6.5 X 55 Good choice for female deer hunter

[7018]

Well I definately seem to be on the right track, thanks guys, i think the wife will like it. I may also take it as a second rifle when I go Deer or Caribou hunting as well.
Keep the opinions coming

 

[Calum]

A guy 'needs' a couple of 6.5x55mm's in the battery....

I agree.

Well I definately seem to be on the right track, thanks guys, i think the wife will like it. I may also take it as a second rifle when I go Deer or Caribou hunting as well.
Keep the opinions coming

Consider that it is a very popular hunting cartridge in Sweden, and is used on their Moose, which are the size of our Elk, also...

Nearly one-third of the approximately 350,000 moose in Sweden, that account for half of the global population of the large animals, are legally killed by hunters every year.

http://www.nordicway.com/search/Sweden/Sweden_Moose Hunting.htm

So I hazard to guess that allot of their moose are taken with 6.5x55.
Deer would be no problem.

 

[Wild_Thing]

A fine deer, caribou, etc caliber that isn't too much for newer shooters. I started my young one out with a 700 mtn Rem .260 with light loads. I thought my larger caliber rifles would be a little much for her small frame.
The only complaints that I ever heard was that I was borrowing "her" rifle too much

 

[icedog]

Ramline does market a stock for the small ring Mausers which requires just a little fitting. My Husky m38 sits in one.

 

[Grouse Man]

It's an excellent choice for anybody.

 

[Honk...Honk...Boom]

recoil stats

Chuck Hawks has the recoil of a 308 at 16 to 17 foot lbs compared to a 6.5x55 swede at 10.6. And thats with 140 grain ammo! Use 120 and reduce it to about 8 ft lbs! My swede is great and my 11 year old daughter loves to use it at the range. You'll have no worries mate! 120 grainers and possibly a recoil pad if needed. We dont need a sims recoil pad. Its a gentle push...good luck.


HHB

 

[HSM_miner]

Ramline does market a stock for the small ring Mausers which requires just a little fitting. My Husky m38 sits in one.

This is what my m38 sits in.

 

[troutseeker]

I just took the Ruger MkII 6.5X55 to the range today to test out a new varmint load. This is my coyote/wolf/cougar load, a 90 grain hollow point bullet under 40 grains of Varget, OAL is 2.850".

This is another excellent load for this rifle, best groups are 1/2" at 100 meters, no groups over 1".

Dang good caliber and this Ruger just plain shoots!

Troutseker

 

[marty vk]

I think you could not look at a better cartridge for a small framed or female shooter. I currently have three milsurp 6.5x55's and I reload for them. My spouse and two teenage daughters, age 15 and 17 have accompanied me to the range for long shooting session with these rifles and with a suitable stock design (two are shortened in the length of pull by about a 1/2 inch) with a standard recoil pad they have had no difficulty shooting 120gr, 129gr or 140 gr loads, be they mild loads or loads closer to the maximum listed. They also seem to enjoy the accuracy of the cartridge which I believe gives them some confidence in their abilities. I have tried other guns and cartridges but my spouse and daughters have settled on the 6.5x55 and the .300 savage, which have somewhat comparable recoil levels (.300 being slightly more recoil depending on load and firearm, mine have recoil pads installed as well)