6.5×55 shooters let's hear from you!!

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Jerry D

Who makes +P loads? On federals website I seed .257 roberts +p

I've never used +p loads. Does the headstamp include the +p?

Either way... I don't feel it's safe because there are a bunch of guys that have passed their pal courses and will get that confused or what's that mean. Who knows. Let's fire it anyways type of scenarios.

As much as I enjoy the m38 I have. If I was purchasing a new rifle. I would steer everyone towards the 6.5cm hands down due to its rising popularity.

Hornady for one makes their Super Performance load.
Crazy thing is, have seen deer and moose go down out to 200 yards plus with all sorts of different guns and ammo that are considered obsolete and not effective from 6.5X54Mannlichers 11mm Mausers and everything in between!
Most of the cartridges I have shot over the last 50 years or so have been slow moving, many not getting up past 2,500 FPS out of the muzzle.
Cat

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Jerry D

Who makes +P loads? On federals website I seed .257 roberts +p

I've never used +p loads. Does the headstamp include the +p?

Either way... I don't feel it's safe because there are a bunch of guys that have passed their pal courses and will get that confused or what's that mean. Who knows. Let's fire it anyways type of scenarios.

As much as I enjoy the m38 I have. If I was purchasing a new rifle. I would steer everyone towards the 6.5cm hands down due to its rising popularity.

I only use handloaders in my center fires, so I don't worry about factory loads. As well ,popularity doesn't make a cartridge perform any better, and the extra case capacity of the 6.5x55, allows for more potential for velocity, so I prefer the 6.5x55.

[Jerry D]

I just want to be clear. I'm not bashing the 6.5x55. I have a really nice m38. I'm simply saying that for factory ammo. I truly believe you aren't getting the true potential from the cartridge. The hornady superformance ammo does show a mv of over 2700 fps with a 140 gr sst. That is fast for factory ammo. Hornady also advertises a mix of special propellents to keep chamber pressures at normal levels while obtaining more speed. How true thar is, I'm really not sure.

I agree with a modern gun and modern handloads, no doubt the Swedish mauser has .308 sized short action 6.5s beat. That being said. The barrel life must be pretry good considering the lower pressures they typically operate at

[bwinchg]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

Hornady for one makes their Super Performance load.
Crazy thing is, have seen deer and moose go down out to 200 yards plus with all sorts of different guns and ammo that are considered obsolete and not effective from 6.5X54Mannlichers 11mm Mausers and everything in between!
Most of the cartridges I have shot over the last 50 years or so have been slow moving, many not getting up past 2,500 FPS out of the muzzle.
Cat

There is some truth in what "catnthehat" shared with us.

From the book" Understanding ballistics" Phil Masssaro - Phil is a ballistician and contributes articles frequently to Gun Digest;

Veteran PH hunter Kevin "Doctari" Robertson noted in his book "The Perfect Shot", shared there is a magic number for velocity with dangerous game and also practical for big game = 2400 fps. Loosely paraphrased, "cartridges with velocities that range between 2100fps to 2400fps will deliver a bullet within the bore diameter with a sectional density of .300 or greater at those velocities. And Phil added "When it comes to cup and core bullets of yester year, there was little or no premature breakup or penetration problems when this muzzle velocity was adhered to: when things got faster than 2400fps, or the bullets got lighter, penetration became an issue.

And round nose bullets do exceeding well below 200 yards :https://www.americanhunter.org/artic...re-still-cool/

"High bc bullets" are plenty and "the norm" in 6.5mm , those often do well beyond 300 yards. I am very aware round nose are often forgotten because why would one want to use a bullet that moves slow and they look like they are from a bygone era.