Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 6.5x55 for Whitetail

What do you use for a bullet or better yet a load for a 6.5x55 for Whitetail. The larger midwest sized ones. I have had really accurate loads with a 120 Barnes TSX. I am starting to think the 120 grn. maybe better for Whitetails, pretty deadly @ 2900 fps. Your thoughts? Buckfever 1

Yep.

Ingwe

Yep

Niece knocked a cow moose (antlerless tag) FLAT with that combination this fall

That OLD Swede is really borderline for deer. Especialy big deer.
I'd prolly move on to a good cartridge.
Hmmm...A .308 win would be perfect. (grins)

I'm shooting the 129 grain Hornady SpirePoint and 140 grain Partition in my Remington 700 Classic and parts gun. My Norwegian Krag, Swedish Mauser, and Winchester/USRA 70 Fwt have deeper throats and do better with the 140 grain Partition, 140 grain Sierra Gameking, and 160 grain Hornady RN.

Jeff

Are you kidding gunnut, I would shoot an Elk with 140grn's with that "old Swede". Thats borderline but the 6.5mm rounds have a ton of energy and will surprise you with the knock down they have.

I like the 140 grain Partition or 160 Hornady Roundnose. The 6.5 sometimes just doesn't get its due. Looking forward to taking mine on a caribou hunt.

I have shot a bunch of deer with the 120gr Barnes X and XLC, shot one with a 130gr TSX, they do kill deer but i have come to the conclusion that the TSX is not really needed. The new 100gr TTSX looks really interesting, could get some real high velocity out of that puppy.

Best all around bullet is the 129gr Hornady S.P. drive it fast and it will drop any deer around, even those big deer. The 125gr partition is also a good one, lots of great bullets in 6.5mm

Dad has shot a truck load with his Winnie in 6.5x55 using 129 gr. Hornady's (at least 35 deer), no issues whatsoever with that boolit.

a dose of H4831sc & 129g Hornadys are tough to beat in the Swede.

I think thats a pretty sure bet too, and whoever earlier said you dont really need a TSX in that caliber for deer was right as well....

Ohhhh, WTH...theres LOTS that will work well in a Swede...


Ingwe

156 gr. Norma Oryx factory loads shoot sub moa out of my 550 and kill like the touch of the death angel!

I've been running the 140 Hornadys and 140 Sierras on top of H4831SC with very good results on deer. It's been absolutely lethal. All one shot kills at ranges to 200+.

Just picked up a 6.5 in January,but haven't had a chance to shoot it yet as all the ranges are closed for the winter. Plan on shooting 130's and/or 140's for deer.

I have seen quite a few moose laid on the ground with exactly that load.

From what I have seen, the bonded Norma Oryx seem to behave very much like the Woodleigh bonded bullets -- and that is a good thing!

I was at the range once and a guy had a Tikka T3 light in 6.5 x 55 shooting these Norma Oryx factory loads. I had a good look with my spotting scope, and his groups were very close to half a MOA. Kind of an ugly rifle, but no arguing with the results!

John

The 125gr. Partition is another great whitetail option in anything .264 cal.

CLB

My wife literally flattened a muly buck with 120g Speer Hotcores from her 6.5x55

I'm using 131gr Sellier & Bellot.

120 ballistic tips and 130 accubonds, have been very hard on our midwest whitetails, texas antelope, and texas blackbuck.

we'll be using the 130 accubond and 140 hornady interlock this year for elk and hogs

I've only killed 3 WTs with a .260 and I used 140gr Core Lokts. There are probably more deer killed each year with a core lokt bullet than all the rest combined.