The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Small Calibers First Deer Rifle 6.5 Sweede/7mm-08/308Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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Im looking at getting my first deer rifle for uk species. I have a Heavy barrel 243 for foxing and messing about with but i fancy something with a bit more bang for bigger deer and suitable for stalking with deer, probably fallow/sika are most likely. The rifle will be a Tikka T3 Lite, maybe a stainless, so i can have any of the above calibres. The 243 will be sold to pay for this as i have 22/250 and that pretty much fills the foxing role. So anyway, lets have a vote, 6.5 sweede, 7mm-08, or a 308. Reloading costs are all pretty similar and i have shot 6.5 sweedes and found them to be nice to shoot so im erring with that i think. Anybody want to say anything that i havent thought of, or want to put me off any in particular? Lets slug it out then. Cheers Guys | ||
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IMO the 7mm08 is about the ideal cartridge for "deer sized" game. The "Swede" would be likwise I'm sure, but the 308 would be better with bullets heavier than needed and thus would have more recoil etc. My votes would be
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IMO the 6.5 Swede is about as good as it gets /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." Winston Churchill | |||
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Having a hard time understanding the logic behind this one. The difference in recoil from a 140 grain bullet from the 7mm-08 or a 150 from the .308 will be negligible. | |||
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I have both 308 win and 6.5 swede and enjoy both. If my wife were to begin hunting with me, I would probably go for the 6.5 swede with the superior sectional density bullets and reduced recoil. | |||
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DITTO  Old age is a high price to pay for maturity!!! Some never pay and some pay and never reap the reward. Wisdom comes with age! Sometimes age comes alone.. | |||
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i would go with the .308 it has a wider range of bullet wieghts for in case u might wanna hunt somthin bigger Well polish my balls and serve me a milkshake! | |||
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6.5x55 (see tag line  )BH1 There are no flies on 6.5s! | |||
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Although all are great rounds, my vote goes to he 6.5x55 SE. A cartridge with class! **************** NRA Life Benefactor Member | |||
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my vote goes to the 6.5x55. blaming guns for crime is like blaming silverware for rosie o'donnell being fat | |||
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And there is also the 6.5 X 284 Norma that will avhieve muzzle velocity of 3000 FPS with 140 gr. Bullets. I bet you can now find it offered by TIKKA. Of the three you mentioned and with handloading in mind, I'd say 7mm-08 for flexibility!  "No one told you when to run; you missed the starting gun." | |||
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You'll be happy with any of the three cartridges you mention. They will all work on deer sized game - right up to reds the size found in Britain. All of the calibers you have chosen are very accuracte, so not too much difference there. The 6.5x55 will recoil the least and the .308 somewhat more, if that is an issue to you?? Should you ever want to go to France to hunt with your rifle, I'm afraid the 7mm-08 is your only choice. Military calibers are banned in France (and Belgium??). Otherwise, what is availability of ammo and/or components like for your calibers in the UK?? Do you handload, and if yes, what brass is available and at what prices?? I know Lapua makes brass for both for the 6.5x55 and the .308, since that is the best brass available, that would be a big plus for those calibers in my book. If you rely on factory loads, what about availability, choice and prices?? - mike ********************* The rifle is a noble weapon... It entices its bearer into primeval forests, into mountains and deserts untenanted by man. - Horace Kephart | |||
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Gidday Chris, 6.5x55 or a 260 rem. Six of one half a dozen of the other. Happy Hunting Hamish | |||
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Any of those three would work - splitting hairs I reckon. All are renowned for accuracy, all have similar power levels. The .308 can handle the heavier bullets if need be. On the other hand the 6.5 can handle the 85 grain varmint pills for some fun out of season practice on vermin. All will have negligable recoil in the field - unless you are very sensitive. If it was me I'd have none of them - I'd get a .270 and be done with it. Fast hairy dogs ROOL! | |||
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Chris, My vote goes to the swede, I have shot all three and like all three, but, the only one of them I have is the swede. They work well on Sika. John | |||
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How is your ammo availability in the UK? I also looked up you Tikka and they chamber the rifle you want in a 7x64. All the rounds you picked are excellent choices, I guess in order it would be the 6.5x55 and the 7x64 tied, followed by the 7mm-08, with the 308 last. There isn't a bad round in the lot. | |||
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1. 6.5x55 2. 7x57 3. .308 Just because the Swede is sweet!! Nothing wrong with #2 or #3 either....260 Rem is also a great round and fits a short action. I heard they outlawed fox hunting in merry ole England...or was that just with dogs? The year of the .30-06!! 100 years of mostly flawless performance on demand.....Celebrate...buy a new one!! | |||
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Looks like its gonna be a sweede then! I handload and bullet availability and price is good for all three(I live 10 miles away from the UK Hornady Importer!)and costs are similar. I must admit i had a go with a 7x64 in the T3 and it was a nice gun but maybe a bit much for what i want to shoot, plus the guy had to wait a long time for it. Fox hunting is only banned with dogs in the uk but it is a daft law because if you are excercising a pack of dogs and they happen to flush a fox, you cant help a dogs natural instict can you!!!!! Its not to my taste but I dont beleive in banning stuff, A wise man once said that if society expects us to respect other peoples choices and lifestyles, they should respect ours in return! | |||
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Don't give up on the 7x57. It has earned its reputation, and a large selection of 7mm bullets to choose from. | |||
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I don't know if a deer has yet been created that can tell the difference in those three rounds. Considering my preference for classic cartridges the 6.5x55 would be an easy choice for me. We didn't inherit the land from our fathers, we're borrowing it from our children. | |||
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Lowrider said it best, "Just because the Swede is sweet" Smoker1 The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it. --Thomas Jefferson | |||
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My vote also goes to the 6.5, especially since you should have good access to brass 7 bullets there. LIFE IS NOT A SPECTATOR'S SPORT! | |||
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Chris~ When i decided to trade up from my .22 Hornet & .243 i very, very nearly got me a 7mm-08 after weighing up all available calibres it was either .260 or 7mm-08 However you know how hard it is to find .260 here in UK and as i was not a home loader (at the time) i went for the good ole .308 Win I love it and every time i try to talk myself into ordering a new rifle in .260 Rem which i feel is near "ideal" deer calibre i simply cant find single reason to part with my .308 its dam accurate even loaded with 180 gn the recoil is no problem. "If" i ever hunted abroad it can handle much bigger game than we have here. If you so choose you can rattle cheap surplus ammo through it just too many reasons for me to get rid of mine  Starting from scratch i would go with No.1 .260 Rem No.2 7mm-08 Cheers Englander Best regards from across the pond Remember~ Britain is an Island and will never be part of Europe !.22LR .218 Bee .30-30 .308 .444 | |||
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Whereas 140gr 7mm bullets will have a BC of .474-.485, the 150gr .308 BC will be much lower. The 140gr 7mm bullet @ similar MV will shoot flatter and retain more energy @ longer distances. The .308 will be better suited to bullets of 165-180grs, thus more recoil. GOOGLE HOTLINK FIX FOR BLOCKED PHOTOBUCKET IMAGES https://chrome.google.com/webs...inkfix=1516144253810 | |||
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7mm has about as wide a choice of bullet weights as .308. Sierra actually has more choices in 7mm. There is little difference. GOOGLE HOTLINK FIX FOR BLOCKED PHOTOBUCKET IMAGES https://chrome.google.com/webs...inkfix=1516144253810 | |||
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I went to my gunshop yesterday and they had a nice second hand Tikka 595, stainless, laminated stock in 7mm-08 so im really tempted! I just have to apply for it now to the police. The 6.5 sweede doesent seem to offer that much more Muzzle Energy than my 243 although it can handle heavier bullets, from flicking through my Hornady manual, 7-08 sems to give me heavier bullets and about 4-500 ft-lbs more energy so....... | |||
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Yup, the old 6,5x55 is just perfect, but not loaded to "swede" standards as Lowrider and Chris Parkin says. In a modern gun there are no reasons to use anything other than full loads. | |||
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Not much to choose between them. I love the 6.5x55 which is more than capable of taking any deer in the UK - but then so are the other two! I think you'll find the 6.5x55 has significantly more muzzle energy than the .243. Using Norma 140gr factory ammo, I'm getting a muzzle energy of about 2400 ft-lb in the 6.5, compared to about 1950 ft-lb with 100gr .243 ammo. You won't make a wrong choice with any of these calibres, though. | |||
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Chris, I have been enjoying a 7-08 for a year now, my only concern with it is meat damage if heart shooting. I have up till now been using 130 grain speer spitzer (maybe that has been the problem?), just in the process of trying 150 grain sierra gameking, hope this cures the problem. Will be interested to hear your results if you go with the 7-08, have you been recommended any bullet choice? | |||
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Not sure what you have for bullets in the UK, but I've been using 140 grain FailSafes for everything in my 7mm-08 with good success. Even got an elk with that setup last year.  | |||
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Richard, obviously they won't expand as much on smaller game but they will expand reliably with virtually 100% weight retention. Everything my son and I have shot with that have been one shot kills. That being said, I haven't found any reason to switch. | |||
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Chris, I've kicked myself several times for selling a good acurate rifle then wishing I had it back. Why not just save a while longer and add a rifle rather than sell the .243? PS: If you do it this way, pick the larger caliber 308 to go with the 243. ________ Ray | |||
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If you have a .243 Winchested currently, I would add the .308 Winchester. The 6.5x55 and the 7mm-08 are just too close to the .243 to offer any real advantage. You would be wise to get the .308 because you could also use it for larger game in the long run. Also, loading data and components for the .308 are almost infinite. - TomFromTheShade - Make it a point in life to leave this world a little better off than it was before you came into it. | |||
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I've kicked myself several times for selling a good acurate rifle then wishing I had it back. Why not just save a while longer and add a rifle rather than sell the .243? PS: If you do it this way, pick the larger caliber 308 to go with the 243. If only it were that easy in england. I dont shoot enough to justify having both and after going out foxing last night with a friends Tikka 595, sporter barrelled rifle, i dont think i want to carry a heavy barrel again! It was like a moment of clarity!!!!!!!!!The 7mm-08 has gone so i have put a deposit on a 6.5 stainless/laminate Tikka 595 similar to it and i just have to wait for plod to get the papers in order now! Thanks for the opinions guys. | |||
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Very hard to beat the accuracy of the .308! Often overlooked but is a versatile round and with bullet selection from 110 to 250 it will put meat in the pot. Also being that your in Europe try the Lapua Naturalis. It seems like a thumper to me. | |||
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The 7mm08 gets my vote since I have been killing deer with it for 24 years now and never shot one more than once and taken them to 350yds. Load up Barnes 140TSX and try Varget powder with CCI BR2 primers and you have an awesome deer killer that is very accurate. | |||
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6.5x55 | |||
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As I have two 6.5x55 rifles, I would say 6.5x55. Now I am not biased or anything. Just can't say for the other rifles as I have never shot one of those. | |||
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