6.5x55 vs 8mm Mauser

Northman999 said:
I like them both, and the good thing is they are far enough apart in bullet size to justify having both. Personally I shoot 140's and 220's in mine.

Not sure about the accuracy comments made by some...both my 8x57's are sub-MOA shooters with basement gunplumber accurising jobs...
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I think a lot of 8X57 owners don't realize just how accurate the old 8mm can be.
The mistake I made with mine with respect to reloading was that back in the 1960s when I started loading for it any data and there was precious little back then made emphasis to loading it below its actual potential..... and being a novice reloader back then I simply followed suit.
Years later when I started loading it a bit ' heavier ' then the superb accuracy started to happen..
 
It's the 6.5x55mm for me, please & thanks.

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Both good rounds. Lots of moose taken with the 6.5x55 in Sweden every year. Frankly, I doubt your target beast (you didn't say what you plan on hunting) will notice the difference.

Nice to see not everybody is fixated on the newer-faster-shinier megamags...
 
I believe it depends on what you will hunt with them. I would slightly prefer the 8mm for elk and moose and such big critters, and prefer the 6.5 for smallish big game like deer and for coyotes. Both are versatile enough to be considered good all-'round cartridges.
 
Both are versatile enough to be considered good all-'round cartridges.[/QUOTE said:
They certainly are, when I farmed my 8X57 was my ' do-all ' rifle, took care of Coyotes, and put Pronghorn Antelope, Whitetail, Moose and even the odd Mulie in the freezer.
To say that its earned its keep is an understatement..
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I have a couple rifles 8x57 and a couple in 7x57. Most are Brno 21 or 22. Great hunting rifles and very accurate. I would recommend the 8x57 over the 6.5x55. It will handle bullets from 150 to 220 grain easily and will take down anything you care to point it at.
You have stated your preferences in make and manufacturer of rifles and you have chosen well. Another consideration you might want to think about is the great selection of Husqvarna rifles built on FN Mauser actions that are available at Tradex, a site sponsor. Great action. Good solid rifles. Excellent prices. Lots in 8x57.
 
I've owned and used both a fair bit over the years . To be honest , I'd be hard pushed to choose between them . If I was after Moose or Elk specifically , I'd take the 8mm , but if I ran into a bull with a 6.5 in hand I wouldn't be worried about it's ability to take one . Both classic , capable and efficient cartridges .
 
My new 6.5x55 is a Sako 85 "Bavarian" with SST and a slimmed down stock, made in 2013. It normally carries a 1-4X Swarovski. My 8x57 is a Brno 22F (21F?) with DST and a "Mannlicher-type" stock, made in 1945. The 6.5 has little recoil and is very accurate even with cheap discount brand factory ammo. The BRNO kicks. For decades I reloaded for both calibers (mostly in ex-military Mausers) but I don't bother much anymore. I prefer the 6.5 for its accuracy and lack of recoil. In my experience moose are relatively easy to kill for their size.

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The 8X57 is the more powerful of the two, often equated with the .30/06. I'm not particularly taken with the 8mm bore size, in that it has neither the bullet selection of the .308s nor the sectional density of the .338s, so I'm unlikely to own one unless I come across an exceptionally nice Mauser that I can't live without . . . I haven't found it yet, nor am I looking. I have owned a few 6.5X55s though, and I like them. IMHO, the 6.5 (referring now to any 6.5 cartidge of similar capacity as the 6.5X55) delineates the lower limit of general purpose big game cartridges, and referring to it as simply a nice deer rifle fails to give it it's due. The 6.5 is pleasant to shoot, accurate, and, with a mid to heavyweight bullet, has proven suitable for game of 1000 pounds, and more if we include eland. Thus 6.5 is arguably a bit more versatile than the 8X57, and it can be acquired in a lighter rifle without having to deal with harsh recoil.
 
6.5-55mm is great and accurate cal. With good bullet like Barnes or Hornady,federal full copper construction will take anything that is hit in right place but same goes for others as well. No matter what you use if you hit stomach it will go away and there is a chance you will never see it again.
 
I'm a fan of the 257 bore and have watched animals fall in their tracks with it. The 6.5 bullets are in almost every way superior and heavier then the 25s. That said I don't think you can go wrong with a 6.5 until you get into larger bear territory. The 6.5 will certainly kill one with the right placement. It becomes a matter of how much ground it covers and which direction its coming or going before it dies.
Personally I like heavy bullets at moderate velocity for big game but both calibers selected have a long and proven history on game
 
Boomer said:
The 8X57 is the more powerful of the two, often equated with the .30/06. I'm not particularly taken with the 8mm bore size, in that it has neither the bullet selection of the .308s nor the sectional density of the .338s, so I'm unlikely to own one unless I come across an exceptionally nice Mauser that I can't live without . . . I haven't found it yet, nor am I looking. I have owned a few 6.5X55s though, and I like them. IMHO, the 6.5 (referring now to any 6.5 cartidge of similar capacity as the 6.5X55) delineates the lower limit of general purpose big game cartridges, and referring to it as simply a nice deer rifle fails to give it it's due. The 6.5 is pleasant to shoot, accurate, and, with a mid to heavyweight bullet, has proven suitable for game of 1000 pounds, and more if we include eland. Thus 6.5 is arguably a bit more versatile than the 8X57, and it can be acquired in a lighter rifle without having to deal with harsh recoil.
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I don't know what charts or specs your looking at, but when I look at Hornadys bullets the 8MM 200 Gr class has higher sectional density (.267SD) then .338 200gr, same goes for Noslers selection of 200gr (SD. 274), the 8mm 220gr Serria (.301) has a higher SD then the 225gr class of .338, then Woodleighs 250gr 8mm( .343SD) has a higher SD then .338 250gr class. .313SD
 
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dgradinaru said:
I don't know what charts or specs your looking at, but when I look at Hornadys bullets the 8MM 200 Gr class has higher sectional density (.267SD) then .338 200gr, same goes for Noslers selection of 200gr (SD. 274), the 8mm 220gr Serria (.301) has a higher SD then the 225gr class of .338, then Woodleighs 250gr 8mm( .343SD) has a higher SD then .338 250gr class. .313SD
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If I was choosing a 200 gr bullet it would be a .308. If I was looking for a 250 gr bullet, I'd try to find some .30 caliber Barnes Originals or pass and get .308/240s. If I was looking for a high SD/BC .338 it would almost certainly be a 300 gr. with a SD in the range of .375 like the .338/300 Woodleigh, and a match bullet with a G-7 BC of about .431 for the .338/300 Berger Hybrid.

There's nothing wrong with the 8mms, they just never caught my imagination. If they float your boat, its all good, and as you point out, they will pretty much match the ballistics of similar bullets in other calibers. An 8mm magnum or a wildcat like an 8mm Ultra, or an 8mm Lapua would get anyone's attention.
 
Never been tempted by the 8mm Mauser. Maybe because I don't see any real advantage over a 30-06.

Used to own a 7mm Mauser. Liked it. But never saw any advantage over either of my 7mm-08's. So I sold it.

Yes, I have been tempted to acquire a 6.5mm. But I own a couple of 6mm's (.243 & .25-06), as well as the 7mm's ..
and, so far, haven't been able to justify buying an in-betweener.

*shrugs*
 
David L said:
What would you choose and why?
Both rifle Will be new and used for modern loads, Hunting purpose, maybe reloading. 140g and up.
I like odd caliber and I'm not gonna use surplus.
The two rifle Will be either zastava fullstock 8mm or cz 550 fullstock\ Tikka Hunter
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The better middle road... best of both worlds... "7mm Mauser"... I know that's not what you asked, but it is what I have to offer.
 
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