Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 6.5X55 ? ? Maybe Not.

Jim - yes. I expected it to & it did. It centered the lower half of the neck. He was facing me uphill, so it destroyed the spinal col. in the neck.

When I butchered him I didn't pursue the path past the neck.

My reference was ONLY to point out that the recoil was not noticeable.
No Comparison was implied w/ reference to a 6.5.

Gone to bed / hunting in A.M. Later

OK..

When an animal "crumples", drops in it's tracks, DRT etc) usually the spine or brain is hit..

6.5X55 SE is certainly my favorite deer caliber. That said, truth be known, there are probably twenty or more calibers from 6mm to 30 that could be selected as someone's one and only rifle for deer-sized game and the selection of caliber would never have a measurable effect on success. Churn on, rifle loonies, churn on.

One thing to remember when comparing BC across calibers/cartridges - drop isn't the MOST important thing. IMO - more elevation can always be dialed via turret or hold over via dotz if that's your thing - what interests me is wind drift. Usually doping wind is a guess - mebbe a rather informed one but any bullet that has a BC advantage and thus help my margin of error on doping wind is a real advantage IMO.

jwall,

You absolutely need the Tikka 6.5x55! It fills that wide chasm between the 270 and 257 Roberts calibers. You just cannot survive with such a big hole in your rifle battery. What would your fellow rifle looney buddies think? What would everybody here at the campfire think with such a gaping hole in your personal battery? You might even be banned for such a thing. You don't want to be banned from posting on the campfire, do you?

You owe me one.

Yeah, RED. My chasm is even wider than that! I HAD a 257 but no longer.

My gap is from 6mm - 270 EVEN. I almost didn't sleep last night thinking about it Now the thot of being black balled here at the LOONY BIN is more than a body can bear.

I'm posting from my phone. Taking a break from 30 mph wind in my deer stand. Been here since 6:00 am. Seen NADA. Later Jerry

I don't get mad; I get AHEAD

Those 95's are deadly little bullets. Wacked a deer and antelope with them, and it was bang flop.

I've got 4 6.5X55mm�s - two Kimber converted M96's, one Husqvarna M-96 with target sights and the fourth is a Mauser that has a very heavy 28 inch barrel and Lyman 48 sights. All are accurate.

Does this qualify as a Loony? Or do I need to buy some more?

teal has the answer

I say you are 'certifiable' ! ! L O L

Loony PHD...I had 3 Mausers and a 700 Classic at one time....am I in rehabilitated?

JW- 270s yes do 2900 w/150s, and Swedes do 2700..and then some...downrange is where I look also btw..those numbers mean more to me. No doubt, they both work and well.

A Non-Loony can just grab a good 270 and a box of ammo, sight in, kill chit, be happy and not know the difference...very little, in recoil, blast, trajectory. Yet the Loony never will have that 'feeling' that comes when using a sweet Swede!

Ask JB and other 7x57 fans how much better they feel using Rigby's vs. it's lil bro the 708, or big bro the 280

Funny thing is, whenever guys at camp, etc. ask what I shoot, they see the gun, cartridge, and then look like they are puzzled, but in the end, I think their take away is:

"This guy knows some chit, and probably knows how to use it....but oh well, I will jest keep on using my 7 em em, ought six, or two seventy."

And regardless of which side of the fence you are on, when bullets hit vitals, it's typically skinning time

BTW, the M70 Fwt is a sweet rig, had a SS/Walnut 'claw' model, and of course my Ruger K1A. All shot great.

6.5 - yeah, I don't know anyone personally who knows what a 6.5X55 IS. Also I don't know anyone personally in Ark. that has a chrono.

I've already had 2-3 guys in the lease be surprised that I shot a deer in the neck at 197 yds. Sat.

They may be hunters but ARE NOT shooters.

THX for the recommend on the Featherweight 6.5.

You must have wanted something BAD to let loose of the K1A! !

Nice shot, deer can move their head quick so unless you graze over the top of the head, you will either get the spine or Jugular, or clean miss.

I hate to say I lost a great buck at 100 yds on a motionless buck broadside in Tx....learned a tough lesson - forgot the POI at 100 was about 2" high, when I sighted on the center of the neck w/a 260. Hair flew...but the buck left the scene, no blood, but I remember seeing a large PUFF of hair on impact.

Yeah, I hated to sell it and as many before it, will 2nd guess why as below you will see it was better than plain grained walnut, and it shot like crazy. I do know where one is NIB by a member here, seen it in person, and you'd swear the stocks were sawn from the same tree limb!

6.5 - So Very Nice ! !

I never had a K 1 but I like the same features your rifle had.

Bll lenght, fore end, & nice butt.

I think if you want a 6.5, get one. You certainly don't need one. Especially if you are trying to follow a purely rational thought process.

This thread has been playing the loonyism card, but let's not forget, frog's hair, fairy dust, & ballistic minutia.

Yeah, had a 6x42 Leupy German #4 that went well on a Euro round rifle, SMOKED a deer shot thru chest about 250 yds, the 130 Accubond did a DRT...like every single deer I ever hit with a 6.5x55.

Must be a lucky coincidence

I absolutely LOVE my Sako .260! About all I might consider changing is the composite stock, but the darn thing shoots Nosler factory load 130gr accubonds with such great groups why mess with success?

Had one, one of the best rifles going IMHO, for a production rifle.

I have a T3 in 6.5x55, and it is the most accurate gun I own. Still tempted to sell it, just because I don't actually hunt with it.

Bless him father for he has sinned LOL.

No good 6.5 should gather dust, rather rugs.