be OK for a very good shot who has had one for years and has learned to use it. Maybe it has something to do with old traditions in certain countries where winging is part of the sport so that the dog has something to do. I believe in right and wrong, the swede is in the long run the wrong caliber for large deer. Even the Speer manual does not recomend (with their stronger loadings) it for Elk and moose. In possibly the most known German Hunting Rifle book (Eduard Kettner) the swede is not even mentioned, well I think it is not worth mentioning. It is a military round which might be ok for human sized targets but too small for large deer and too big for vermin. Even a few stronger calibers than the 6.5x55 are noted as being marginal for red deer. This book is used for the German hunting training and one can then clearly see the position that is taken for which caliber. World-wide ?? I think only a few hardliners left who defend the 6.5 swede, and a discussion always ends up with being told to forget about physics, mathematics and ballistics.
Anyway one looks at it, the swede is marginal and if you show up with it in most places in this world you will be frowned upon or even not allowed to use it. Get a real rifle.
edi

 

[smullery]

Well, I've found my 6.5 x 55 with 156 gr Norma Oryx perfectly adequate against Roe, Impala, Springbok, Mountain Reedbuck, Gemsbok, Kudu, Red Hartebeest, Blue Wildebeest.

Not had an exit wound on the big stuff but the bullet has fully expanded and got as far as the skin on the exit side.

If I feel I need more I move upto my 9.3 x 62 with 286 gr.

Been shooting for 17 months now and enjoyed four trips to South Africa and many a weekend in Scotland.

Stan

 

[Jagare]

EJG , Of all the posts on this thread yours must be the biggest load of twaddle. In the latest Norma cataloge they show 5 loadings in 6.5x55. 2 for use on roe and 3 suitable for moose. Like the .243 the 6.5 is suitable to shoot all British deer species. Its true that the 6.5 is popular in Sweden because it is a old military round. But it is still very popular as a hunting round as well. You need to look at the new rifles in 6.5 at my local gun shop.
No we don't use a 6.5 to wing a animal so we can track it with a dog.
We have dogs because it ethical to track a wounded beast. A thing that more "stalkers" in England should think about.

 

[Davie]

I agree with that for some reason a lot of British stalkers don't have dogs is it because they never miss wound or they use a special bullet that never finds a clear path through .

 

[ejg]

Ok Jagare, so whatever the governments opinion is, is the right one. or?
I live in a country where the legal requirement is a 22-250 for red deer,
is that a caliber that you would recomend? I wouldn't.
If you shoot anything larger than a roe in germany with a 243 you loose you licence.
Who is right? I know for a fact that a slightly larger caliber with a slightly higher velocity than the bespoke marginal caliber will put an animal out of it's misery a bit quicker. It just has a bit more killing power.
It makes no difference when purchasing a rifle, so why not get the one that is world wide recognized as being able.
Not every deer stalker is as skilled as many on this forum. They will need all the help they can get.
edi

 

[Jagare]

.243 is a class 2 weapon here. Roe badger and vermin. Reason we have moose and wild boar. The 6.5 is a very accurate low recoil round very suitable for the novice stalker. It will kill all deer species in the UK punkt slut.

 

[Davie]

Any body want to buy a 6.5 as this thread has put me off it i am going to buy my self a .243 and join the cause

 

[Jagare]

6.5x55 don.t give up hope yet. Just read in Jakt och Jagare of the hunter who shot a 250kg bear with one shot from a 6.5. Don't know how he could have managed it with such a under powered, unsuitable rifle like that. Bet he wished he had a more powerfull weapon.

 

[Thar]

Any body want to buy a 6.5 as this thread has put me off it i am going to buy my self a .243 and join the cause

Just run you 6.5X55 on 100gn bullets and it's performance will be almost same as a 243.

Best rgds

Tahr

 

[jingzy]

EJG,
I had to read your thread a couple of times, boy, I would love some of what you are on. The swede is one of the most recognised hard hitters in the stalking community.

The reason that the Americans dont recognise it, is basically because they did not invent it.

I had a little look at your picture book and I see that the mighty .270 winchester is also not recognised for shooting large deer . I would suggest that it is possibly a poor forgery or the author was completely out to lunch.

As for the swede, it is renouned in inter-galactic circles that it is one of the best knock em down rounds. Indeed, last week I had a visitor from 2 galaxies away wanting to purchase my mannlicher. I had to turn him down because he had a thermo-nuclear inter-continental war head, 2 particle guns, 4 gold ingots and 50 used .243's. The only thing that put me off was the .243's. But as he would not keep them, the deal was off.

Pity really, I could have had an awsome stalk with the war-head, 70% of Scotlands deer with one shot!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Davie]

Jagare don't worry mate i have been shooting a long time and know that it takes more than a fast 100grn to take out a large animal like a red stag in the rut or a massive stag from the south. When i want an animal down i reach for my slow 6.5 because it dose the job better than most.