jerry d

Who's shooting them ? Whatcha killing with them ? And what flavor 6.5 are you shooting ?

flags

I've got 2 chambered in 6.5mm. I absolutely love that bullet diameter. It has great sectional density and the penetration in incredible. Those long skinny bullets are very effective on game.

I've got a Rem Model 700 Classic in 6.5x55 Swedish. This is my go to rifle for deer and pronghorn. It is very effective on both. I liked it good enough I got rid of my .243 since I can get a lot heavier bullet for the Swede. Recoil is very easy to handle and the rifle is so accurate with the Seller & Belloit 131 gr load that I don't even bother to try and handload for it. Someday I'll use it on cow elk, but when I do I'll go for a little heavier bullet and I'll make sure it is a Nosler.

I've also got a Mannlicher Schoenauer Model 1903 in 6.5x54 MS. These are great little rifles, only weigh about 5 1/2 lbs. Mine has a Lyman Peep on it and a set trigger that breaks at 8 oz. I've got a really accurate handload for the Hornady 160 gr Round Nose, but that bullet has been discontinued and I've only got about 150 left. Woodleigh makes a 160 gr 6.5mm bullet so I'll give those a try when the Hornadys run out unless I can find more of them. I've taken whitetail and hogs with this little beauty and I took an escaped exotic ram that got on a buddies ranch in TX with it too. W.D.M. Bell used one of these with solid bullets to take a couple of hundred elephant prior to WWI. Here's a pic of the rifle in the field.

Nomercy448

Had a 6.5 Grendel for a stretch, had a 6.5 Swede through high school and college. Ran a 6.5-284 until the barrel opened up, rebarreled it back to straight 284win.

The 6.5-284 was a heavy barreled bench style long range launcher that ended up spending a bit of time deer and hog hunting. The Grendel AR was a coyote rifle that took a couple doe and a couple hog trips. Swede was a deer rife that I threw after coyotes during the summer (mauser that weighed 157lbs).

bugsNbows

Still have a 6.5 Grendel ... but it's for sale. Sweet caliber.

Jenks

Years ago I bought a new '96 receiver from Century Arms or someone. A new bolt came along and I later had a new Swede '38 barrel screwed to it. I had a stock made but the stock maker used the '96 trigger guard and magazine after I had sent a Spanish Mauser job to him that has a hinged floorplate. I never finished the gun, I guess I need to trade for a '96 trigger guard and magazine and finish it up. I was going to have one of the only "new" customized '38 Swedish Mausers around. I think it is a great caliber.

Wayspr

264 Win mag in a Browning Abolt. Only been in the woods a couple times but enough to tag a fat doe. Close impact, she fell where she stood, not even a wiggle. Using a heavy dose of Win 780 behind a 129 gr Hornady.

Ridge Runner

6.5 Gibbs (basicly a 6.5/06 AI on steroids) built by Ray Romain of brockport pa, 30" kreiger on a 700 LH actionhas a loopy 8.5x25 mark 4 M1 TMR settin in seekins rings with a seekins 20 moa base under it, QD Holland brake, pillared and glassed in a Joel Russo A5-L stock, that buck was last year taken at a close 390 yards, has accounted for kills this year at 327, 660, and 730 yards. I also made a first round cold bore hit on an empty 5# fire extinguisher at 985, and a steel plate at 1022 during practice just prior to season.
It runs a 140 berger at 3180 fps with a max load of retumbo
RR

ronlaughlin

Flavors of 6.5 rifle are: A Swede, a 6.5/06, and a 6.5/30-30. The 06 was built for long range antelope hunting, and that is what it has killed, several times. The Swede has killed elk, deer, and gophers. The 6.5-30 killed an antelope, and 2 deer this season, it's first.

8mm/06

I have 5 Swede's, but the only one I hunt with is an old model 94. I bought it at a gun show ... it had the original military configuration but someone had swapped out the stock for an updated Bishop and had slapped a model 38 cavalry bolt into it. It had absolutely NO matching numbers, and was missing the rear sights ... otherwise I might have considered restoring it. The original blue was all but gone as well, and the exterior metal had been marked up in a nasty way. Upon taking it to the range I found the accuracy acceptable and found a couple of factory loads that it liked. Instead of restoring it I had the bolt turned for a scope and had it drilled and tapped. I have a pristine military barrel for it (bore that is) that has been bobbed to about 21.5 inches long .. but I'll want to have it lathed down to a sporter configuration someday before I get it mounted on this action.

It took a nice fat 8 pt. this year. It was an easy 120 yard shot. Deer fell to a 156 gr Norma Alaskan load. One small entry and one modest exit. Lungs were jelly. Deer went all of 15 yards and tipped over neatly.

I think that the 6.5 X 55 round is one of the finest deer rounds out there. When loaded with a modest velocity (all I put through my old military) it is a kitty-cat to shoot and very effective on game. When there is a discussion of a good starting cartidge for young hunters I think the 6.5 X 55 is one of the kindest to shoot out there. It's easy to have great accuracy when the rifle hardly gives you a push.

A previous posted mentioned the 160 grain Hornady's .. I hope they bring this bullet back. The longer heavier bullets shoot best out of my short model 94 military barrel.

WV Hunter

I got a .260 Rem 700 Mountain rifle early this year. I love it. Right now just shooting factory ammo, but it shoots well. Haven't had a chance to work up any loads for it...with the component shortage. Finally found some brass recently, so hopefully this spring I'll have some loads to test.

I've always thought that a 6.5 round is about perfect for most hunting, other than true large game. So versatile, as has already been posted here.