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| Why is the 6.5 Swede better than the 308 Win? | Login/Join |
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 That was to get your attention!  It's like this. I am trying to pursuade a colleage that the 6.5 Swede is the way to go for him over here in NZ. Our biggest 'normal' game is the red deer although we do have North American elk. We have feral pig which can get quite large and we have some long distance shooting too. He compares everything to the 308 Win so that is the base line I am using. Do I have a case? What are the pro's and con's of the one over the other? I have said that the Swede offers a wider range of uses from varminting to medium game. (Even to big game).  And no, he won't buy into the 303 Brit!  Regards 303Guy | ||
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I was never impressed with the 308.. sure it is accrurate etc....but it is no 30/06.. so I prefer that for my 30 caliber needs.. the 7/08, 260 and 243 meet my needs better than a 308 and are all very accurate... the 6.5 Mauser cartridge allows high sectional density bullets which shoot flatter and also penetrate a lot deeper...while giving much less noticeable recoil... I always viewed the 308 as too much of a compromise from too many different directions... Life Member: The American Vast Right Wing Conspiracy Jan 20, 2009.. Prisoner in Dumocrat 'Occupied America', Partisan in the 'Save America' Underground Beavis..... James Beavis..... Of Her Majesty's Secret Service..... Spell Check Division "Posterity — you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it." John Quincy Adams A reporter did a human-interest piece on the Texas Rangers. The reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the Ranger was carrying and asked him "Why do you carry a 45?" The Ranger responded, "Because they don't make a 46." Duhboy....Nuttier than Squirrel Poop... | |||
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For me, the larger selection of bullets made me opt for the .308. I have a stainless Ruger with the boat paddle stock and Timney trigger. Ugly as sin but it really does shoot. I used the .243 for a number of years for deer here in central NC, but finally had to admit it is not an optimal deer cartridge. As Seafire said the .308 is not the 30.006 but will duplicate 95 percent of what the 30.06 will do in the field. And I think the .308 has a slight edge in accuracy. Just my two cents. | |||
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the 6.5x55 has a higher SD bullet, flatter trajectory and less recoil(comparing 140 vs 180gr). but for a one rifle battery, i'd rather have a .308 loaded with a good 180gr | |||
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Where's that guy from Texas? We need his input to this complicated, and controversial subject...  | |||
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I shoot 6.5x55 and .308 as my primary hunting cartridges here in the North East. The .308's stays in the safe much more. Bullet selection for the 6.5 is great. I reload from 87gr to 160gr, including 135gr GC lead. I use 139/140gr for most hunting in 6.5 and 150..168gr in .308. I think the 6.5 would work out better overall. 100gr sp for smaller game, 129..140 for medium game, and 160's for Elk. | |||
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I m not going to beat a dead horse and say how much better the bc is and how much lower the recoil is on the 6.5. 303 knows its my favorite cal! Let me just put it this way, I had 2 Mausers one in 6.5x55 and one in 308win/7.62X54 Nato. I sold the .308! Now I have a volt full of 30cals and dont use any of them for hunting. my 6.5 dose all from my coyote calling to my deer. I havnt gone for moose because I dont have enough freezer room! ANyone have room for 2000lbs of moose meat? :P James PS Jpat, good to know there are other 6.5x55 fan's in New England! Disabled Vet(non-combat) - US Army NRA LIFE MEMBER Hunter, trapper, machinest, gamer, angler, and all around do it your selfer. Build my own CNC router from scratch. I installed the hight wrong. My hight moves but the rails blocks 3/4 of the hight..... | |||
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I am on board with Seafire, and I'll throw in the 358 Win, my favorite 308-based cartridge. Lou **************** NRA Life Benefactor Member | |||
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It's all opinion, not a "fact", but, I think they are such duplicates - in modern rifles - it doesn't amke any difference in the field. And that's expecially true for a hnndloader. | |||
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Fact, the 6.5X55 was the first to come up with such ballistics and it took damn near 40 years for the world to pick up the slack! Disabled Vet(non-combat) - US Army NRA LIFE MEMBER Hunter, trapper, machinest, gamer, angler, and all around do it your selfer. Build my own CNC router from scratch. I installed the hight wrong. My hight moves but the rails blocks 3/4 of the hight..... | |||
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Methinks you may do well to dig not so deep only to find that he is right (When I was a kid my father used to tell me that God hated a coward, I finally realized he has even less use for a fool.) | |||
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 Insignificant difference in the field in the hands of a cool shot, and I don't care for the .308  roger.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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Let's see...they can both be made to shoot accurately, they can both come in light packages, they both have a very wide range of bullets, they are both easily loaded for and neither is the equivalent of their bigger brothers (264WM or 30-06), they both kill animals very dead. I'd say that makes them pretty equal in my books and I own some of each. Larry "Peace is that brief glorious moment in history, when everybody stands around reloading" -- Thomas Jefferson | |||
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303 I'd go for the old swede. If its not broke why fix it? | |||
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That's probably why I can't come up with any real convincing reasons. But I did say to him before - I will only try to convince him to choose what I like and I am biased!  Hey, I like the 358 too! My hunting buddy has one in BLR. What a little beauty! He loves it. Regards 303Guy | |||
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Ask your buddy how he likes recoil? Because with the right brake or silencer the recoil in a swede can almost eliminated. Disabled Vet(non-combat) - US Army NRA LIFE MEMBER Hunter, trapper, machinest, gamer, angler, and all around do it your selfer. Build my own CNC router from scratch. I installed the hight wrong. My hight moves but the rails blocks 3/4 of the hight..... | |||
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The 308 is my favorite cartridge in this power range. Here in the US ammo and componets are much more avialable. Also there are many more types of rifles made in 308. Getting to ballistics, I think the 308 using 180gr premium bullets is suitable for larger game or even raking shots at deer sized game. And for smaller game what difference would it make, both will kill. Barrel life is longer for the 308. I much prefer the 308. However ther is nothing wrong with the 6.5 for the game you have listed. One day I shot 2 Blaser R 93's one in 308 and one in 6.5 Swede. Could not tell any difference in recoil, both were very accurate. DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
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the .308 might have a slight edge withe heavier bullets, simply becuse of case capacity, but the .swede has a bit better sd. in the heavy range so penetration might be slightly better,.... in theory....., in the field it's probably a wash. me, i'll take the swede, simply because it's a classic mauser round that everyone else chased to catch up to for 40 or so years. i also don't care to say much about the .308......it's just there to be had and it does work........ | |||
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If your colleague is shooting long distance, I would give the 6.5 a definite advantage. For game, it's simply a matter of bullet selection. Even though it's not a varmint caliber per se, the lighter weight bullet would be preferable. With all of that, logic won't win the day. He'll get the 308 and then defend his choice in perpetuity. He might even declare that it's felt recoil is less- that's just the way people are. What would make better sense would be for you to get a(nother?) 6.5.... ________________________ "Every country has the government it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre | |||
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I'd choose the 6.5 if you hadn't mentioned elk. But since elk is something he'll also hunt, I think I'd give the edge to the 308. The 6.5 obviously can take an elk, but it wouldn't be my first choice. I think the wide selection of excellent 180gr bullets available in 308 is an advantage. The 308 is a relatively mild cartridge in recoil compared to most elk cartridges and still shoots a 180gr bullet at roughly the same speed as the 6.5 shoots a 140gr bullet. If he doesn't want a .308, then I'd recommend a 270 before a 6.5 Swede for elk. | |||
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If you really want to throw a wrinkle in things do some comparing with the 150 grain Barnes in 308. It will do anything the conventional 180's will do, only it will do it flatter, faster, and farther. (When I was a kid my father used to tell me that God hated a coward, I finally realized he has even less use for a fool.) | |||
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One of the issues w/ talking to someone that has never used a 6.5x55 is they have no idea what it can truely do. I like the .308, but the 6.5x55 wins in all catagories from a shooters standpoint. Your buddy needs to try both. | |||
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I own Blaser barrels in 6.5x55 and 308, and I like them both. I think we are splitting hairs. I have killed deer with both, and dead is dead. I will say this. If I could only have ONE barrel/gun, I would choose the 308 over the Swede. | |||
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Kinda funny that the Texas boys like the .308, where Deer are smaller, and the NorthEast(DownEast) boys like the 6.5x55. Hey, don't get me wrong, I like my .308's. I just bought a BLR in .308. But there is allot to be said about carrying a 7lb bolt gun and an 11 lb bolt gun all day. Trust me I have other firearm tastes that may make you shudder also. | |||
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We run across a big pig or two once in a while. DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
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That is probably the right answer! Yup, there is nothing wrong with the 308 and 180gr bullets. After all, I am quite happy with 180gr bullets in a mild mannered 303 Brit! thanks for all the input, folks!  It's good to hear the opinions of experienced hunters.  I shall be taking my colleague out sometime soon and he will be using my suppressed/muzzle breaked 303 Brit. I'll be using my suppressed/muzzle breaked 303-25. I shall give him a chance to shoot with both for a comparison.Regards 303Guy | |||
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Man, you sure know how to stir up some shit!!!  | |||
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 Disabled Vet(non-combat) - US Army NRA LIFE MEMBER Hunter, trapper, machinest, gamer, angler, and all around do it your selfer. Build my own CNC router from scratch. I installed the hight wrong. My hight moves but the rails blocks 3/4 of the hight..... | |||
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Ammo availabilty is the key. If availability is not an issue I prefer the 6.5-06, 6.5-284 Norma, and my favorite .264 Winchester, and the 260 Remington over the 6.5x55. Between the .264 caliber and the .308 caliber I prefer the .264. But, I would choose a .308 Winchester over the 6.5x55. | |||
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Heck, I know guys that think you can't kill a 100 pound deer with less than a 300 Win Mag. Those guys think using a 120 gr bullet in my Swede is insane. On the flip side, I also know guys that don't use anything but 55 gr bullets in a 22-250. | |||
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Not to ruffel any feathers, but I looked at the Federal and Norma ammo web sites, and in a coule of loading bookd and across the board using bullets of equal SD the 308 has higher velocity, and higher energy at all ranges out to 500 yards. In some loadings the Swede might have an inch or so less drop, and maybe a little less recoil because of shooting lighter bullets at the same SD. I just cannot see where the 6.5x55 could be called better than the 308. Not saying it is not a good cartridge, just not better than the 308. DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
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Dittos for what Tony said, I have both, but the 308 is always my first choice for big game. | |||
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What happens if one wants to use one rifle for all purposes - which has its merits, I think - can the 308 do what the 6.5 can do with the lighter bullets for varminting? Another thing, the load data is all along the lines of the Swede being a lower pressure cartridge. With careful hand loading in a suitable action, how does the Swede compare when loaded to the same pressure as the 308? (That is a 'loaded' question, I know, but lets consider an action that also comes chambered for some of the hotter magnum cartridges). P.S. I am enjoying the infomation and opinions being presented. Regards 303Guy | |||
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by seafire2: I was never impressed with the 308.. sure it is accrurate etc....but it is no 30/06.. so I prefer that for my 30 caliber needs.. QUOTE] please, tell me the noticible differences in the field between a 06 and a .308  | |||
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I think you could say the 6.5mm is more versatile than a .30 cal. As you noted, it has a wider range of possible bullet weights, and carries more remaining energy at the long ranges. Yet it is adequate for game as large and tough as polar bear when used with the heaviest available projectiles. "Bitte, trinks du nicht das Wasser. Dahin haben die Kuhen gesheissen." | |||
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The 6.5 is a great round,,but it is no 308. At 400 yards and in there is not enough difference in trajectory to matter, and it hits harder with a bigger , thicker, and heavier bullet. Yes you can load a lighter bullet in the 6.5 for varmints, but then havent we grown out of the one rifle for everything syndrome by now? Honestly I could be just as happy with either of them, but being a true blue American redneck who is loyal to his raisins I would always pick a 30 cal over some frilly foreign invention. (When I was a kid my father used to tell me that God hated a coward, I finally realized he has even less use for a fool.) | |||
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Using the same kind of creative thinking that's overwhelmed this thread , I gotta think my 7x57 is better than a 308....  | |||
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Well, the logic with that idea is that one becomes very familiar with that one rifle. The other thing is when going out on a non-specific hunt, one might be lucky to come across something bigger than planned, like a red deer. But then again, there is no rabit or hare that will survive a direct hit from a 308 - with any bullet! I have found 180gr bullets at a modest velocity from my 303 Brit to be quite effective on hare. Regards 303Guy | |||
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I have found 180gr bullets at a modest velocity from my 303 Brit to be quite effective on hare. [/QUOTE] Aim for bone big guy so one don't get ya!!! (When I was a kid my father used to tell me that God hated a coward, I finally realized he has even less use for a fool.) | |||
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A heavy bullet in a .308 is a target projectile. A heavy bullet in a 30-06 is a hammer. ________________________ "Every country has the government it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre | |||
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