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

Whatever a 130 grain 270 has done, and will do, My thoughts are, so can a properly loaded and aimed 6.5x55.

Jack O'Connor as many know used a 270 WCF with complete confidence on alot of game, and not to just 200-250 yds.

The 256 Newton has accounted for more big game before most modern rounds came to be! In an article I read, "The little gun just popped and with no fan fare, the elk just tumbled over!" Be sure to use the right bullets thought! The older rifles have a 1 in 8 twist to stablize the heavy bullets! The more modern rifles might have a slower twist for lighter bullets! I have shot a 1919 Danish Krag for years and have shot anything I wanted, it folds them up! The lightest bullet I have ever got good accuracy from is the 140 gr. bullets, I stick to the 156 gr. RN!

The 6.5 Swed will work fine on Elk with the loads you stated. Elk are no harder to kill than any other animal if you shoot them in the right place. Bigger Cal's don't make up for poor shooting. Lung them and you have Elk back strap.

My CZ550 American in 6.5x55SE is my primary rifle on my AZ bull hunt in a couple of weeks. I'm shooting some handloads; 160 grain Woodleigh's protected-point weldcores over VihtaVuori N160/Lapua brass/Federal Primers. Backup rifle will be my Garand shooting 180 grain partitions (with adjustable gas plug + 5 round clip).

Well, I got to try out my swede about a month ago. I'm very pleased. My shot was at an older bull at just over 200 yrds. He was standing broadside. My shot took out both lungs with devastating damage. At the shot the knees buckled but he was able to stay on his feet. took 5 or six steps forward and then tumbled over. He was on the ground in 5 seconds.

I used a 140 grain hornady interlocks in Norma cases with 48gr. RL 22 and F210 primers. They're traveling at 2649 f.p.s. at the muzzle.

I chose this caliber to be my all-around north american big game hunting rifle for everything but moose and bear. I feel like it will do a great job and couldn't be happier with the results so far. I especially enjoy shooting this gun due to the moderate recoil with little muzzle blast.

Congrats, nice job. I'd bet if you shot a Moose the same, results would follow. Bear.....well, if you need to stop a mad one FAST, there are better rounds no doubt.

Good job, be great if you had some pics.

65BR

I could do that but I haven't figured out yet how to put photos into a reply post??? Do you know how to do that?

140 TSX will do the job.

azsixshooter, let us know about the performance of the 160g Woodleigh's. I load the same bullet in my 6.5x284 and I am interested to see how if performs with bigger game. I have no worries though.

darcytribe, congrats on a nice kill. Pictures would be appreciated.

Darcytribe, if you will go to photobucket, set up a free account, you can upload photos. After that under each photo a box will appear to check, do that, then go to 'generate html codes' select/copy the IMG code and paste here. Very easy.

I've personally witnessed a 260 shooting Federal Premiums with 140 SGKs drop a couple of cow elk... soft pop, dead cow. End of story.

My wife will be shooting a Ruger Compact 260 loaded with 140 NABs @2630 for cow elk in a few weeks, with no hesitation, even with me prodding her to use the 338 RCM instead...

kyreloader: I sure will. I'll create a detailed post about these 160 grain Woodleigh's weldcore protected points whether I get a chance to shoot a bull with them or not since I couldn't find a whole lot of info on using them in a 6.5x55SE. They seem like great bullets and I think my CZ550 will stabilize them well. In fact, Woodleighs was interested in feedback from me in that regard as well. The newer CZ550's seem to have a slower twist than mine does. I think mine is like 1:8.3" and the newer ones are 1:8.6" or something like that. I would have to double-check, I have it written down somewhere. Maybe not a great difference, but every bit counts when you're shooting these telephone-pole-looking bullets! I'll be back and forth at the range all day today working on them. My hunt is coming up soon and I have a lot of shooting/handloading to do still.

God, I just LOVE my 6.5x55SE!!!

I bought my CZ550 in the spring of either 2004 or 2005 and it has a 1:220mm (1:8.66") twist.

I'm also curious about how well the 160g Woodleigh stabilizes out of your gun. What kind of groups have you shot with them and at what ranges?

My 6.5x284 has a 1:7.5 twist, so stabilization wasnt a problem. It also shot well for me with Ramshot Magnum at 2750 fps. I know not a 6.5x55- just info about accuracy in my rifle.

Last year, large whitetail doe at about 50 yards, quartering away shot.
Exit hole


Chest cavity, notice hole in heart and off side lung soup (poured out)


Exit hole


So far (sample of 1), I have been pleased. Hopefully I will have another whitetail volunteer this coming weekend.

140 grain Hornady is my choice for everything. It just plain works, leaves big holes and does a lot of damage at any range you are likely to shoot. Love that bullet! You sure DON'T need a premium bullet and the heavier X bullets may not expand at 300 yards in my experience. Flinch

My elk success is limited to exactly one bull this past season. First shot at approx. 198 yards,Remington Core-lokt 140gr. complete pass through on the neck. Bull never got up and would have eventually died, but I put a finisher in him. Had I known elk hunting was a possibility I have loaded up some Nosler Partitions, but the tag became available two days before the season began. After seeing the results of the plane Jane Remington ammunition on elk I am convinced the Swede is plenty of medicine with proper shot selection. Don't hesitate to use it!

65BR,
Thanks for the heads up on posting pics. We were hunting CO western slope with camp at 10,300ft. We camped on the edge of a wilderness area and hiked into it each AM to hunt, went in as far as 3 miles each day, beautiful country.

This old guy we found in a meadow one evening seven days into our hunt. It's the olny bull we layed eyes on. We found out he was quite old from the condition of his ivorys

It took 2 guys 4 round trips to haul out this guy and a cow that we got from the same group out on our backs. I had no idea how much work would be involved in getting them out of there. It was enjoyable work though. My first elk & I'll be back!

Great pics and beautiful country! What kind of swede is that?

It's a custom built rifle using a Rem. 700 action, Shilen barrel and Borden Rimrock stock. All metal has flat black ceramic coat. Has Leupy scope. The guy who made it was great to work with and I couldn't be more happy with the gun. Check out Randy's website:
http://www.randyscustomrifles.com/testimonials.html

Rockchucker, I guess Im not expierenced enough for you. I told you it would work. Grin.

Toby Joe