The Accurate Reloading Forums
6,5x55 for red stag ?
07 June 2009, 03:00
Lorenzo6,5x55 for red stag ?
I have always hunted them with a 300 winnie or an 30-06.
It's too risky to hunt them with the 6,5 ???
140 or 160 grains bullet ??
Thanks
L
07 June 2009, 03:58
bumscratcherNO
140gr
B
07 June 2009, 04:41
SIKA98KI used Norma 156gr heads last season on Sika and Fallow. I was very satisfied with the results.ok a bit of a loopy trajectory after 150 meters. 4 of us on a recent trip to Hungary used 6,5x55 shooting 140gr and 156gr ammo.We were all happy with the performance,ok this was high seat shooting so shots were well placed.
BTW how is the cousin getting on over here at his English? I havent heard from him so I presume all is well.
07 June 2009, 15:52
Fallow BuckLerenzo,
How big are your stags?
Generally speaking I would say that given the calibre cut its teeth on European Elk, (moose to the guys in the US) I'm sure it will deal with a red stag if the man holding it does his part.
Rgds,
FB
07 June 2009, 17:32
Lorenzoquote:
Originally posted by SIKA98K:
BTW how is the cousin getting on over here at his English? I havent heard from him so I presume all is well.
Haha, yes he is doing well!! thanks for asking !! I told him to bother you only in an emergency case

Fallow buck,
I hunt red stags in our neighbour Argentina. They are 200 plus kilos animals.
L
07 June 2009, 21:43
Farmer JohnHey Lorenzo,
most moose is kill with 6,5x55 in Sweden. Im use 9,3x62 myself . On the other hand most moose is kill at less than 100m .
Matts
08 June 2009, 00:21
Farmer Johnquote:
Originally posted by Farmer John:
Hey Lorenzo,
most moose is kill with 6,5x55 in Sweden. Im use 9,3x62 myself . On the other hand most moose is kill at less than 100m .
Many moose weight 500kg, have shoot some in that range.
Matts
08 June 2009, 11:29
Millwall PaulI've used 6.5 x 55 with 140gn sierra gamekings on red stags on the Isle of Arran. Mine was shot at about 80 yards, it didn't even feel the first shot and dropped on the spot to the second, when I got up to the beast there was a lot of blood everywhere, so had it have run there would have been a good trail to follow. Both shots were straight through the lungs and heart. I think it was down to the fact they were in the middle of the rut and pumped up on adrenalin. The 6.5 x 55 will certainly do the job although personally I would prefer to use something slightly bigger.
08 June 2009, 13:01
Nordic2For moose in Sweden the 6,5*55,308w,8*57,3006 works at the same power level. 300win, 9,3*62 drops them a bit quicker, but not so much.
A fantastic Hunting Buddy of mine, Tom; has a DWM Mauser in 6.5x55 Swede - superbly accurate hunting rifle. He uses it for all sorts of European game, Red, Fallow & Roe Deer plus Wild Boar.
I load the Hornady 160 gr. RN's in this cartridge for him and these bullets will penetrate any European-sized game from Stem-to-Stern from any angle.
Mild recoil, economical to load, accurate & fantastic terminal performance (with the right bullets) - that's what this cartridge is all about.
Our next load effort for this cartridge will be the Berger VLD 140 gr. "Hunting" bullets. Our expectations are that they, too will deliver suberb results.
Cheers,
Number 10
08 June 2009, 14:06
londonhunterMorning Gerry I love that term "stern to stern"
From now on we should refer to our shots as
Bow or stern shots ...Make hunting tales more interesting for all our nautical friends...
I suppose if one hits a shoulder I can report that "one has destabilise the rudder causing an eratic course"
Fantastic I can see this go on and on...
08 June 2009, 14:09
londonhunterI can see Amir having a field day following up on this thread.
B.T.W. where is Amir these days ???
Has he deserted us for greener pastures ?
Our Austrian friends and neighbours very frequently shoot their red deer with the .243 Win. and the 6 mm Rem. They always smile a little about us overgunned Teutons with our 8x68 mm and the like...
The main difference is probably that they shoot very well even at larger distances.
08 June 2009, 16:33
ozhunterI would not hesitate to use my 6.5x57 with 127grn RWS KS on Red Deer.
08 June 2009, 17:22
expressboyHey boy
I use a 6.5x 55, is a superb caliber. I use it on red stag and wild boar without problem.
I use 120 grs ( sierra) for red stag to 156 grs Norma vulkan for wild boar and I haven’t problem the For all round I use a 140 grs Siera or 129grs Hornady
6.5 is very accurate cartridges and honey recoil .
My best trophy Is a wild boar of 140 kg and Daino (dama dama ) of 200 kg
Use It without problem

With regards
b-b
double??? troubles !
9.3x74 r Merkel Mod 140
08 June 2009, 19:18
BoghossianHi Expressboy, can you put up a picture of the 200kg fallow deer? That sounds like a monster.
09 June 2009, 00:32
WoodsyAlI have taken many red stags in Scotland using 140 grain Nosler Partitions in the 6.5x55. Of course Scottish hill stags probably do not get as large as those in Argentina.
Al
Spend your life wisely.
10 June 2009, 21:04
Steve Malinverniexpressboy
??? 200 KG????
Senza offesa
Ho tirato Daini MOLTO GROSSI in Romania e tiravano il quntale, ma qui mi parli del doppio ... a meno che tu non intendessi libbre....
bye
Stefano
Waidmannsheil
10 June 2009, 23:58
Farmer JohnExpressboy,
well is it Italian KG ?
Very happy with the North Fork 140gr in my 6,5x55. Superbly accurate and "super-strong". Beware that they, because of their construction, are longer than the regular 140's. (You may have to reduce powder charge slightly.)
Feel that 140 gives a little advantage in speed and trajectory compared to the more classic 156&160-loads. Although the heavy bullets like Norma's Oryx and Lapua Mega perform very well in x55-speed, and have a solid reputation (for the moose-hunting) here in Scandinavia.
11 June 2009, 17:48
Steve MalinverniUHUHUH excuse me, I wrote directly in Italian yesterday evening.
a literal fast translation:
"??? 200 kilograms ???
Without offending anyone
I've shot very big fallow deers in Romania, the weight was near to 100kilograms, but here,expressboy, you are speaking about two times the maximum normal weight ....... unless you means pounds"
bye
Stefano
Waidmannsheil
12 June 2009, 01:58
expressboyI displeases me for the inaccuracy Ihave erroneusly indicate kg to the place of the pounds the follow deer was effectively 200 pound (100 kg)
nex time I must be more careful or I must use the automatic transletor better.
best regards
E-Boy
double??? troubles !
9.3x74 r Merkel Mod 140
12 June 2009, 02:31
john wickhama large red shot in ireland last season with a 6.5x55 it was hit twice in the chest and had to be neck shot to finish him off.
it weighed 230kg gralloched.
the perpared head weighed 19.2kg and 17.7 dry.
it measured 262.29 cic points .
12 August 2009, 15:15
TordenskioldIn Norway there are thousands of red deer and moose killed every year with our old military calibre 6,5x55.
The 6,5x55 is our third most popular calibre. Of course this has a lot to do with it beeing developed by norwegian and swedish engineers during the union-days.
Note: American ammo-makers produce weak "swedish" loads in this calibre. This is because the US were flooded with surplus swedish M96 mausers. In modern firearms you should choose european ammo from Norma, RWS, Lapua and so on (to ad to the confusion: some of them marked their ammo as 6,5x55 "swedish", but this is just for marketing purpouses in the US and these rounds are loaded to modern pressures (typical 140 grs bullets at 2700 fps).
PS: The 6,5x55 is also preferred over the 308 in shootingmatches across scandinavia because of its inherent accuracy and lighter recoil.
Rapid fire with a 6,5x55 Sauer 200 scandinavian target rifle (STR)12 August 2009, 16:55
BoghossianWow, John can you stick up a picture of this monster or is it available online anywhere? There are some great genes in Ireland thanks to the Eastern European stags from veni farms...
13 August 2009, 20:41
David S6,5x55 works for me.
I shot with a companion one day last season, he had his 308, I had my 6,5x55. I culled two stags with two shots and it took him 3 shots (all hits) to grass his stag.
Now I know that all things are not always equal etc. and this is only a small snapshot, but I'm happy with 140g out of a 6,5x55.
22 July 2010, 17:51
Spettlidarn"Niak" Where did you buy your North Forks in Scandinavia?
22 July 2010, 18:54
PatagonHunterHi Lorenzo!
The 6,5x55 is a very good cartridge for our Red Deer.
The thing is the bullet you use. A 140 Nosler Partition, a 120/140 Barnes TSX or any other bullet like these, makes the 6,5 Sweede a perfect Red Deer round!
Un abrazo!
PH
22 July 2010, 18:55
PatagonHunterAh, Lorenzo, Are you coming to the Guns Fair at Buenos Aires at the end of August?
Expressboy's stag probably started out at 100 kg but each year it got heavier ,finally getting to 200 kg !!

That happens in the USA also ! BTW to be precise 1 kg = 2.2 lbs.
My 6.5x55 supplied me with deer for 25 years and never failed me . I never call it a Swedish cartridge that would upset my Norwegian half!
23 July 2010, 22:07
North ForkSpettlidarn,
North Fork has a supplier in Sweden. You can order bulets directly from
http://www.nfbullets.se/ and for loaded ammunition:
www.millforce.se.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
North Fork