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Re: 6.5x55 vs 7x57
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I have both also, and the only difference in performance comes if you put the wrong ammo in the rifle.

Two of the most efficient rounds developed and to me, not much has improved overall in that great of capacity.

A lot of stuff developed 100 yrs ago has done the job quite well and all that the gun world has tried to do is re invent the wheel a zillion times.

Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of cartridges and own a batch of them, but these two are my hands down "first rifles I take out of the rack" performers.

Having both is like in the beach boys song " two girls for every boy". Have fun!

cheers and good shooting
seafire
 
Posts: 2889 | Location: Southern OREGON | Registered: 27 May 2003Reply With Quote
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I have never owned a 7mm, nor do I ever plan to own one, must be something genetic, an alergy

On the other hand, I think 6.5's are great. Just look at the two rounds together, the 6.5 is long and slender, the 7 is a stubby thing. Face it, the 6.5 is just plain good looking.

I've never based a caliber choice on paper balistics, as there are way too many cartridges that are more or less the same on paper. You could lump the 260 rem on up to the 30-06 and all calibers on similar sized cases together as capable of killing game in the same size range. You gotta let your emotions make the choice for you.
 
Posts: 7213 | Location: Alaska | Registered: 27 February 2001Reply With Quote
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For most practical field situations there is little difference. I own a 6.5x55 and a 7-08 (7x57 clone). My next gun will probably be a 7x57. If I was to give the edge to one, it would be the 7mm. The 7mm has a better bullet selection especially in heavier bullets. Besides that Corbett killed tigers and Bell elephants with the 275/7x57. capt david
 
Posts: 655 | Location: South Texas | Registered: 11 January 2004Reply With Quote
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I like the 7mm-08 myself. Seriously, there isn't enough difference between them to worry about. Use either one with confidence. I still like the 7mm-08 though.
 
Posts: 8827 | Location: CANADA | Registered: 25 August 2004Reply With Quote
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The 7X57 for its fantastic bullet selection. Then again, the 6.5X55 has clearly got it in the inherint accuracy dept. over the 7mm.
 
Posts: 10188 | Location: Tooele, Ut | Registered: 27 September 2001Reply With Quote
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I don't have any experience with the 6.5 but I love my 7x57. It is a pure joy to shoot. I think Ray Atkinson had a comment on one of these threads about the 7x57 being the lightest recoiling round he would hunt all NA game with. I think the Swede falls into that same category. They are rounds that make efficient use of their case capacity, are easy to shoot, handle bullets of high sectional density, and just plain work. Sometimes I think hunters equate what happens on the bench to equate directly to what happens on the terminal end. If their rifle recoils like an artillery piece and belches flame and thunder then they feel that the killing power must be of near mythic proportions. A good example are shotgun slugs. My opinion is many hunters overestimate the effectiveness of slugs because their guns kick the crap out of them.

Jeff
 
Posts: 784 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 18 December 2000Reply With Quote
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I do own several rifles in both calibers. I have to agree with everything (almost) that has been stated here. I tend to shoot my 6.5X55's more than I do my 7X57's. All my rifles are Mausers. I have two M96 Swedish Mausers in military configuration. I don't shoot them very often. I have two customized Mausers in 6.5X55. One is on a M38 Husky the other a 1903 Turk Large Ring (small thread shank) that was mated to a 6.5X55 Swedish barrel. I really push this one and it has outstanding accuracy. I have two customized 7X57's. One is on a M95 Small Ring Mauser action the other on a VZ-24 action. My wife shoots the M95 and loaded properly will shoot clover leaf patterns that touch at 100 yards. I have only fired the Large Ring rifle 6 times. I just finished building this one and have not worked up any loads for it. With what I had on hand it showed a lot of promise. We don't just shoot our rifles we hunt with them too. No complaints on performance. Great cartridges which every you may choose. I would not flinch at all to take either on an elk hunt.
 
Posts: 30 | Location: Atlanta, Georgia | Registered: 23 October 2002Reply With Quote
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I have always felt that calibers for big heavy animals started at .284 and that calibers below that had a tendency to not cut enough entrance hole to suit me and blood trails from time to time get a little skimpy and that has been my experience with the 6.5 but not with the 7x57, which I load to 280 balistics in my long chambered gun...Not to say the 6.5s are not great deer and antelope guns, just that I want more cross section of bullet....

In top handloads the 7x57 has left the 7-08 in the dust according to my tests and with a chronograph, mostly because the 7-08 requires deep seating of heavy bullets and that eats up the powder space in the 7-08, and that is a fact..but the 7-08 makes a nice light rifle in its own right..
 
Posts: 42210 | Location: Twin Falls, Idaho | Registered: 04 June 2000Reply With Quote
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Iv'e never owned a 7x57 but its definately a great round. But I love my 6.5x55 and agree with everything you guys say about it.

However I also think that the 308 falls really into the same practical category as these two and whenever I go deer hunting I have a problem deciding which I should use

In Australia, there is a huge choice of factory ammo and components for both rounds but more so for the 308, so it probably has that in its favour.

If I was forced to choose between the two - that would be a hell hard decision
 
Posts: 789 | Location: Australia | Registered: 24 May 2002Reply With Quote
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I am one blessed with both a 6.5x55 and a 7x57. THe are both fine cartridges. For deer sized game one shoots a little flatter, one hits a little harder. If the difference was air you couldn't live more than a minute on it.

While the 6.5 is very accurate, I would be very hesitant about making any claims that it is "more" accurate than the 7x57. A lot depends on the individual rifle, but all things being equal, if the Swede has an advantage it is measured in the .10 of an inch or less. If I was antelope hunting I would favor the 6.5 as it shoots just a tad flatter, but the only real advantage is 50-75 yard max.

For larger than deer sized game I would agree with others and prefer the 7mm. Heavier bullets, larger frontal section.

But any agruement on these two calibers reminds me of the writings of both Ken Waters and Frank Burns. When asked about the difference about the 270-30-06 debate. The answer was it was a pointless as argueing how many Jini's inhabited the head of a pin. And any advantage was only in a gunwiters imagination.

The are both great old rounds, both need to be handloaded for best performance so they are equal there. If I could only have one it would be my 7x57. That is based on I like my custom G33/40 Mauser better than my 6.5, the cartridge is a small part of it. If the chambering was reversed on these two rifles and my mauser was a 6.5 I would still want the mauser.

Find the rifle you like and either round will serve you well.
 
Posts: 1486 | Location: Idaho | Registered: 28 May 2004Reply With Quote
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