6.5X55 As All-around Rifle

[Harry Snippe]

 
Some of the first nation people up here in the North of the good 'ol USA used to use the 32/20 for deer and knew how to use them.

Doubt if many people are ever going to see a Grizz.or anything out out of Africa so why bring this up on this tread . If you hunt over there your not going to bring anything smaller than a bore you can put your thumb in .
Up North the 303 B as well as the 6.5 Swede get used on game such as seals since the guns at one time could all be bought under fifty dollars . So they learned to shoot them .
Well some of us are rich enough to afford a 6.5 made by Winchester Remington or tikka  or CZ just to name a few, and will use their guns with pride at the entended game .
Have I ever the chance to spot a Hippo in the deer woods in the fall , I sure will run and trade it in on an 375 H&H .

Think the biggest problem withthe 6.5x55 is that it is not American .

Then neither is that Sako.

For us here in Canada guns and Ammo needs to be imported - so when we could buy a 96 for about forty dollars as they came across the pond . Word also got out that the round worked well on the deer we have here in Canada and could also put a 8/9 hundred pound moose down if we did our part . It sure is an big improvment over the 44/40 used a hundred years ago.

[Hooker]

I knew an old feller back when I was just a kid that lived up the road from us. He had to have been in his late 70s or early 80s. He was retired old school army. He had an old Trap door rifle 45/70 that he hand loaded for he would walk along the highway and pick up old wheel weights that had fallen off vehicles, melt them down and make his old paper patched bullets. He had some wooden blocks that he used for a loading press and used black powder. He would load the bullets light, because in our part of Oklahoma back then there were no deer or hogs to shoot. Just squirrels, cotton tails, quail, and bullfrogs and the occasional chicken killer.
The old man killed a bunch of them critters with old Springfield, it was the only gun he owned. I'd say that for him and his needs that made it and all around rifle. All around is limited to each of us as individuals. There is no all around rifle for all of us because there are so many choices, and preferences.

Pat     

[Barstooler]

Barstooler:
There seems to be an upper limit of energy,power or performance for a given caliber. When folks want or need more they go up to the next caliber.
 Recall the .264 Win Mag.
That cartridge was about as fast as you would want to push a 6.5 mm bullet. Remington came out with 7mm Rem Mag and that was pretty much the end for the Win. round. If you didn't have enough with the 7mm Mag you went to the 30 cal cases  and so forth.
Personally I think the 260 Rem is about the upper limit for a standard 6.5 mm  cartridge.

Actually with the powders of that time, the 256 Newton was the upper limit that Charles Newton could get out of 6.5 case and had to shorten the 06 to do so.    Big argument, but that is why Win probably went to .277 caliber on the 270 so they would not have to shorten the case like Newton (also assumes they did not want to chamber the Newton in a new proprietary rifle).  The fact remains that the 6.5-06 (or 6.5-284 being of near identical case capacity) is about the ideal you can get out of 6.5 caliber with today's powders without going what many call "overbore."   

It gets back to my basic point that if building a standard action 6.5, why settle for the Swede if you are a handloader and decide to build a 6.5-06?   Necking the 25-06 case up to 6.5-06 is a simple passing of the case through a die, similar to necking the 30-06 up to 338-06 or 35 Whelen.   I can't see leaving 200 fps on the table when shooting 120 to 140gr bullets when they are still leaving the muzzel at about 2800 to 2900 fps -- certainly not "magnum" velocities -- and the recoil is still diddly squat.   Even then I would not consider a 6.5-06 an "all around" rifle.  I would not use it shoot P Dogs, nor bears, but I certainly consider it useful for Antelope to Elk.

Barstooler

[BBF]

If it came down to only having 4 centerfire cartriges available in N. America for whatever reason the 30-06 would be one of them IMO. What would be the other 3 ??
 
Rimfire? Hands down the 22 lfr IMO.

[Swampman]

If it came down to only having 4 centerfire cartriges available in N. America for whatever reason the 30-06 would be one of them IMO. What would be the other 3 ??

.375H&H, .223, .243 Winchester.

[parkergunshop]

Quote:

Quote from: scatterbrain on Today at 08:26:52 AM
If it came down to only having 4 centerfire cartriges available in N. America for whatever reason the 30-06 would be one of them IMO. What would be the other 3 ??

My three choices:  .257 Roberts Ackley Improved  75-100 grain bullets varmints up to and including deer
                              .338 Winchester Mag        200-250 grain bullets for deer, bear, elk.
                              .375 H&H with 270 grain bullets for Brown Bear, Moose.

The above are between .3 and .6 tenths inch accuracy at 100 yards with their best loads.

My Springfield 30-06 with a 19 inch barrel in a mannlicher stock is good enough for the lower 48 states on practically everything that moves.   1/2 inch MOA accuracy and easy to carry.

Hate to leave out 6 M/M Remington, .270 Winchester, 7x57 Mauser, .308 Winchester, 8x57 Mauser, 45-70 and .458 Winchester mag.

[rockrat]

Hmmm, 4 centerfire  rifle rounds.  Tough choice.  Probably  260 Rem/6.5 Swede.,  30-06, 357 max.  and 375 H&H

[Hooker]

 25-06, 30-06, 35 Whelen, 308 Win. Actually the first three would suffice for any thing in North America. They all have over lapping capabilities so there are no gaps that need to be filled.  I put the 308 in because it is my favorite cartridge and I wouldn't want to be with out one.


Pat

[yooper77]

If it came down to only having 4 centerfire cartriges available in N. America for whatever reason the 30-06 would be one of them IMO. What would be the other 3 ??
 
Rimfire? Hands down the 22 lfr IMO.

Well, I wouldn't pick the 30-06 Springfield as one of my primary 4 centerfire cartridges.
(Trying not to stray off topic, the 6.5x55 Swedish would be considered if I owned one)

I would pick the following:
223 Remington  ~ Varmint and youth Deer
270 Winchester ~ Antelope, Deer, Black Bear, Moose and Elk
7mm-08 Remington ~ Antelope, Deer, Black Bear, Moose and Elk
338-06 A-Square ~ Antelope, Deer, Black Bear, Moose, Elk and the largest Bears

Other centerfire cartridges I have and will not part with are as follows:
22-250 Remington ~ Varmint and youth Deer
243 Winchester ~ Varmint and Deer
7x57 Mauser Ackley Improved ~ Antelope, Deer, Black Bear, Moose and Elk
30-06 Springfield Ackley Improved ~ Antelope, Deer, Black Bear, Moose and Elk

yooper77

[Dinny]

If it came down to only having 4 centerfire cartriges available in N. America for whatever reason the 30-06 would be one of them IMO. What would be the other 3 ??
 Rimfire? Hands down the 22 lfr IMO.

Whoa! Did we start a new topic here or what? 




Thanks, Dinny

[BBF]

Mea Culpa !
 
 
Looking at this closely, you are correct, I am off topic. I got carried away when I was thinking about an all around rifle.
OK Moderators, do your thing.

[M'issippi Bruce]

Well, I will vote for the 6.5x55 as a viable choice for an all-around cartridge. Bought my older son a Kimber-sporterized M96 as his first rifle when he was 9 and it is still among his favorites. Exceptional accuracy with 140 gr rounds - factory or handload - with minimal recoil. After his magnum toys, he says that shoot this is like cheating. Nothing shot with it has ever gotten away or needed shooting again. And the effective range has been from just off the muzzle to as far as he has been willing to shoot ( just under 400 yards for the longest shot so far ).

I have other rifles in other calibers that I could call all-around, too - but I have an old M98 that will be put into 6.5x55 soon and I expect it will get the call as often as anything else in the gun safe.

Bruceissippi

[WyoStillhunter]

I knew an old feller back when I was just a kid that lived up the road from us. He had to have been in his late 70s or early 80s. He was retired old school army. He had an old Trap door rifle 45/70 that he hand loaded for he would walk along the highway and pick up old wheel weights that had fallen off vehicles, melt them down and make his old paper patched bullets. He had some wooden blocks that he used for a loading press and used black powder. He would load the bullets light, because in our part of Oklahoma back then there were no deer or hogs to shoot. Just squirrels, cotton tails, quail, and bullfrogs and the occasional chicken killer.
The old man killed a bunch of them critters with old Springfield, it was the only gun he owned. I'd say that for him and his needs that made it and all around rifle. All around is limited to each of us as individuals. There is no all around rifle for all of us because there are so many choices, and preferences.

Pat

I think that about covers the definition of "all around."  Well said.
 
We each define what all around means for us.  Where we get into trouble is trying to tell someone else what all around should, ought, or is supposed to mean to them.

[BBF]

 
 
 
                             Mmmph    Stay On Topic ...............Stay on Topic

[snowbird]

Kind of new here, but this is my 2 cents.  The Swede is one of the best all around rifles (M 70 for me).  It maybe a little heavy for varmints but so is an '06.  It maybe a little light for cape buffalo.  But for for most game, deer, lopes, elk, hogs, etc. it is all u need.  Sure I have other calibers, 25's, 30's, 444, but the 6.5 is very user friendly.  If you go to marlin owners, there is a picture of a guy from Scandinavia that is pictured with a brown bear he killed with a 6.5.  It can be done.


All I shoot thru mine is 129 grainers.  I have not found I needed anything else for deer and hogs.  If I went after elk or moose I might go with a TSX, or grab the M 70 300 Weatherby being it is already  sighted for 180 TSX's.

[Sweet 6.5]

So I decided to get myself a CZ550 6.5x55 

[nomosendero]

So I decided to get myself a CZ550 6.5x55 

That's a good, quality choice!

[Fire Fox]

I don't know about it for the all around rifle. However, it always shoots well , bullets go deep, kind to the shoulder, dispatches animals way beyond what most people would believe. I have used one since I was 16 ( mostly with 140 gr partitions and have killed everything I have shot with it  with no problems and never felt undergunned. This includes deer , elk, moose, hogs, and one large Asian buffalo. It would not be my first choice for the great bears but if it was all I had I could use it. I think the key is being able to shoot it well with good bullets in the right place with confidence. By the way the buffalo was with a Competitor pistol. Hope this helps.