boltman

Yes, and walk into any gunshop and try to find one of these rifles you mentioned in 6.5x55. Odds are they'll give you the deer in the headlight look when you ask. Just because the chambering is listed on a website doesn't mean it's readily available. Ruger has a horrible reputation for listing rifles in calibers it's never built. I'm a gun dealer and I haven't seen a M70 featherweight in that caliber built for years, but they still list it. About every three years winchester will make a run of 100 or so rifles and that's it until they decide to tool up a few years later. Then you've still got the problem of the underloaded factory ammo that's hard to find also.

I stand by my statement that the .260 is a lot more readily available.

Tumbo

bandgod

I have owned & used 243's & 7mm-o8's & can recommend both to you.
With the 243 i've shot pigs up to 350 pounds with no problems & lots of smaller game out to 300 yards or so & found it to be flat shooting & will wack most game comfortably up to about 300 pounds.It is pleasant to shoot.

The 7mm-08 is a great calibre & i'm really impressed by it,with light bullets 110-120 grains it shoots as flat as a 25-06 & have shot wild dogs,foxes rabbits & crows with them out beyond 300yards.
The 7mm-08 really shines with 130 & 140 grain bullets & i've taken many pigs up to 400 pounds with them,also 2 donkeys & one wild bull,dont know how much he weighed but he was a large animal,shot him just behind his front leg,thought I was going to be way undergunned for him but the 140 grain barnes x did the trick & I didn't need a second shot.Cant notice much difference in recoil between the 243 & the 7mm-08 either.

I like the tikka they weigh around 7 pounds & are a very accurate rifle so have a look if you can.

I've no experience with the 260 but can imagine it would perform pretty well on small to medium game,it should fall somewhere between the 243 & the 7mm-08 closer to the 7mm-08 I think.

Both are very accurate rounds

Anyhow,hope this has been of some help & good luck

herman

The 260 is a great round for deer,I have taken them with
100 gr,120gr,125gr,and 140 gr bullets since I hve had mine,
It is ruger mk11.In my opinion the 140 bullets work the best,I use them in the Rem coreloc,and load them myself,I don't think there are any advantages or disadvantages because I use all three
243,260 and 7/08.all are very good deer rounds.

http://www.hunting-pictures.com/memb...ght&encore.jpg

Briman

No, the 6.5x55 isn't a typical cartridge you would find at Walmart, but can be fouind at just about any mom and pop gun shop. Just like the 8x57 its underloaded by Rem and their ilk since they don't think its worth their time to make usable loads with it and to a greater degree they are right by doing so as more money can be made by chambering rifles in their own proprietary wondermagnum cartridges. I'm just waiting for Rem to come out with a 8mm short magnum or 8mm08 so I can vomit all over my own shoes.

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms... who's bringing the chips?

thndrchiken

Not to mention the fact that while the two major ammunition makers underload the 6.5x55, Hornady Custom and Light Magnum are about the most consistent and hottest load available. With my Husqvarna commercial ( surplus barrel ), 140 gr corelokt and 42.5 gr of IMR4350 produces moa groups at 100 yds. Like Briman has said in many posts when dealing with surplus work up to the max load carefully. This load is still a 1/2 gr under max, but I figure accuracy is more important.

eldeguello

Why, Briman?? 8mm is a GOOD bore size....

Keep yore powder dry!!

seattlesetters

Yes, Briman, 8mm is a great size. When properly loaded, the 8x57mm Mauser is one of the great all-around cartridges. Great for both deer and elk out to 250-300 yards or so. Also way cool for bear, moose, caribou, or anything else you may want to shoot.

Personally, I'd love to see the 8mm-08 or the 8mm WSM. They finally may give a great caliber its rightful place in the pecking order.

Good Dogwork and Good Hunting

Briman

The way I look at it, American manufacturers show a complete lack of respect for great cartridges like 8x57 and 6.5x55 then come out with a new cartridge that does nothing more than mimic their performance and call it the best thing since sliced bread. I'll admit that I'm itching to buy something chambered in .260 Rem and would hope they make ANY 8mm cartridge poipular if only to increase the selection of bullets available. To me it would be alot more useful if they made some usable loads for 8x57 rifles since I own about a dozen of them right now <img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle>

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms... who's bringing the chips?

Briman

Sorry, I've had a bit of a chip on my shoulder ever since a trip to gander mountain to buy 6.5x55 ammo. They used to carry it, but the last time I went in there, there was no 6.5x55 to be found. I asked the guy behind the gun counter where I could find it, he gave me a strange look and told me that 6.5x55 is obsolete now that .260 Rem came out and they can get in by special order if I wanted. Huh??
I let him go back to flexing behind the pistol counter and left the store without buying a thing.

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms... who's bringing the chips?

8mm/06

boltman,
Those models I listed were not from any websites, they came off the pages of current wholesale catalogs. As a gun dealer you merely have to order the gun from the manufacturer. If you are a small dealer doing a small quantity business (like I used to) it is much easier to locate it from any number of wholesalers......... like Jerry's Sports Center for example.
The 6.5 x 55 is much more available than most folks believe. It may not be as easy to obtain a large variety of different guns in this cartridge chambering compared to the .260 (at this time) but if somebody wants a 6.5 x 55 in a modern weapon he could have it in a matter of 4-7 shipping days. All it takes is a dealer (like yourself) to pick up the phone and place the order.
There is not a lot of knowledge out there concerning this cartridge and the loadings and chamberings currently offered. You can find just as much 6.5 x 55 factory ammunition as the .260 (at this time). And it is sometimes cheaper than the .260 but never more expensive. More ammo companies currently load the 6.5 x 55 in more of their lines than the .260, but in time this may change. I'm not diss-ing the .260, on the contrary it is a wonderful round that has captured the essence of the benefits of the .260 bore in a modern available case. It should be a smash hit. Time will tell.