Author Topic: Best 6.5 cartridge? (Read 7056 times)

huntsman · « **on:** January 12, 2004, 02:55:49 PM »

Okay, this one is sure to get some second and third opinions. There are several cartridges using 6.5 mm bore diameter. The ones that I know of are 6.5x50 Jap, 6.5x52 Carcano, 6.5x55 SE, .260 Rem, 6.5/284, and .264 Win Mag. If you could only have one 6.5 bore to take care of all your rifle hunting needs, which cartridge would it be and why?

jdt48653 · « **Reply #1 on:** January 12, 2004, 03:27:04 PM »

264win mag of course!

turfman · « **Reply #2 on:** January 13, 2004, 02:46:36 AM »

huntsman.

While you cant go far wrong with many of the 6.5 bores, there are some things in my opinion you should look at.

260rem: buy it if you do not reload. The factory offerings are better than most.

264win: buy if you reload and want a few hundred more fps.

6.5x55swede: can't go wrong as the factory offerings are O.K. but if you reload it really shines.

6.5rem: There has been new life breathed into this round. We'll see how long it lasts. The factory offerings are also O.K., but again if you reload you'll get much better performance.

Also you have to look at the mfgs offerings. The 260 rem is readily available from most american co's; the rest are limited productions or mfg specific.

I personally have two 264's and a 6.5swede. For whitetail ( which is what I use them for) I know I could use these with absolutley no worries if I could use nothing else.

turfman

Mikey · « **Reply #3 on:** January 13, 2004, 04:15:05 AM »

huntsman: what about the 6.5-06. International long range target round with the same ooomph as the 264???? Jes askin'. Mikey.

Bob the Cynic · « **Reply #4 on:** January 13, 2004, 06:26:16 AM »

I have a .260 that has become my main deer gun. I like it a lot. If you are mainly hunting deer you would be hard pressed to go wrong with this caliber. Decent variety of factory loads available.

huntsman · « **Reply #5 on:** January 13, 2004, 01:47:38 PM »

Mikey,

Add the 6.5-06 to the list. I wasn't aware of it. I am by no means an authority on rifle calibers. All I have to go on is my Shooter's Bible. Keep the opinions coming, guys, so far we have some good choices and some good reasons, too.

Lawdog · « **Reply #6 on:** January 13, 2004, 03:22:58 PM »

Gee, to pick just one out of all the excellent cartridges available for the 6.5 caliber is hard. BUT I think if I had to choose just one then it would be the 6.5mm Swede. It's track record speaks for the cartridge all by itself. Lawdog

Barstooler · « **Reply #7 on:** January 15, 2004, 01:19:44 PM »

I have reloaded .264 Win Mags for a friend of mine for years. He loves it and I have shot it.

I have shot a .256 Newton for about 20 years and that is a beautiful rifle made by Charles Newton back at the turn of the century. I am thinking of retiring it just to help preserve its value, but I plan to replace it with a 6.5-06 based on a rebarreled 03 Springfield action. For all practical purposes the .256 Newton and the 6.5-06 are same cartridge. The Newton is slightly shortened and has a sharper shoulder angle, and make the brass from 25-06s. I also own a 25-06 Ruger M77 and it shoots sweet, but I believe the 6.5 has a slight edge over the 25 caliber in bullet selection for handloading, which is why I want the 6.5-06.

Graybeard · « **Reply #8 on:** January 16, 2004, 06:13:31 AM »

Clearly I would not chose a 6.5mm anything for my one and only hunting rifle. BUT if I were going to chose a 6.5 mm rifle and have it build up as opposed to buying an off the shelf item it would be between the 6.5-284 and the 6.5-06. Performance should be pretty much equal from either. The 6.5-284 at least in theory should fit into a short action if it matters where as the 6.5-06 has to have the longer action. To me that's not so important as it seems to be to others.

GB

ms · « **Reply #9 on:** January 16, 2004, 12:03:59 PM »

I think lawdog right about the 6.5 swede just ask JFK. :wink:

onesonek · « **Reply #10 on:** January 16, 2004, 04:36:18 PM »

I kinda think like GB on this one. To me the 6.5 would be more a compromise, and couldn't fill " my only" needs. On the other hand for my hunting desires don't require a bullet at 3000+ fps. So just about anything short of the 264 win mag would suffice. With nostalgia in the Swede's favor.
:? wasn't Oswald's rifle a Carcano? (not suggesting that's what killed Kennedy) :?

crow_feather · « **Reply #11 on:** January 17, 2004, 10:45:30 AM »

It was..............................It was
CF

Lawdog · « **Reply #12 on:** January 17, 2004, 10:58:29 AM »

onesonek,

Yup, Oswald(supposedly) used a 6.5mm Italian Carcano cartridge in that Carcano(POS) carbine. The Carcano is a much less powerful cartridge than the 6.5mm Swede. Max listed velocity for the 140 gr. Carcano is less than 2,200 fps as compared to over 2,700 fps. for the Swede. Lawdog

kirkwhitaker · « **Reply #13 on:** January 25, 2004, 04:54:22 PM »

well in my mind...it depends on what you are defining as "best". I have several 6.5 mm firearms at my disposal..and would love more..
the 6.5 tcu has not been mentioned...but in a short action rifle or tc pistol it is very effeicient and accurate...have one and it is a fun and accurate caliber..10" barrel gets me 2100fps with a 120gr bt...a 14 would do 2300fps and a 22 inch carbine would be 2600fps...no sloutch from a tiny case....
this would not be a best all around...the swed would be better..but i think it does fit a bill on some respects and is fun to play with for deer and small game..
6.5 jdj is another ...it is probably the best 6.5 handgun cartridge in a lot of peoples mind...
but no matter which one you choose..the 6.5 is one of the most forgiving bores to reload for....since a lot of cartridges in this class are lower pressure rounds...accuracey is usually good and recoil mild....
i don't know about all around for most people...but for deer, pronghorn and elk at moderate ranges...a swed, 6.5 rem mag, 264, 6.5-06 or similar would get my vote...since i have enough common sence to chase things bigger or meaner with a big hammer....ie ...my choice would be a 375 h&h....for anything else...my swed goes with me with a barnes x in it...
kw

Ron T. · « **Reply #14 on:** January 30, 2004, 10:26:28 AM »

Id prefer a larger caliber in a hunting rifle if it were my ONLY hunting rifles, but since Im limited to just a 6.5mm for the sake of this posting and being a handloader of long standing, Id choose the .264 Winchester Magnum because I could reload it up to higher velocities using the heavier hunting bullets or down if I was using the lighter varmint bullets or didnt need the extra velocity, range and kick.

The .264 Winchester is a .338 (or .458 Win.) Winchester case necked down to .264 or 6.5mm. It got a bad rap due to hunters using the hyped-up varmint weight bullets for deer hunting which made some fantastic and very SUDDEN kills, but also made for some fantastic surface wounds that did NOT kill deer sized game.

Loaded with a 125 grain Nosler Partition Bullet which is MORE-than-adequate for deer sized game, a handloader can attain a muzzle velocity of 3200 fps out of a 24-inch barrel using a maximum load of IMR4350 rifle powder. This bullet has an excellent sectional density of .256 and a VERY high ballistic coefficient of .449 indicating not only excellent down-range performance, but very fine penetration through bone and muscle once the bullet arrives at the target.

The external ballistics are great as well. As you probably know, the point-blank-range is the range at which the bullet is never more than 3-inches higher or lower than the line-of-sight, thus you can hold dead on the target out to the maximum point-blank-range and your bullet will strike within 3-inches of your scopes intersecting crosshairs.

Sighted in 2½ inches high at 100 yards, the .264 Win. Mags point-blank range using a max loaded handloads is 315 yards with the bullets high point of 3-inches above the line-of-sight at 150 yards according to my ballistic program. Therefore, from the rifles muzzle to 315 yards out in front of your rifles muzzle, you have the luxury of being able to hold dead on your target a REAL advantage!

Frankly, few hunters have any business shooting at game over 300 yards unless they practice a lot WELL-BEYOND that range and use a rifle that will consistently shoot into LESS THAN a minute of angle (meaning it will shoot 3 shots into LESS than an inch at 100 yards).

I wont take a shot at big game at a range of over 250 yards, but that is a self-imposed limitation. Every man has to scratch his own fleas and I feel that 250 yards is a reasonable limit for me. If I cant get a shot closer than 250 yards, then its time to do a little stalking or refuse the shot.

In any event, you have my reason(s) for choosing the .264 Winchester Magnum cartridge. Yes, it will kick a bit more than a 6.5 X 55 Swede, but then it will give the rifleman a true advantage in range and power.

Strength & Honor

Ron T.

Hiwallhunter · « **Reply #15 on:** January 31, 2004, 07:36:13 AM »

The first "high power rifle I ever bought was an army surplus mann-carcano in 6.5 Very Crude manufacture and not very accurate.That was back in 1966 when you could pick these up for about 50 bucks. If I had my druthers it would have to be the "Swede". I have one in left hand - the Carl Gustaf Husqvuarna and shot my first moose with it at 240 yards with the norma 156 gr bullet. On a broadside shot it went right through to the opposite side and I found it perfectly mushroomed on the inside of the hide. It does'nt kick, has great sd and bc and you can handload the round to the hotter European velocities. No one uses the .260 up here but there's lots of mil surplus and commercial rifles in use for deer, bear and Moose. It all comes down to where you place the "pill". Take a look at what Chuck Hawks says about the 6.5x55...

Rusty R. · « **Reply #16 on:** February 03, 2004, 05:16:48 PM »

6.5x55 SWEDISH!!!

Tuffcity · « **Reply #17 on:** February 06, 2004, 01:31:22 PM »

Anyone ever used a 6.5X54 Mannlicher Schoener? Used a buddies for a couple of years, what a tack driver! Took my first big game animal with that rifle (black bear) and if I could pry it out of his lock up I'd buy it in a heart beat.

RC

Fla Brian · « **Reply #18 on:** March 01, 2004, 09:07:50 PM »

The trouble with this thread is that word, "best." Best for what? For deer at modest ranges? Antelope at very long range? And scads of other qualifiers.

If the question were posed in terms of my favorite 6.5, that would be easy - the Swede.

huntsman · « **Reply #19 on:** March 06, 2004, 05:52:03 PM »

As the lead post explains, "one 6.5 bore caliber to take care of all your hunting needs, what would it be and why?" Best all-around, if you will.

Lawdog · « **Reply #20 on:** March 07, 2004, 11:48:56 AM »

Fla Brian,

The term "Best", "Favorite" is all in the eye of the beholder. For me I prefer the .264 Winchester Magnum while my wife shoots the 6.5mm Swede. This has led to some interesting discussions in our house. Neither of us can understand why Remington came out with the .260 Remington. To us it is a poor second to the Swede. Lawdog

Fla Brian · « **Reply #21 on:** March 07, 2004, 12:17:00 PM »

I have to agree with lawdog. "Best" is in the eye of the beholder. Huntsman points out that it refers to the 6.5 that will "take care of all your hunting needs." As I pointed out, in way, it makes a great difference as to whose hunting needs are being fulfilled. I know this seems like a lot of semantics, but I'm kinda tired of gun mag articles that propose to inform me of the "best" of anything. Since there is no way to quantify a single "best" for everyone's needs, I chose to use the word "favorite" which captures the subjective nature of the issue.

Since I live in the East, and will seldom encounter any hunting ground that requires the kinds of shots that require a hottie like the .264 maggie, I'm not particularly fond of belted cases and since I'm a bit of a traditionalist, my choice is the 6.5 Swede.

As for the .260 Remington, it is the ballistic twin to the Swede and is designed to work in a true short action. That was, and is, Remington's figuring with regard to the round. And, since they were particularly intending to chamber their cartridge in their model 7, they figured they were creating one heck of a package for many deer hunters, a fine balance between killing power, compactness and lightness of rifle and recoil light enough for even the very recoil sensitive hunter. I think they succeeded. And, since they were not going to be chambering the Swede in one of their rifles, they were offering Swede ballistics to Remington fans.

It also offered a very inexpensive source for brass, since the Norma stuff was, and is, very inexpensive. One could just get Remington brass or form his cases from a number of members of the .308 family of cases. The Swede's unusual head size prevents forming cases from any other parent cases.

TNrifleman · « **Reply #22 on:** May 07, 2004, 11:06:46 AM »

The only big game animals I have the chance to hunt on a regular basis are whitetail deer. My current favorite rifle / cartridge combination is the Winchester 70 Featherweight chambered in 6.5X55. It is as close to perfection as I have ever seen (for me). My son uses the Swede also, and feels the same way. His is in a Kimber '96 Mauser.

Greg Zeilinger · « **Reply #23 on:** July 01, 2004, 07:05:39 PM »

Since there are so many opinions on that subject,i may as well voice mine.If i were limited to only one 6.5mm rifle,i believe it would be the German 6.5-68 as it obtains incredible velocities even with the heaviest bullets and it's unbelievably inherently accurate at longer range,that's what it was intended for in the first place.I've seen them in action in the Austrian Alps on Chamois and Red Stag and i was amazed at its performance.Of course,i love the 260 and it's a great choice for deerhunters but probably not the best choice,if heavier game is on the menue.

Buckeye · « **Reply #24 on:** July 19, 2004, 10:55:46 AM »

6.5X55.

Buckeye

kombi1976 · « **Reply #25 on:** July 19, 2004, 06:26:05 PM »

My vote is for the 6.5x55 Swede also. It's a no-fuss round, easy to get ammo for and easy to reload. It isn't a cartridge that's been monkeyed with to screw a bit more velocity from and the Scandinavians have used it to shoot everything from bunnies to polar bear.....although I'd not be encouraging you to try that on a whim. Plus, the Europeans, who know it best, are quite happy to really pump it full of powder and create some savage loads that are still safe. If that isn't enough endorsement the service rifle that I believe was only second to the Obendorf Mauser was designed for this round. In my opinion only the 7x57 was a better Mauser round, but I've strayed off the path here.

Yukon Jack · « **Reply #26 on:** July 20, 2004, 05:11:55 PM »

Funny thing is, I thought all 6.5's were the same caliber. I know there are a bunch of different cartridge designations, but I surely thought they were the same caliber. :-D

7magWoodsman · « **Reply #27 on:** July 26, 2004, 03:00:00 PM »

If I had to choose just one rifle and it had to be a 6.5 it would be a Ruger M77 Compact chambered in .260 Rem. why? Because it feels good to me for a small rifle and you can find ammo in just about every store that sells ammo within 150 miles of my house...popular round around here

ratherbefishin · « **Reply #28 on:** August 04, 2004, 03:25:21 AM »

I mainly hunt coastal blacktails and black bear.The 6.5 swede is more than adequite[ over 30 blacktails,never lost one] Blackbear go down with one shot broadside right on the shoulder, they may not be dead, but they aren't going anywhere[ I hate tracking blackbear in thick christmas trees, good for an adrenaline rush and a trip to the cleaners but not much else] I wouldn't hesitate to use it on elk or moose either, with a good bullet.Most of my shots are under 100 yards[ and some a lot closer], occaisionally 200 across a loggingslash.

Buffalogun · « **Reply #29 on:** August 28, 2004, 03:04:30 PM »

Yukon Jack,
I had the same idea!

Hiwallhunter,
I have two rifles chambered to the 6.5x55. A M70 Winchester Featherweight built in 1994 and a Cart Gustafs M96/38 Short rifle made in 1915. As far as I know, there were two Swedish factories that made the "Swede" rifles. Carl Gustaf and Husquvarna. I have never read that they were the same factory :eek: .

My vote is for the 6.5x55. In looking at all the common rounds available and used for hunting, I think this cartridge has it all. It can be used for a varmint round with bullets of 100g. or less. Deer can be taken with bullets as light as 120g. The 140g loads can be used on animals the size of Carabou. And, the 156-160g loads will give the penetration needed for larger animals. Recoil is very easy on the shoulder. If you feel that you need more power, modern rifles chambered to this round can be "improved" and will give up more velocity.

It's a good round!

Buffalogun