Just an observation, but I've become convinced that the 270 doesn't come up to factory advertized velocities with a 22" barrel. Please, this is not a knock on the great 270, just an observation. Out of comparable barrels the 7-08 just doesn't give up any appreciable advantage to the 270. my $.02, capt david

If you handload, 6.5x55 which will comprehensively outperform the Rem 260 - particularly at higher projectile weights.

I am thinking about buying a new rifle for deer/antelope hunting and some target shooting. I want a medium caliber (6mm to .277) that is fairly low in recoil. I'd like a caliber that has a wide range of bullets available from several manufacturers. I'd also like to have velocity of 3000 fps from hunting weight bullets. Any suggestions?

6,5x55 Swedish.

Carcano

I'm with Andre,
6,5 x 55 SM. That has been a standard 300 meter target round for over a hundred years.
There are many brands and weights of target and hunting bullets available. Nosler 125 grain and 140 grain Partitions are great for hunting deer and elk, respectively. The 140 grain HPBT and 142 grain VLD bullets from Sierra are used in 1000 yard competition all the time (albeit in the 6,5/284).
Off the top of my head, rifles are available from Winchester, Ruger, CZ, and Sako. I have a pretty new Winchester Featherweight that is a sweet shooting little unit.
Brass is available from Winchester, Remington, Lapua, and Norma. Loaded ammo is available from the above, plus PMC and Sellier & Belloit.
You can get 3000 fps with a 24" barrel, but 2900 + is not hard from a handier 22" tube.

I could write a similar post touting the 27o Winchester, but I'm having too much fun with my 6,5 x 55 these days.
JCN

25-06

Milosmate

Big .270 fan here You can push those 130gr bullets a little faster than 3000fps and recoil is low, just not a big selection of bullet weights though. Never tried a 6.5X55 but they say you need to be a reloader to fully utilize it's potential. If that's the case, why not a 6.5-06 ?

Hard to wrong with any of the mentioned choices in the thread.

Terry

1. 25-06
2.7mm-08

6.5/.284!!

It's a personal choice. I chose the 7-08 in a Browning A-Bolt. Bullet selection is very good although I limit the bullet weight to 154gr or under. Recoil is very tolerable.
I also have a .257 Roberts in a Ruger 77RL that's low recoil with this featherweight rifle. The heaviest bullets I've found for the .25 caliber is 122gr and those were in factory loads.
I've read a lot of good reports on the 6.5mm cartridges, especially the 6.5x55. I don't have any personal experience with this round and haven't done any research on it so I'm not sure what the bullet weight range is. I have a gut feeling the 260 Rem may follow in the path of the .284 Win.
If your recoil sensitive I'd suggest shying away from the -06 parent cased cartridges unless you want a heavier rifle to absorb the recoil. I've never fired a 25-06 but my experience with .270's yeilded a sharp felt recoil, both times with sporter rifles, one a Rem 700 and the other a Win 70. I've never cared for the .270 because of that. Yet, I don't have any problem with the 30-06, even with heavy loads. The -06 seems to produce a more rolling recoil.
6mm/.244 have more limited bullet weights than the .25's. My freind and his father have had great experiences with the .243 on deer with 100gr round nose bullets in KY and FL.
My 7-08 is sighted at +/- 3" point blank range out to about 275 yards with a 140 gr bullet. I feel that that range is also about my maximum compentency level for the deer hunting that I most frequently do.
That's my 2 cents.
Bill

I guess for your purposes I'd go .270 Win. Using factory loads the .260 and even the 7mm 08 look marginal to me beyond 300 for medium-sized deer. .270 is a great round with less flinch built in than either the 25'06 or .25 WSSM. I've never hunted antelope but the guys who I know who have been successful used .270's. It's plenty of gun for most practical purposes and is available in a host of factory loads and guns from 5.5 lb. shor barrel rifles to @10 lb. rifles with bull barrels. My favorite deer rifle is a Stainless. Model 70 with a BOSS. It is the most accurate gun I've ever owned. The Stainless Stalker is also a sweetheart available with or without the BOSS. Remember, my opinion is free and worth every penny of it.

I wouldnt say no to any of the afforementioned rounds, although I do consider the 6mm's a tad light for mulies.



I really like my 257 AI, but for a one rifle deer only proposition I would probably suggest the 270. Its such a great classic deer round and still holds its own in spite of todays Whizbangers.

If you like Remingtons, I'd opt for the 7mm-08.
If you like Winchesters, then I'd opt for the 270 Win.
Other than that, take your pick....

6.5x55

7-08

You've not told use what ranges you intend to shoot, how big the deer are on average, how far you intend to carry the gun, or in what type of country. I've dealt with the question like this myself:
7mm 08 to 250 yrd.s (257 Rob. or 6.5x55 would prob. work just as well)
Rem. 700 Ti. @6.5 lb.s scoped & loaded
.270 Win. to 350 yrd.s (proven to 325)
Win. 70 with BOSS, @9.5 lb.s scoped & loaded
7mm Magnum to 450 yrd.s
Win. 70 with BOSS, @13 lb.s scoped and loaded
With one gun or tother I hunt whitetail from steep brushy eastern mountains to the soybean fields of costal VA & MD's mosquito flats.
They're all very accurate and work just fine.

I would like a rifle able to take deer out to 325 yards and antelope out to 400. Most of my shots are considerably less than that, but I like to have the ability if I need it.

Many of you have recommended the 6.5X55. On paper it seems inferior to the .260 Remington. Is there something I'm missing?

The 6.5x55 is loaded to a lower pressure standard, by the ammunition factories, than the .260 Remington. Similar to the situation with the 7x57 and the 7mm-08 Remington. The factories (SAAMI) have a fear of old rifles that are chambered in 6.5x55 and 7x57. Handloaded to modern pressures, both the 6.5x55 and the 7x57 perform better than their factory ammunition ballistics.

-Bob F.

What kind of velocity can I expect with handloaded ammo in the 6.5X55? If I go that route I'll probably get a 24" barrel. I realize each rifle is different and I will have to develope my own loads that are safe in my rifle.

Get a 7-08 Remington CDL and be happy with 2900fps. If not, get it in 7mm shamu. capt david

25-06


Reloader

257 Roberts, 260, 6.5x55, 7mm-08, 25-06

If you are talking informal target shooting, I would agree with the .270 crowd. but if you are thinking of competing, I would think of the .280 for all the excelent target bullets. Even from a 22 inch barrel it is easy to top 3000 with a 130 grain .270 whilt the 7mm08 won, t get up to much over 2850 wth thecommon gameweight bullets. But still the .270 the 7mm08 and the .360 will work fine foryour purpose, the .270 is a little flatter shooter. I would find the rifle in any of those chamberings and throw in the 308 that you really like and let that decide. I like the model 70 featherweight or the cz 550...tj3006

6,5x55 Swedish is very good for target shooting and the sweeds use it on Moose all the time. I guess that it could work for you too.

Cheers,

Andr�

Don't know that you could beat a .260 or .25-06. The .25-06 would have the edge in the field but may be harder to get those tiny groups off the bags in a sporter-weight. The .260 would be pleasant for those long range sessions and certainly adequate on deer. Bullet selection is ample in both calibers IMO.



I'd decide on a target bullet to work with at 3000fps and get the barrel twisted for it. Getting satisfying groups is a lot harder than getting hunting accuracy and hunting bullets for deer need not be heavy so you should not have trouble choosing one. I slew many with .243 95gr partitions. I'd go with bonded, expanding monos or partition style for cheap insurance especially if you hunt with less than 100gr.

quote:

Originally posted by JefferyDenmark:
6,5x55 Swedish is very good for target shooting and the sweeds use it on Moose all the time. I guess that it could work for you too.<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />Andr�

Sweeds use it mostly on roe and whitetail, not on moose. 156 gr bullet is the heaviest you can use, it`s barely enough for moose. Finns use 6,5 currently on birds because it doesn`t smash them in slower speeds. For example, Lapua Scenar 139gr is a real hit among Finnish bird hunters although it is a target bullet. And Norma Oryx 156gr is a very good choice for a serious roehunter. And a sniper contest of a high level in Finland was won the year before the last with 6,5x55 factory loads... And Nammo Lapua has developed a new caliber 6,5x47Lapua for target specialists with better speed/recoil ratio. I predict it will have an awesome future waiting...Can anybody guess I was born in Lapua

Great recommendations. Capt. Dave, I believe long ago there was a very good article published/written about the real world difference between 270 and '06. It seemed that '06 performed at or slightly above expectations with factory and handloads, where as the 270, in the author's opinion (Ed Matunas I believe) theorized had more variations in bore size, etc, that affected TRUE MV. In 22" he saw more guns, various ones, do closer to 2900 than over 3000 with 130's. That said, a 7/08 is a very close challenger of the 270, and even 280 if you compare top loads in 22" barrels with bullets up to 140gr or so.

I get 2960 using varget/140 in 21" in 708.

Anything doing say 2800 or thereabouts, using 25-28 caliber bullets of good design, with about 120-140gr weight will give you a good cartridge for deer and be allow tolerable recoil on targets, allowing one to perfect their shooting abilities.

Since you list targets, a 6.5mm would be hard to beat and less recoil than larger cases/heavier bullets. I turned a guy on to 6mm BR long before anyone else around used it, and he has about quit shooting 308, citing recoil sensitivity.

Now if one can place their shot well, and are willing to pass less than ideal shots, a good 6mm will do the job well in hunting, and excel on paper and varmints. 6mm BR is excellent, and the 243/6mm give you more range, at a cost of using more powder, having more kick-not bad though, and less barrel life. I dont know how large deer in South Tx get, but if you are mostly using it there, and the terrain allows you to watch the deer go down if/when they run after a hit, a 6mm should serve you very well, and a 25 cal, or 6.5mm will give you a little cushion and ability to penetrate on those Tx heart shots you might want to take.

As much as I like the 708, the 260 and 6.5x55 are more enjoyable to shoot and I feel give up little in practical killing power. They might give you a solid 100 yds or more of killing power over 6mm's, though an accurate shot with one can reach out there with a good bullet.

But I agree in that 270 Winchester (not WSM) seem to have been 'slightly overated' in factory ballistics in hunting length rifles. I doubt however 100-200 fps is very meaningful in practical terms, so I would not recommend owners trading them off if that were a concern, but WOULD pick a short action 260 or 708 EVERY time over a 270 or 280.

Being a short-action man myself.....and its simply a preference , I would look at the 260 - 7mm-08 - 284 - 6.5-284 - 270wsm - 6.5x55 or 7x57 they are all good choices. Whether you enjoy handloading or not would further refine the choice. Good shooting!

Depends on several actors; what type of target shooting, what type of rifle weight, handloading or factory. There are few "target" loads in factory ammo for the .270 or 25-06 or 280. If you are handloading, the sky is the limit. There are more match grade bullets in 6.5 than 270 or even 7mm. I would look at a .260 or 6.5x55, let your rifle choice decide.

6.5x55

The 7mm08 will always get my vote since I have two that shoot in the .2s on paper and I have never had to shoot a deer twice and killed to 350yds. I like the 140 TSX for hunting using Varget powder and I use the 130 Sierra match on paper.

25-06

I use for mule deer:

6mm rem
257 roberts
270 wby mag
30-06
300 win mag

I use nothing but handloads. The name of the game is shot placement.

Rad

For deer AND target shooting? 308 - very accurate, good for deer.

I hunt deer with a 270, but if I was to use it for target shooting too, I'd go with a 308.

25.06

I just went out and bought a new 7mm-08, so that's my put on this subject. Seriously, what's wrong with a .270 with 130 grain slugs, mine gives 3010 fps with handloads. Also, why not a .260 Rem, or a 6.5x55, or a 6.5x57, 6.5-06 or even a 7x57mm? They are all classic deer cartridges and they all give one shot kills on Texas deer. There's nothing wrong with having a choice, not in my mind.

LLS

For strictly deer it has to be the 25-06 or the 260 Remington.

I have a 25-06... sort of, my wife to a shining to it and I get to clean and mess with it at the range. She does the killin' with it. Lots of different bullets and you can get it stepping out at 3k easily.

Hard to beat a 270 win though. Maybe you really need two, in case the Mrs likes one of 'em.

I'd say the 270 Win or the 30/06 shooting 130gr bullets at 3100 fps.