Hunting with a 6.5 x 55

I've got two loads for mine; 95gr VMAX for coyotes and 140gr SST's for anything bigger. The 6.5x55 is a great little round, but you do have to pick your bullets right, particularly if you're going for bigger game like a moose. If you don't want to fiddle fart around with two loads and can afford it, 120 gr TSX boattails loaded to the max will also kill anything and would be a great setup for a "one load per gun" type of guy.
 
What kind of rifle are you using the small bullets with? Don't the military 6.5x55 have quite a long throat and rifling for the heavy round nose?
 
I think the military Swedish mausers have a 1-7.25" twist? I'd be interested what your using as well.............1-8" in my Win FWT.........Harold
 
I had heard from a couple of guys that thier rifles couldn't stabilize the lighter bullets, but that's not my experience. My stock (okay, it's drilled and tapped) M96 with full length barrel has been tested with several bullet weights up to 160's and it's actually the most accurate with 100gr BT's. I would definitely experiment with lighter bullets before assuming it just won't work. You might also want to try lightening loads a bit if your groups aren't any good. Now I'm not talking little girly man loads; with 100gr BT's at 3050 fps my swede 96 groups 0.5" @ 100 yds. I could probably push them up to 3300 if I worked up loads, but those light bullets are for coyotes remember?
 
Swedish 6.5 pitch was 1:7.87in (1:200mm), according to Steve Kahaya and Joe Poyer ("The Swedish Mauser Rifle").
 
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I used a 1901 m38 for 2 deer last fall. Wt quartering away at 25 yds was a pass through, down on the spot. Muley was 90 yds broadside, pass through as well. He didn't make it 20 yds and went down. Used 140 gr fusion for both deer as it was all I had at the time. I picked up some 140 partitions to load this winter and may try them in the fall.
 
Awaaaay back in time the 6.5mm was considered a good moose rifle. But, like Bone Collector has said, use those beautiful looking, long 160 grain bullets. In fact, that was the only loading I ever heard of at that time.
 
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