6.5 X 55 Good choice for female deer hunter

7018

7018

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Super GunNutz
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Hi guys

I am in the process of purchasing a deer gun for the wife.
She is fairly new to hunting, but loves it and she plans to hunt deer in the fall.
The problem is that she is not a fan of recoil and I don't want to scare her of by purchasing a gun for her that has a lot of recoil (if I don't scare her off it improves the chances of me buying more firearms in the future;) )
I have a chance to purchase a Swede in 6.5 X 55 at a very good price( it has been bubba'd) but I am told that it still shoots great.

Its been about 15 years since I have fired a 6.5 X 55 and I can't recall the amount of recoil.

Can any of you compare the recoil to, lets say a .308(she has fired a .308 but would like a little less recoil)

Any imput would be great

Thanks
 
6.5x55 is excellent choice.
The recoil is less then the .308, be sure to buy the lighter weight bullets.
Great caliber if she ever wants to move up to moose.

http://www.accuratereloading.com/recoil.html
 
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Keep the bullet weight down from 140gr to the 120gr . Reasonable velocities and you will have a winner for the wife. Should slay deer like they have been hit with Thor's hammer. Works well on barren ground caribou it will work great on deer.
 
Ike Junior is shopping for one right now. He runs about 90 lbs and can shoot my Swede fairly well already. As others have stated lighter loads and in my guns case, a Mercury recoil suppressor helps soften and already minor recoil.
 
I agree, a good choice for sure. I use 6.5x55 for deer and I am currently looking for a sporterized Swede for my girlfriend to use for deer too. Let me know if you have any leads on more Bubbas ;)
 
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My wife shoots the 6.5x55 and has no problem with the recoil. Make sure there is a decent recoil pad on it and that will help alot. She shoots a handloaded 120gr Speer and can shoot it all day and she's is pretty recoil sensitive.
 
There are lots of used commercial mausers (mostly Husqys) on Tradex's site for milsurp prices. I picked up my last two or three 6.5X55 rifles there.

The advantage in getting a commercially built rifle is that the stock design is usually superior to the bubba'ed military items. This plays at least as great a factor in felt recoil as cartridge/bullet choice.
 
Tikka chambers the T3 in 6.5 x 55, and Remington offers their Model 7 and
Model 7 Youth (reduced length of pull) in .260 Rem. - very similar in characteristics to the 6.5x55.
 
if you handload, a 100 grain Nosler Partition over 38 grains H4895 will be mild recoil and effective out to a couple hundred yards. Ive shot a similar load in my 260 (35 grains - 2725 fps) and it was pretty accurate, I shot a 1.5" 16 shot group at 100 meters.
 
My friend's 15 year old daughter killed a nice mature bull moose last fall with one shot from her 6.5, using a 120 gr. TSX at about 120 yds.
Bullet broke ribs coming and going, took off the big blood vessels over the heart, and exited the far side. Moose took about three steps.
 
Last year I took two buck with 6.5x55 using 140gr Partition.
One shot one kill.
I highly recommend this caliber.
 
7018 said:
Hi guys

Its been about 15 years since I have fired a 6.5 X 55 and I can't recall the amount of recoil.

Can any of you compare the recoil to, lets say a .308(she has fired a .308 but would like a little less recoil)
Click to expand...

Think of the recoil as being about 2/3 what you'd get out of the .308.

In terms of accuracy they are generally very good. The 6.5x55 has a well-deserved reputation for penetration on game with its "long-for-calibre" bullets.

One of my most dramatic kills on a whitetail buck was with a 6.5x55 in a Tikka (shooting a plain-Jane 140 grain Hornady Interlock) at about 200 yards. The buck literally jumped up, folded its legs while doing a 180-degree spin in the air. He fell dead on the spot with a very generous spray of blood (~6 feet) patterned on the snow from the lung shot. You can't kill them more than "dead".:)

If your wife is recoil-sensitive, load the 129 grain bullets. They are perfectly adequate for deer.
 
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Depending on your funds, go for the 260 Rem. They come in short actions and are factory loaded to higher velocities than the 6.5x55 factory rounds. Recoil on either is negligeble. I have used both on big game up to and includeing moose. They are both great for bears, deer moose and elk with 140grain premium bullets. They are both hell on wheels for coyotes with 95 grain A max bullets out to 400yds+. The 6.5 calibre is a fine choice for all North American game. It is normally extremely accurate if you're doing your part to keep it that way and practice at different ranges and from different positions. You may be surprised at how effective that long slender bullet really is. Another thing, there is a very decent selection of good bullets being made for the 6.5 bores by all of the major manufacturers. bearhunter
 
GOOD CHOICE,I've had a 6.5x55 for 20 years and I'll never sell it cause ,its a deadly deer gun ,I've shot deer at 200 yards on the run and you go up to the deer and the horns are bearded in the dirt.Thats what hooked me hook,line and sinker.I have a husky with a Ram line shock and 2x7 leopueld scope what a package.Great for anyone.
 
I have a 257Roberts that would be a great caliber for women, children or a wus like me.

They are harder to find, but worth the effort.




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