6.5x55 Swedish for African game?

[Rusty R.]

Is the 6.5x55 Swedish powerful enough for small African game? What kind of game do you folks think it could take down? Is a .223 strong enough for any African game? Thanks for the information

[JJHACK]

You know the song that has the lyrics about don't ask me what I think, you may not like the answer? Well I hesitate to post on this thread but you have had no other responses and I do have a strong opinion. Our lodge see's well in excess of 100 big game killed each year and that in only a 2 month season or less!

I have witnessed in excess of 1000 big game animals killed since I have been working there. During this time I have formed some pretty strong opinions on what works and what is not working.

So, your interested in using this cartridge. I figure like me and most other guys you want to hear some good things but may disregard the negative comments because you really want to do this. Fair enough, that's human nature to go with your heart not sound logic and vast experience. I've made those mistakes many times myself. Probably how I arrived at the opinions I now have regarding such things.

For starters there is a difference in the way animals live here. Herd animals will casue great stress to the PH, Hunter and Trackers when an animnal is shot and the stampede of hooves from the remaining animals cover what ever meager blood trail you had. Big bullet holes with exits are a dream for all of us when game runs off. It's much different in the USA when shooting at big game. For the most part you see and shoot at a lone animal, or an animal in a very small group. It's also fall and winter in the USA with conditions which are much better for blood tracking.

In the Bush with temps around 90 and always sunny days. The Blood will have dried out within hours if not minutes. The herd instinct also pushes the wounded animal to travel with the group much more then a lone animal would travel. When you do manage to catch up with the herd how will you know which one you shot, or if it's even still with the group?

The most common shot on African Plains game is a quartering away shot. This is far and away the most typical of shots taken. Because of this exits are reduced to very low odds. It also causes the game to run straight away when hit and blend with the others in the herd. When you arrive to the site of bullet impact and search for blood it's a very big struggle when you use less then 30 caliber bullets.

Over the years I have found that bullets under 30 caliber give little to no blood trail potential. Those 30 caliber up to 8mm are better but not good. They will likely show blood on the ground but not for very long if the animal runs off.

The bullets from .338 and .358 will just about always give a minimum level of tracking blood and usually make the tracking job possible. They too will dry up in a hundred yards most of the time.

The rifles of 375 diameter and bigger will nearly always give you plenty of blood to follow right to the downed animal. Bigger then that will let you follow at an easy walk, you often times have blood and chunks to follow.

If you combine this bit of experience of mine over many years of hunting big game for a living. With your short visit for trophy hunting, it's not the best plan. I strongly suggest my hunters bring a 30 caliber minimum with premium bullets. Consider you will be there ten days and if your hunting 2X1 do you want to waste a day or more tracking a lost animal with your 2X1 partner not hunting, and you not hunting? When your tracking lost game you're not hunting. You will very likley be given the choice of calling off the search to start hunting again. When you do that the animal you have been searching for is added to your trophy fee list. You bought it!

I had one particular 2X1 hunt last season that went for 3 days searching for a lost animal. One hunter was so stubborn to find it claiming it was a perfect shot. The other wanted to shoot the hunter for wasting so much of his time and losing so many days of hunting. We never did find that animal and he shot another one paying for both. Their friendship was certainly tested over this event.

When everything goes as planned the little sub 30 caliber guns are fine. It does not have any margin for error and in fact invites trouble even with good shot placement due to the small size and low exit potential. For a trip of this magnitute and expense it pays to have a proper Big game thumper to crumple what you shoot and then go look for more game. It's really depressing around the campfire to sit and listen to the others talking of there great success while the hunter with a lost animal broods over the situation he is in. I have sat by and watched that many times. Those talking so happily about the days or weeks events are not trying to make any one feel bad. They are just happy about the whole experience. Yet the atmosphere around the campfire it crushing the poor fellow who has lost an animal.

I'll also mention that of all the hunters I have had there are two that stand out as expert marksman and brilliant shooters. Both had game run off after the shot and we only found them the next day. Both were using 375HH rifles. Had these excellent shooters been using something less would we have found their game? Guess you never know, but if it happens to guys that shoot that well I worry about those who come with smaller diameter cartridges.

I have no vested interest in your choice. You can certainly use it and it will kill anything your likely to hunt with it. The only question is will you find it? If your hunting eastern cape "put and take" ranches in the grasslands it's not a bad option. However if your going to hunt the real bush of Africa in the Northern Proviince for indiginous wlid game. I believe I would make another choice to a bigger diameter bullet.

[Buckeye]

The 6.5X55 with long heavy 160 gr. bullets ,penatrate into next week.
There killing capablities are legendary,within a 200yds. with a 160gr. bullet
they do anything a 30/06 will do.


Buckeye

And game in Africa" don't wear bullet proof vests!!"

[JJHACK]

Except leave a comparable blood trail and shoot a 220 grain Nosler Partition. The 30/06 would be the minimum I would suggest on animals like Zebra Wildbeast eland gemsbok etc.

The trophy fees are the respnsibility of the shooter. The gun they choose is certainly up to them. Having seen 11 years worth of African big game taken as a professional hunter the 6.5mm would not even make my short list of desired cartridges.

As I sad hunters can bring what ever they choose. I'm just not sure they all understand the thick rubber like skin these animals have. They have evolved in a habitat with trees that have thorns sharper then fishing hooks and sewing needles. Thier skin will seal up almost any hole made within a few seconds. Bigger diameter bullets are the best choice with the .308 diameter being the minimum I prefer to see a hunter use.

When shooting an animal out of a herd and all 20-30 run off in a cloud of dust how do you pick out the set of tracks made by the one you shot without any blood on the ground? Hunting Africa is a much different habitat with much different species then most people who have never hunted there realize.

[Siskiyou]

I have never hunted Africa but I have done a lot of deer hunting in tough country.  Even a deer that has been hit in the heart lung region can travel a few hundred feet.  They can flat disappear on you.  

I am a believer in a bullet that will leave an exit wound in most cases.  If I was hunting in Africa I would go for the big hole in.  As a kid I became the tracker in the family.  As an adult the government sent me to school to become a tracker.  The most interesting lesson in the school was that the person who was partnered with me was also an old hunter.  We did very well in the school.  I must admit that some hunters are shooters, but they do not know how to track.  They only get in the woods a few days a year.

A hunter needs to be prepared to track.  Part of that is using an adequate bullet for the game he is hunting.  I have taken deer with the 6.5 I would not use it on bigger game.  Yep, the heavy 6.5 bullet will penetrate.  I know of a hunter who killed two bucks standing together with one shot using a 156 grain softpoint.  When it came time for elk hunting I felt that my .270 was to light and went looks for a .300 Win. Mag.  I have to admit that I settled for a 7mm Rem. Mag because of an outstanding price.  

In an area with a lot of extra game tracks you need indicators that helps the tracker sort out his objective.  A blood trail does that.  I have seen blood trails on bear disappear very fast.  The heavy fat plugs up the wound.  Bigger the wound the harder to plug.

[Buckeye]

I like the old cartridges,I have hunting rifles in,6.5X55,30/06,30/30,7.65X53,9.3X57,375 H&H,303 British,45/70
The only modern cartridges I have and use are the 7mm Rem.,and a94 win. in .356win.,
Those last two are useful and the only to Modern cartriges,I have any use for.

Buckeye