Which 6.5?

[1187Shooter]

I'm looking for some input on a new backup/utility/teaching/etc. rifle (My wife decided she wants to start hunting, but my 30-06 kicks too much.) I've always been a .30+ or nothing kind of guy, so was originally going to get a .308, but since I've become interested in reloading I've done a lot of reading up on different calibers and alternatives to the mainstream choices. I've come to the conclusion that a 6.5mm would be a good choice. It has a proven track record, a nice flat trajectory and good terminal performance out to a pretty good distance. My choices come down to the 6.5 Creedmoor in a Ruger American Predator, the .260 Remington Savage LW Hunter, and the venerable 6.5x55 Swede. The Swede is available in a few factory rifles or the going route of sporterizing a Mauser.
I'm plenty familiar with each of the individual platforms and their pros and cons, but I don't know squat about the cartridges themselves, except what I've gleaned from old forum posts and google. I know the Swede is very popular and effective in Europe for big game, up to Moose. Of course, our moose average a bit bigger than their Scandinavian cousins, but I'd really only be taking this rifle out as a back up for Elk and larger sized game, and using it primarily for deer, hogs etc.
Anybody have one or more of these cartridges they'd care to share their experiences about? Some hunting success stories (or not so successful, too.) I'd like to see some real world comparisons... maybe some load ideas, from subsonic/reduced loads up to full house big game recipes.

[Zim]

What bullet weight are you looking for? The newer ones will have the twist for the 120 and 140's. The older military swedes will like the 140 to 160's. If for the wife, I'd lean to the lighter weights and newer guns. I do like the heavy swedes though.

Best wishes

[Yodogsandman]

The Swede is the only one that can utilize heavier bullets. Started all my kids out with a sporterized Mauser. I cut the stock down to 12" length of pull. I think with a 140 gr Nosler Partision over IMR4831 at 2550 FPS only kicks 12 Ft LBS. 140 gr Speer Hot Cores can be used with the same POI for economy and target shooting.

Military 6.5x55's are tough to shoot cast from. They slug to different throat sizes. Commercial 6.5x55's will be to SAAMI specs. 9 or 10 gr of Unique at about 1400-1500 work good with most molds for it.

[dverna]

One consideration important to me is brass. Thus I would look at the .260. Another intesting choice is the 7mm/08.

[pietro]

.

I once used a 6.5x55 Winchester Model 70 Featherweight Classic extensively(8yrs), exclusively with Norma 156gr Oryx commercial ammo, and can say that I was never disappointed in it's performance on the game I had available to me (Whitetails, Black Bear, Eastern Canadian Moose & Caribou).


Every animal I shot with it over those years was DRT (aka: no tracking), yet there wasn't much ruined (bloodshot) meat, either.

I had a 7mm-08 Remington Model Seven for awhile (2 seasons), prior to buying the Featherweight 6.5x55, but didn't care for it's performance with the lighter boolits.

The only reasons I later sold the 6.5x55 Model 70 was that their value had gone up crazy from the demand, and (since I'm getting MUCH older) I wanted to downsize to my current fave (a .250-3000 tang-safety Ruger Model 77).



.

[tygar]

I would stick with the new factory rounds. Creedmore or 260. I have several different ones, 2 that are LR, F class or 1K guns & a Rem mag. but not the Creedmore or 260 but have seen them shot by friends & they are both good but the Creedmore is kicking butt out to 1k & is great for anything smaller than Elk. Both are super easy to shoot & are low recoil. Perfect for a woman.

I personally am getting the action, barrel etc together to make a Creedmore F class/1k gun &/or a nice LR antelope/caribou hunting gun.

Again, I would stick with one I could easily get good priced brass.

[bearcove]

+1 for 7-08 efficient yet capable. 100lb wife loves it so do 65lb boys. Almost 7mm mag performance with some loads.

[Leslie Sapp]

I'm a big fan of the .260. My wife has shot a Remington model 7 in that caliber for many years, and I'm seriously considering having my Winchester model 70 rebarreled to 260. It's light kicking, but very effective on hogs and deer.

[richhodg66]

I got a Model 7 in .260 for my oldest boy's first deer rifle. Good caliber, but in retrospect, I can load a .308 down so it doesn't kick any more than the .260 and still kill well, which is what I did for my younger son.

The 7mm-08 is a neat round too, just not sure it's enough different from the .308 to make much difference. Been working with one off and on now for a while, but only with cast.

[Mk42gunner]

I've got a Model 38 in 6.5x55 and a Model 98 in 6.5-06. The only thing I have ever killed with a 6.5 is a pesky gray squirrel with the 6.5-06 one night as I was leaving the deer stand. It worked well by the way.

As far as game shooting with the three cartridges, I think they will be like peas in a pod. Pick the rifle then pick the caliber.

Robert

I forgot about the Type 38 Arisaka in 6.5x.257 Roberts. It is functionally the same as the Swede.

R

[HandgunHTR]

Right now the Creedmoor is your best bet for getting brass for reloading. There is a good supply of Swede brass out there, but it is Norma and Lapua, so it isn't that cheap.

For ammo, the Creedmoor and Swede both have some reasonably priced ammo out there.

If you don't mind having brass without the correct headstamp, then you could use .308 or .243 brass to make .260 brass.

As for which will perform better, I would say that they are all about the same at all sane hunting distances, especially if you reload.

I realize that this doesn't help much, so I will echo what Mk42gunner posted, "Pick the rifle then pick the chambering".

[1187Shooter]

Bullet wise I'm leaning towards130-140gr as a good all around weight. I've always had good luck with and preferred bullets on the heavy side.
I'm not a fan of long distance hunting, myself, mainly because 1, I don't normally hunt where long shots are a necessity and 2, a huge portion of hunters that I know or know of that take long shots are inexperienced hunters, and not very skilled shooters to boot.
I am, however, soon to be relocating to a part of the country where land is wide open and long shots are more likely.
All that to say the 6.5mm looks like a really good all around caliber for me.
The pros and cons of each, as I see it, are the Swedes length requires a long action, but handles the 160 gr well.
The .260 is a variant of the 308, so brass is easier, but doesn't do as well with the heavier bullet.
The Creedmoor is a good compromise, brass may be more expensive but from what I can see it may do better than the .260 with heavier bullets. I may be way off there, though.
I'd have to say at this point I'm leaning towards the Creedmoor or Swede.
They are all pretty close, though.
What's that, you said? Get one of each? Brilliant!
Actually, the American Predator has turned out to be an outstanding rifle for the money. Literally the best bang for your buck when it comes to budget hunting rifle. Its probably the route I will take.

[Driver33]

My vote would be for the swede. Very good for all around use . I have a cz 550 in the swede an it has put a good bit of meat in the freezer an the recoil is not much at all with 140gr bullets

[MaLar]

You won't go wrong with the 260. I might be a little bias since I've had a 6.5mm 08 since the seventies.
Kicks like a 30-30 kills like an 06.

[HandgunHTR]

I'd have to say at this point I'm leaning towards the Creedmoor or Swede.

Actually, the American Predator has turned out to be an outstanding rifle for the money. Literally the best bang for your buck when it comes to budget hunting rifle. Its probably the route I will take.

Just a note, all 3 will handle the heavier bullets just fine.

I agree with your assessment of the Ruger American. I have one in 243 and it shoots much better than its price tag says it should. I also like that it came pre-threaded. That being said a Tikka T3 in 6.5 Swede is a great rifle as well. My T3 will eat anything I feed it and spit the results into tiny groups. The action is smooth as silk too.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

You should pick a bullet weight and a velocity, and then the chambering. A 160gr. bullet with the powder to make it travel at 2800ft./sec. will recoil close to equally no matter what the calibre. None of the mainstream cartridges named here is a bad choice, although my choice, and mine till the day I die, is the 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schoenauer. But that one giver some trouble getting brass, and it might get worse in future.

Plenty of rifles are light because the manufacturers see a medium-sized 6.5mm. as a way of permitting it. But that way you get the recoil back again. I'd look for a rifle that isn't notably light in weight.

[Don Fischer]

Are we talking about a rifle for cast bullet's or jacketed? I've got a 6.5x55 and a 6.5x06. Don't plan on cast bullets in either ever. Were I o get a 6.5 for cast bullet's I'd go with the 260 Rem. Just a ton of case's out there that will make a 260 case with one pass through a 260 FL die. I also have a 308 and a 30-06 that I only shoot cast out of. Neither have any recoil that should bother anyone. The difference in them is less about case capacity and more about barrel length. The 308 has an 18" barrel and the 30-06 a 24" barrel. Looking through my cast bullet books, the 30-06 has little if any advantage over the 308 velocity wise! The 308 case fit's a short action, longer case's not so well. 6.5x57 I believe would require a long action. Same with the 6.5x55 and of course the 30-06 case. So for a 6.5 cast bullet cartridge, I'd go hands down for the 260 with a 20" barrel if I could get it!

[roysha]

6.5 and 41 magnum fans are all alike. They can rescind the laws of physics. Their guns generate exceedingly better ballistics with none of the attendant downside issues like muzzle blast, recoil, or actually using a chronograph to determine if what bs they are spouting, is valid when compared to anything else.

In a rare case of agreement with BIS, I also believe the 6.5 MS is the best of the lot.

I can hardly wait till the gun writers get tired of rehashing the same tired old garbage about the wonders of the 6.5 caliber and manufacturers have saturated the market with 6.5s and move on to the next caliber that will be the "be-all, end-all" caliber. There is NO MAGIC in the 6.5. It works just as well or just as poorly as any other caliber with one exception. See the first 2 sentences of this post.

[Kevinakaq]

That being said a Tikka T3 in 6.5 Swede is a great rifle as well. My T3 will eat anything I feed it and spit the results into tiny groups. The action is smooth as silk too.

Have that rifle/caliber in a left hand version on layway right now. Look forward to toting in along the trail...

Also have an Arisaka Type 38 in 6.5, a Sweedish Mauser in 6.5, and a 6.5 Creedmoor target rifle. Would pick up a 6.5x55 caliber rifle with zero regret hunting the game mentioned by the OP. A fine chambering indeed.

My two overpriced cents,
Kev

[Ballistics in Scotland]

6.5 and 41 magnum fans are all alike. They can rescind the laws of physics. Their guns generate exceedingly better ballistics with none of the attendant downside issues like muzzle blast, recoil, or actually using a chronograph to determine if what bs they are spouting, is valid when compared to anything else.

In a rare case of agreement with BIS, I also believe the 6.5 MS is the best of the lot.

I can hardly wait till the gun writers get tired of rehashing the same tired old garbage about the wonders of the 6.5 caliber and manufacturers have saturated the market with 6.5s and move on to the next caliber that will be the "be-all, end-all" caliber. There is NO MAGIC in the 6.5. It works just as well or just as poorly as any other caliber with one exception. See the first 2 sentences of this post.

You are right that the advantages of some calibres become hugely exaggerated in the minds of their adherents. That isn't to say that such advantages, for at least some of us, don't exist. Plenty of people, for example, do find the .41 revolver coming in below their threshold of discomfort, with no sacrifice unless they are hunting something really large, or want to clear their sinuses or inferiority complex or something.

In general there is scarcely any concrete advantage of the 6.5mm. calibre that doesn't exist just as much in some kind of 6mm. or 7mm. cartridge. We have far more cartridges than we do functionally distinguishable niches for them - a situation which didn't begin this century or even the last. Historically 6mm. rifles have mostly been constrained to higher velocities and lighter, more frangible bullets, by rifling twist, throating and availability of bullets. But that isn't a hard and fast thing.