Considering .270 WSM

CanadianTrucker said:
Some of the counties in Ontario only allow you to go for wolf or coyote if your rifle calibre is .275 or below. I figured the .270 WSM would be a good option as it is more than capable of going for wolf/coyote and has the take down power for a deer.

Any thoughts on this?
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Being that a 270 is actually .277" which is indeed larger than .275", wouldn't this make it illegal for coyote in these areas?
 
Obtunded said:
the real world results with hand-loaded ammo varies significantly to the point where those published velocity figures on the Hodgden site are out to lunch.

The 6.5-284 is a highly overbore cartridge with an overbore index of over 1200. This is derived from case capacity to case mouth opening. One can expect the accurate life of a 6.5-284 to be enywhere from 700 to 1000 rounds. It is a very accurrate cartridge with a long pedigree of long-distance wins, but it is as bad as a magnum for barrel burning.

The 6.5 Swede uses less powder and manages to nearly equal the velocities of a 6.5-284 by its more efficient design. The result is a roughly 50% better barrel life. The old Mausers that were using this cartridge did not benefit from the high energy powders that we have today, and as such many of the old 6.5's are not strong enough to withstand a high-pressure loading, and as such factory ammo tends to be moderately "de-tuned". The ammo is still highly potent, but the fact that is is not loaded to red-line means they barrel life is actually better than the raw data would suggest.

To answer your questions regarding useful barrel life:

308 - 6000 to 10,000 hunting accurate rounds

6.5X55 2000 - 4000 hunting accurate rounds

270 WSM Done at 600-1000

300 WSM 1500+ hunting accurate rounds


Hunting accurate means they will hold "Minute of Deer Heart" at 100 yards. Remember that a gun used strictly fo larger game will typically shoot a handful of rounds per year, so even a 270 WSM will last a lifetime if used in this role.

Varmint hunters and coyote hunters shoot way more than that, so barrel life will be a bigger issue. Also when using the type of light bullets preferred for varmint hunting (85 grains is VERY light for a 6.5!!) the amount of powder used goes up... barrel life goes down.
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Reading over your information both intrigued and confused me. My experience with different cartridges is limited and before this post I had not even heard of the 6.5x55. The primary ammunition producers I deal with (as most of the general hunting crowd I'm sure) is Remington, Winchester and Federal. When you refer to the "swede" is that another manufacturer or is that a type of round (ie. nosler partition?)

If you would be so kind as to recommend some manufacturers and bullet grains for either coyote or deer I'd appreciate it. I don't want to go with a cartridge that will give me higher barrel wear, so something that balances long range power with not being too hard on the barrel is preferred.

Thanks everyone for the help so far.
 
Sorry... the 6.5X55 is actually known by several names, because it was used in many old European rifles and a few of the specs were ever so slightly different.

The 6.5X55 is properly known as the 6.5x55SE cartridge, but is also know widely as the 6.5X55 Swedish Mauser, and as such it is simply called the "Swede".

I love the cartridge, and there are no real down-sides to its use as a hunting catridge with varmints on the side. As to a good Varmint cartridge...well, if using it strictly for varmint hunting, I would go smaller, lighter and faster. 22-250, 223, or even 204 Ruger. Energy takes a back seat to to velocity, and a flat trajectory, because shooting varmints between 50 and 300 yards you don't necessarily have time to range, make come-up adjustments and such.
 
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