When I watch a big bear lumbering across a meadow my '06 seems just enough, I hope. Looking for bears while carrying a 6.5 would make me nervous. Depending on perfect shot placement while hunting bears, especially in areas that can be thick bush, seems foolhardy.
30-06 vs 6.5-55
- Thread starter huntersmith
- Start date
Applefarmer
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Lime Stone City
Difference between the 6.5 and the 06 is squat. Time for you to move up to a 375 Ruger.
I have both .30-06 and 6.5x55AI. 130 grain TTSX from .30-06 go 3250FPS, 130 grain NAB from 6.5 go 2960FPS.
With 130 grain bullets the 6.5 catches the energy of the -06 at 300 yards and then the higher BC and retained velocity of the 6.5 put it on top after 350 yards.
With 180 grain bullets at 2700FPS the .30-06 retains more energy out to 500 yards than the 6.5.
The 6.5 is sure sweet to shoot though. Recoil is about 60% of the -06. Burns 8.5 grains less powder.
They are kind of in a different league from each other in my book.
If you shots on game are under 300 yards, I would not hesitate to used the 6.5 on everything we hunt other than the big bears...
With 130 grain bullets the 6.5 catches the energy of the -06 at 300 yards and then the higher BC and retained velocity of the 6.5 put it on top after 350 yards.
With 180 grain bullets at 2700FPS the .30-06 retains more energy out to 500 yards than the 6.5.
The 6.5 is sure sweet to shoot though. Recoil is about 60% of the -06. Burns 8.5 grains less powder.
They are kind of in a different league from each other in my book.
If you shots on game are under 300 yards, I would not hesitate to used the 6.5 on everything we hunt other than the big bears...
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
I don't see the this-vs-that point between theses 2 cartridges. Both are equally capable of dropping any
critter on the face of the earth with a well placed shot & using the right boolit for the job.
The scenarios that folks encounter though while hunting game, along with individual mindset and ability as
well as the endless variables that go with the hunt such as weather, physical condition of the hunter etc. etc.,
are what really make the difference between success and failure. A flubbed shot with an 8 bore is similar
to one with a 6.5....escaped game, a long track to recover game, or a mauling on your end.
critter on the face of the earth with a well placed shot & using the right boolit for the job.
The scenarios that folks encounter though while hunting game, along with individual mindset and ability as
well as the endless variables that go with the hunt such as weather, physical condition of the hunter etc. etc.,
are what really make the difference between success and failure. A flubbed shot with an 8 bore is similar
to one with a 6.5....escaped game, a long track to recover game, or a mauling on your end.
Anyad Pitchaya
CGN Regular
- Location
- Witness Protection
I don't see the this-vs-that point between theses 2 cartridges. Both are equally capable of dropping any
critter on the face of the earth with a well placed shot & using the right boolit for the job.
The scenarios that folks encounter though while hunting game, along with individual mindset and ability as
well as the endless variables that go with the hunt such as weather, physical condition of the hunter etc. etc.,
are what really make the difference between success and failure. A flubbed shot with an 8 bore is similar
to one with a 6.5....escaped game, a long track to recover game, or a mauling on your end.
It comes down to recoil then.
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
I like the moniker....sorta like "any pitchka".
Recoil generally isn't a factor when shoosting game.
Recoil generally isn't a factor when shoosting game.
I like the moniker....sorta like "any pitchka".
Recoil generally isn't a factor when shoosting game.
I totally agree about the recoil factor, several years ago I fractured my collar bone when making a serious shot with my 458 BSA and did not realize it until a few hours later when the pain intensified, my fault entirely for shouldering the rifle too fast and being a little off balance..... all in all a good lesson .
Curious as to how many here think about recoil as they are pulling the trigger on the rifle they are shooting.
There are a couple here I do and know it could/should affect my poi.
The 6.5x55 sure isn't one of them and this little gal does quite well most of the time.
There are a couple here I do and know it could/should affect my poi.
The 6.5x55 sure isn't one of them and this little gal does quite well most of the time.
Really? I use my swede religiously vs all game. Bears included. My first black bear was dead before it knew it. As to punching brush, the swede won't disappoint - just don't treat it like a 9.3x62. And truthfully, shot placement matters in all game bears & goats more than others. Especially those damned goats ~ too dumb to know they are dead sometimes.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
In this brave new world, where more time is spent on the internet than in real life, is that a surprise? Mastering recoil begins with wanting to, and many new shooters don't seem to want to. The next step is to ensure proper fit of their stock to their frame with the installation of a high quality recoil pad, but they don't want to take the time, spend the money, or change the look of their rifle. The result is a stock that is probably too long for them, so they perceive more recoil than is actually there, and the inappropriate butt plate intensifies the problem. The final step is to toughen body and mind through shooting until recoil doesn't enter their consciousness as they break the shot. Concentrating on the mechanics of the shot keeps you too busy to think about recoil. If you find you're thinking about recoil, refocus, and concentrate on what you're doing. In many cases its not so much the bump on the shoulder that's the problem, its the crack that startles the nervous system and hurts the ears when combined with the bump on the shoulder that induces a flinch. We should be smart enough by now to know that wearing proper hearing protection is not optional on the range. Jeff Cooper used to teach that recoil (within reason) doesn't matter, and was of the opinion that shooting his pet Brno 602 in .460 G&A (500 at 2400) could be mastered by anyone fit enough to play contact sports. That opinion seems to be at odds with today's riflemen. But guess what guys, if you buy a 5.5 pound .30/06, and shoot it off the bench, you might notice it.
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I can testify to that- I deer hunted with a 6.5, and as I don't reload, used 140 gr. soft points, which I believe was all I could find at the time, and I found that they didn't really do too much damage, whether this was bullet construction, a smaller footprint, velocity or whatever. No doubt this could be solved by reloading, but I think it's fair to say that if you don't reload you will find the selection of .30-06 available much more pleasing. Since being given a .30-06 I haven't looked back, and I feel a lot more confident using a better quality 150 gr. .30-06 round for deer, and like that I can go bigger if need be. Oh, the increased recoil is definitely noticeable, I did like that about the Swede.
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
I'm careful with the loads I put through my .458 BSA as I don't push the boolits to anywhere near max. for plinking or hunting of game encountered in my neck of the woods. I load 500 gr. lead @ 1200fps. and they shoot under 2" at 100 yds.
Recoil is no worse than my trap gun.
As for 6.5 Swede vs 30-06, I agree with those that travel abroad to hunt in that the '06 is far easier to come
by than the Swede. Handloaders of course, have it made if they're good at it.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
No, you're thinking about it, or rather you're anticipating the shot breaking. The way to beat the flinch is to begin dry firing the rifle. The trigger break should surprise, but not startle you. Begin by sighting on a spot on the wall, and break the shot without allowing the sights moving off the mark. Once you can do that, break the shot with a quarter balanced on the muzzle. When you can press the trigger without upsetting the quarter, try a nickle, then a dime. When you can press the trigger without upsetting a dime you have the concentration necessary to make a good shot with live fire. At the range, start with light loads or managed recoil loads. Wear hearing protection. Put the same amount of concentration into breaking your shot as you did at home with the dime balanced on the muzzle. Over time move up the power scale, first to full power loads with light bullets, then to mid weight bullets, and finally to heavy bullet loads. You'll be surprised just how quickly you can progress, and soon you'll be ready to move up from the .30/06 to more powerful cartridges if that's your goal. Anytime you suspect the flinch gremlin is sneaking back in, go back to the basics, and don't stop your dry firing drills at home.
If you've forgotten the basics, just think about the BRASS acronym:
Breath (shoot at a natural respiratory pause between inhaling and exhaling)
Relax (allow your muscles to go limp)
Aim (self explanatory, but with irons it means to align the sights with the front sight on the target, then concentrate on the front sight until you can see the smallest details of that sight
Slack (applies to a two stage trigger, but with a single stage trigger can mean making initial contact with the trigger)
Squeeze (doesn't mean squeeze which required movement of you entire hand, it means press which isolates movement only to you trigger finger)
Learn to acquire and check you natural point of aim from all positions. Oh, and have fun.
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