Just curious about the poll: Why is there no love on this forum for the 6.5x55 SE ? I can't think of a finer cartridge that is a beautiful counterpoint to the 7x57 than the 6.5x55. They are ballistically near twins with the 6.5 affording better BCs and lower grain weight bullets up to 140gr, and the 7x57 picking up the slack from 140gr-175gr.
Karamojo Bell certainly liked both very much (and technically the 6.5x54 MS) and had no trouble doing brain shots on elephant with those two combined in greater numbers than in all other calibers.
You cannot adore the 7x57 without adoring its brother the 6.5x55, I rest my case members of the jury!
Hi again Rookhawk,
Yours truly is very fond of the 6.5x55.
My current one is a CZ 550 FS model but I have owned an original military Mauser, unaltered in this excellent caliber as well.
Have not taken any 6.5 to Africa but perhaps might some day.
Many PHs do prefer clients to use a minimum of 7mm / 175 gr bullet, on some quite large PG species but, I would not want to hunt especially heavy animals with any light caliber to begin with (even a .30 seems a bit light for super heavy animals, non-dangerous or not, in my beginner's opinion).
Now regarding Bell and the small bores for elephant- I will not go on and on about that subject right here (like I usually do).
But, I posted on Aug-29-2014, in the thread "Caliber Comparison" what I personally think of this sort of nonsense.
Also, I beat that dead horse some more on Feb-4-2015, in the thread "Ready to Hunt Elephant".
The 6.5x55 no doubt is a very fine cartridge for hunting thin skinned game and even a sissy like myself could target practice with it all day long without developing any recoil related flinch (6.5 Mannlicher and similar ones as well).
Never made any sense to me that so many parents have started their children on a .243 for their first deer rifle when the 6.5x55 would penetrate better for any follow-up shot and is also easier on edible meat than the .243 - but what do I know anyway.
I really like the 6.5x55 for sure and I apologize to the OP for getting off subject here.
Cheers,
Velo Dog.
and i was interested to see the usage of these calibres in this day and age ...........................i could have put loads more calibres on but these are ones i like and have now or have owned, or in the case of the .333jeff would get one in the right circumstances. quite a few on AH use the 6.5s and love them and i would like to get one day a ms take down in that cal, but thats not what i asked about. wondering why you specifically mention 7x57 double rifles as the the .275 no2 was the rimmed version for doubles and they arent that common these days......., as i have said earlier there are a few .275/7x57 rifles appearing at holts auctions but i wouldnt say swathes of them.
i have never been called one of those before.....
or
