Fellow Campfire Hunters;
Top of the morning to you all, hopefully this finds you well and your hunts thus far this fall have been good ones.
As a bit of a background to my query, I'll quickly state that we cut our own game and used to help out friends at our place, so we've been able to look at what has to be 150-200 animals over the last 25 years.
Our eldest daughter shoots a 20" barreled 96 Swede in 6.5x55 that I'd modified for my late father originally, so its been responsible for about 20 deer more or less. Lately she's been shooting 130 TSX at 2750fps, but for Dad I used a mixture of 120gr Sierra Pro Hunters, Nosler Solid Base, 140 Hornady and Partions.
For the last few years my walking around rifle has been a parts 98 in .270 with a 22" barrel that will push a 130 GMX or TTSX to about 3000fps and a 140 TSX to 2900fps or so. I've shot one whitetail buck with the 140 TSX and a mixture of whitetail and mulie bucks with the 130 GMX/TTSX - I'd say without looking likely 8 in total.
Anyway, overall I've seen more tissue damage with the 6.5x55 hit deer than the ones hit with the .270. This is at a mixture of ranges, shot angles and shot placements - though we are lung/scapula breakers here if we are able to.
I was curious if anyone else out there at our cyber 'Fire has noticed the same thing?
Though I've already spent way too much cash building the parts 98, I'm having visions of scrounging a 1:8 twist .264 barrel for it sometime, as the Swede kicks less, seems to shoot almost as flat as the .270 and frankly seem to knock the snot out of deer sized animals a wee bit better.
Anyway folks, just some idle curiosity getting the best of me as I down a cup of coffee before heading up onto the mountain behind our house for a morning hunt for whitetail or if I'm lucky a bull elk.
Thanks in advance for any who'd like to comment and all the best to you in your remaining hunts this fall.
Dwayne
Last edited by BC30cal; 10/12/14.
