Anyone use a 6.5X55 ?

[Albert GRANT]

I realize beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I find that good guns don’t have to cost more than “disposable” guns. You just have to search.

Example: I found a 7x57 mannlicher Schoenauer 1903 with exhibition wood built in Berlin by a known maker, with claw mounts and a modern 4x German scope for $850. $400 in wood refinishing and $300 in rebluing the small bits, it’s a $1550 gun that probably would sell for $3000-$3800 at retail. It is vastly superior to anything else at the “throw away” gun price point of $850.

Another: custom mausers that would cost $4000-$8000 to build today can be had for $1000-$3500 lightly used. You’re not going to get anything better new for that money.

The only thing that matters to me at this point is that it functions reliably and puts the bullet where I aim. Not sure how vastly superior you can get to 3 shot groups being covered by a quarter at 100yds and never having a feed or fire issue in hundreds of rounds, including torture testing that really should have cooked the barrel, yet no issues or loss of accuracy, and this from a $350 rifle with $150 glass. I'd love to have a nice old 6.5x55, but my 6.5 Creedmoor is doing just fine

 

[Albert GRANT]

wab,
and the 280 rem is better again.
bruce.

Had all of those except change 7x57 for 7mag. 6.5 gets better results on the terminal end than any of them. It's not about what you see on paper(writing, not targets), it's about what happens to the animals when you hit them. As I said, I have no explanation for it, but actually witnessing it for myself has proved it true time and again. I have just the 6.5 in that entire range of calibers now

 

[JPbowhunter]

The only thing that matters to me at this point is that it functions reliably and puts the bullet where I aim. Not sure how vastly superior you can get to 3 shot groups being covered by a quarter at 100yds and never having a feed or fire issue in hundreds of rounds, including torture testing that really should have cooked the barrel, yet no issues or loss of accuracy, and this from a $350 rifle with $150 glass. I'd love to have a nice old 6.5x55, but my 6.5 Creedmoor is doing just fine

The difference between $150 glass and $1000 glass is negligible under perfect conditions. But good glass in the first few and last few minutes of light is the difference between an easy shot and not being able to take one.

 

[Dewald]

It seems I dont have permission to view the attachments

I have no idea why this happens. I cant view them myself, and uploaded them as usual.

 

[bruce moulds]

Had all of those except change 7x57 for 7mag. 6.5 gets better results on the terminal end than any of them. It's not about what you see on paper(writing, not targets), it's about what happens to the animals when you hit them. As I said, I have no explanation for it, but actually witnessing it for myself has proved it true time and again. I have just the 6.5 in that entire range of calibers now

albert,
can't agree with you on that.
the 270 and the 280 even more so have clearly given better terminal performance on game from quite small up to medium.
went to a 280 from a 7mag to get a lighter rifle with the same recoil.
it is all about bullet choice.
the 6.5 does however beat the 243.
bruce.

 

[JPbowhunter]

In my experience with similar calibres bullet choice is far more important than the difference between calibres.

I also think some folks just love some cals and think they perform better than anything else. I love my 275 and it's dropped everything with one shot so far. Does that make it better than my 30-06? No, it's not any worse either they both work well and make animals dead fast when i do my part with shot placement.

 

[Albert GRANT]

albert,
can't agree with you on that.
the 270 and the 280 even more so have clearly given better terminal performance on game from quite small up to medium.
went to a 280 from a 7mag to get a lighter rifle with the same recoil.
it is all about bullet choice.
the 6.5 does however beat the 243.
bruce.

I actually shouldn't have included the .280 in there as I never did have an issue with that although I never had anything just drop in its tracks with it like every single animal I have shot with the 6.5. I also did drop a moose on the spot with a 270 which I don't think the 6.5 can do. The 7mag I absolutely hated and everything I shot with it was a tracking job. One big Pennsylvania buck dropped where I hit it on a heart shot but I still had to go finish it off because in the few minutes it too me to get over there after the shot it was still kicking on the ground. Property owner was with me and didn't believe I had heart shot it because how could it still be alive? I had him gut it and we found a tiny hole all the way thru the animal and minimal damage to the top of the heart. I suppose it was probably more the bullet, but I tried every darn bullet there was a fat or loading for at the time with that thing and never got better results. The 6.5 the only thing available to me at the time was mediocre bullets and the first one I chose has hammered everything. To make a long winded response longer, I would love to have a .280 again and wouldn't hesitate to use a .270, but I'm just very happy with the 6.5 currently, lol

 

[WAB]

wab,
and the 280 rem is better again.
bruce.

Yeah but the cool kids use 7x57’s.

 

[Albert GRANT]

And before it comes up, yes I realize the .280 and 7mag use the same bullets, I don't know if the mag was just pushing them too fast for the construction of the bullets I tried, or what, but it was definitely the worst caliber I have had. Will never own one again.

 

[Tim Blackwell]

Love the 6.5x55. My 108 year old M96 was my first centrefire at 16. I had it fully modified, bolt handle, timney trigger, scope mounts etc. I used it for everything for years. It's on it's second barrel now and super accurate firing 140gn SST's at 2710 fps.
It doesn't get out much these days but still gets the job done.

 

[leslie hetrick]

use the right bullet for the game hunted and hit them where they need hit and any of the calibers mentioned will get the job done. wrong bullet or a bad hit and you may need to track.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

albert,
can't agree with you on that.
the 270 and the 280 even more so have clearly given better terminal performance on game from quite small up to medium.
went to a 280 from a 7mag to get a lighter rifle with the same recoil.
it is all about bullet choice.
the 6.5 does however beat the 243.
bruce.

@bruce moulds
A thrown rock beats the 243 mate.
Ha ha ha ha
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

And before it comes up, yes I realize the .280 and 7mag use the same bullets, I don't know if the mag was just pushing them too fast for the construction of the bullets I tried, or what, but it was definitely the worst caliber I have had. Will never own one again.

@Albert GRANT .
If the bullet is pushed to hard in as my caliber it usually blows up on or shortly after impact so maybe just wrong bullet
Your dislike of the 7mm Mag is the same as mine for the 243. To many people use the wrong bullet for game hunted and turn what could be a reasonable cartridge into miserable failures and this turns you off them for life no matter what anyone says.
Bob

 

[sambarhunter]

I knocked over a Swedish bull moose with a 6.5 x 55. Ok the bull is on the wall but I wished that I had my 7mm RM in my hand at the time for the shot. Iirc it was just over 300 yards. I broke his front right above the brisket then he turned and went left and I then broke his front left much the same. I afterwards found out how much actual drop there was for the bullet. The initial shot with my 7mm would have done the job there and then.