Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 6.5x55 and elk hunting questions for the experienced elk hunters

hello everyone have a question or two.

my wife and i are planning a cow elk hunt planned in 2010. we are both experienced hunters and have taken a bunch of deer, but have never hunted anything larger than mule deer.

i know that elk are killed every year with 243's and 30-30's by folks who live in elk country. i also know that the 6.5x55 swede with 156/160 bullets kill a pile of moose in sweden every year.

my question is will our modern 6.5x55 swedes cleanly kill cow elk under normal hunting conditions? our current load is the 130 accubond at about 2725 fps. i can also load a 140 nosler partition or a 140 hornady interlock if needed.

also if anyone has first hand experience with the 6.5x55 or the 260 rem. on elk i would love to here your input.

thanks

I've used a Swede a bit and would in a heart beat again. The 260 I don't think I've used at all but would in a heart beat as well.

In the Swede I ran H4350 and the two bullets that I used were the 129 Horn and the 140 Sierra. The 130 Accu would do you just fine.

I'd say get in shape, and sharpen up your knife.

Dober

I'd call the 6.5x55 the lower end of fully adequate elk cartridges. Don't try to shoot them from behind and you'll have success with your load.

Mr. rockchucker;
Hopefully Mr. huntsman22 will answer, as if I recall correctly it was last year that he posted photos of a very nice bull he shot with a .260.

Again if faulty memory serves he was shooting TSX�s, maybe 120gr, but I could be entirely wrong about the choice of bullet.

Our eldest daughter shoots a reworked 96 in 6.5x55, the current load being a 130gr TSX with enough H-4831 to make about 2650fps out of its 20� barrel.

We have only taken one deer thus far with that bullet, but the rifle was used on several deer over the last 20 plus years when it was my late father's. Based on what we saw with the 130gr. TSX, we are confident enough that she is hoping to use it on a local black bear should we find one that both fits her qualifications and stands still long enough.

Sorry I couldn�t be more help. Good luck to you both in your upcoming hunts.

Regards,
Dwayne

IMO, anyone shooting an elk in the butt that isn't already wounded outta have their butt kicked!

Just my way...grin

Dober

I used my Remington 700 Classic 6.5 x 55 to shoot a cow elk several years ago.

It was a longer shot (370 yards), but the 140 Barnes X bullets I was using performed very well.

If memory serves, I was using the max, or almost max amount of IMR 4350 powder, with Federal 210 primers in once fired Norma brass. I didn't have access to a chrony in those days, but accuracy was 5 shots into less than an inch at 200 yards. And felt recoil was very similar to that of the factory Norma load with their 139 gr bullet. (Barnes Number One manual lists 45.0 gr of IMR 4350 as max. @ 2850 fps, but does not give the barrel length of rifle used in testing, and the Number 4 manual does not list for the 140 gr).

I also shot moose, deer and stone sheep with that rifle (all under 200 yards), and performance was excellent. Quick clean kills, with very little trailing required. Most animals fell within sight...less than 40 yards from where shot.

I am really liking the Nosler AccuBond bullets, and find that they are giving me the most consistent accuracy in all of my rifles, from 270 to 375 caliber. And when I do recover a bullet from game, the weight retention is 96-97%. And the wound channels are exactly as I would expect.

Use your 6.5 with confidence and enjoy the fruits of your labour!

Remember that a 450 pound cow elk is hardly the same animal as a 900 pound bull and with a 140 grain partition on your side I think you would be just fine on most any sensible shots. If you have any doubts just get closer. My father and I use an sporterized model 96 carbine as our elk camp's back up rifle and while we have never had to use it we would have no qualms about putting it into service against the spikes and raghorns in the area.

my daughter is going to be using a 7-08 for her cow elk this year.....its also what my wife uses......aint really any difference in performance between it and the Swede.....i wouldnt hesitate to use my 260 on one......put a good bullet into the vitals and the critter will die.....

I'm actually in the process of putting together a lighter 6.5x55 with the exact purpose of shooting elk and mule deer in the back country with it. My daughter's 260 is shooting the 140 accubonds awesomely and she'll use it for deer and antelope this fall. Elk once she can handle that kind of hunt.

Load up and sharpen the knives.

I couldn't agree more.Some peoples kids.

The single most spectacular elk kill I've ever witnessed (of a bout 22 total) was made by a chap toting a 6.5x.284. While that round is a bit faster than the Swede, at the distance the kill was made, it was pushing a 140gr bullet (NP) that would be going about as fast as your 6.5x55 at shorter range.

Given good placement (as with all cartridges), I would not hesitate to shoot an elk...any elk...with a 6.5x55 and good bullets. A cow elk should be no problem at all.

I'll be hunting elk for the first time this fall and did a good bit of research on different calibers. I wanted to have a custom rifle built that would handle elk sized game and also be used for my deer hunting back east. I was looking for an adequate round, relatively flat shooting and not a ton of recoil. I landed on the Swede. My rifle builder also has used this round elk hunting and his only advice was to keep shots at elk under 400 yards max. Can't wait to put this rifle and round through it's paces this fall. I'll be using 140 grain custom made ammo.

I will have my Swedish Model 38 in 6.5x55 as my back up rifle this year. I may take it out for a walk if I can find some areas where the shots will be reasonable, under 400 yds, since this gun has open sights. I never really thought about using it on elk, since it is a small diameter bullet. But after seeing what they shoot with it over in Europe, I suppose a cow would drop if hit with one of those little 140 grain footballs.

I'd go with the 140.

I have a good freind and his daughter has shot many elk(some big bulls) with 140 gr Noslers and the 6.5 tweed.On she shot was over 400 yds.I looked at the Teweede very hard for my daughter but ended up with the 7mm Mauser.
I would say you are good to roll.
BBJ

I have a 6.5x55 and took it on a cow elk hunt a few years back. I didn't have the opportunity to see how it performed on game unfortunately. It was right before I started handloading so I was carrying factory loaded 140 grain Federal Premium Trophy Bonded Bear Claws.

In my opinion, the 6.5x55 should do fine on a cow elk under typical conditions and at modest ranges. I think the 400 yard shot is really pushing it. With your load I'd keep the shots to a broadside or reasonable quartering shots within 200 to 250 yards.

You will also find a decent amount of good feedback in these threads:

.260 for elk
http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/1531150/1

6.5 Bullets
http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/2950889/1

There aren't many, if any, 900 pound bulls in public land elk herds.

Your 6.5 will work as well as you can shoot. How well you shoot will very much depend on what Dober advised - "stay in shape".

I would not hesitate to go elk hunting with a 6.5x55. Moderate recoil, excellent accuracy and plenty of kill power unless you botch a shot (unlikely with light recoil) = recipe for success.

thanks everyone for the input.

The 6.5X55 is THE best kept secret for big game hunting for those that don't have one. huntsman22 uses the .260 with 130 gr.TSX's and his bull wasn't small last year, a tribute to the darling 6.5, huntsman's woodcraft, and his marksmanship! The Swede loaded with TSX's or Nosler Partitions is plenty of gun for elk. If you don't load yourself get some Norma ammo. The Europeans load the Swede a lot hotter than the Americans do, it's a litigation thing here. Just put the bullet in the lungs and tenderloins are on their way!