6.5-06 Hunting Rifle

Pathfinder

Pathfinder

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Northeast Ontario
Who's hunting with one ? What did you build ?

Im getting one ready for the fall just wondering what the hunters that own one use it for ? Ill be testing loads from 129gr. to 140gr. and it will hunt anything from mice to moose .
 
It seems to be a darling of the 24HourCampfire guys lately. 6.5 Swede after an afternoon in the gym. Probably a great little open country deer or caribou rifle, and could be interesting for sheep and such in a Mountain configuration. I'd prefer heavier for bear, elk and moose, personally.
 
I had my 6.5x55 Tikka T3 Hunter rechambered to 6.5-06 about a year ago. I'm shooting 130 grain accubonds at 3000 fps. That load will definately take an elk just as surely as a .270 will. Really, what I find is that it's a .25-06 but with access to heavier bullets. The 0.007" difference in diameter is not noticeable, and with 120 grain bullets it will perform just like the .25-06. Great antelope gun.

But with a heavier bullets its going to perform much like a .270. 130 grain bullet at 3000 fps... that does sound familiar.
So I look at it as a gun that can be a 25-06 or a .270, depending on what I want it to do.

For that matter, I could load up some 160 grainers, and it would perform much like a 30-06 with 200 grainers.
Or I could load it down a bit and it would replicate the 6.5x55 exactly.
A rather versitile cartridge!
 
I owned one for a number of years, and was ultimately happy with the performance on all game I shot with it, including one Moose. I now have a 6.5x55 AI, which will do essentially the same thing. Eagleye
 
My hunting partner bought a Cooper excaliber in 6.5-06 . Last fall between him and his son they killed four deer with it at ranges from 80 yrds to 400 yrds. THey all died good. He shoots a barnes 120 gr ttsx( i think it's 120 gr...)
 
I don't have one but i want one. Maybe i should just get a 6.5x55 first. :) If you do get one, i'm gonna bug you to let me try it one day though. :p :D
 
I built one on a trued remington 700, Smith gain twist 1-9 heavy sporter finished at 24" with a B&C medalist stock and timney trigger. I took a doe antelope at 340 yds with it last fall, fresh from the gunsmiths, and love shooting it. The load I put together for it is 129 gr SST's at 3000 FPS, and it dropped that antelope so fast, I thought I missed. The animal had died in tall grass before i came out of recoil.

It is back in getting fitted with a PTG fluted bolt, and a proper bead blast on the shiny barrel right now, and when I get it back, I am going to work up some TSX and accubond loads for it, and have every confidence that it will handle anything I might run across in Alberta. It to me is the ideal open country deer round.

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DoeAntelope.jpg
 
I used my 6.5-06 Cooper excaliber all last fall and a bit this winter. I've taken two deer, 6 coyotes and counting. I think it's a great cartridge for what I'm using it for, it's my "truck gun". I mostly hunt gophers, coyotes and deer so it's perfect, I even took it elk hunting but the elk were too sneaky for us. I don't know if I'll take it on the next elk trip but I'm sure it would work with a well placed shot. I use 130gr AB's.

If you're thinking of building one, check out the Coopers. You may be able to buy a cooper for the same or less than a build.
 
I had a Remington 700 classic built by Robert Hart a few years back on a 26 inch barrel. It was the most accurate rifle I ever owned, and of course I'm kicking my self for selling it. I was shooting a 120 gr. Nosler ballictic tip that grouped under 1/2 inch at 200 meters. Now that's accuracy!!! I can't remember the load but it definately came out of the Nolser reloading manual. I killed an antelope and mule deer buck with the gun.
 
I'm already a 6.5 fan , it's only money if you must have it nothing wrong with the round.....someone got keep the gunsmiths in business..............Harold
 
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