Would love to hear EVERYONE'S opinion on the 6.5x55mm for elk. Have one, a CZ 550 FS, on layaway and topped with a Weaver Grand Slam, she sure does have the feel and looks of a fine mountain rifle.
Forget the arguments of "what if the only shot you have is a ...." Going through the rear ham to reach the opposite front shoulder isn't an ethical shot for ME. I am talking the "classic" broadside or slightly quartering away shots out to 300yds; do you think the proper load would work EVERYTIME with the proper shot placement(double-lung)?

Thanks,

Jim

I'm no expert on the cartridge, but isn't it what the swede Mausers are chambered in? If so, it's been used in Scandinavia for hunting everthing.

Hello
The 6,5x55 is the most common cal. in Sweden. Here they hunt everything from birds to bear with the 6,5x55.
If you use good bullets in it you have a good gun.. Norma Oryx is super (I must say one of the best bullets ever made), or ballistic tip (If don´t hunt for meat)
Good hunt

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Born To Hunt, Forced To Work

I can find no reason to believe otherwise, when speaking of the 6.5 x 55 using a premium bullet under 200 yards. I have taken elk with an even smaller caliber but presentation was near perfect and so where the conditions of the hunt at the time.

Now on a cow and smaller bulls, I would not hesitate using a 160 grain premium bullet. However, on a full blown mature bull, it is not a given as I have seen them good far even with a good hit from calibers like the .270 Winchester. If you stay off the shoulder of the bull and go for the double lung you mentioned, you will be a happy hunter using your 6.5 x 55.

You'll need some Good bullets for this small cartridge, as 26 cal bullets are mostly suited for deer where bullets open up fairly quickly.

Used a 160 Grain Hornady RNSP out of a custom Model 94 Mauser at about 150 yards on a nice Bull in Colorado a couple of years ago. Didn't even need the second shot, although it was chambered and ready to go.

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Lee L.

America= Land of the Free, Because of the Brave. == May God Bless Them All.

no problem. none

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BULLEE01

I'm going to take specific exception to Rem700's comment.
Provided you don't use ballistic tip bullets, the 26's have higher sectional densities than most. Also most companies haven't made NEWLY designed bullets for the 26's for a few decades. This means the bullets were designed when the 264WM was hot, and had to work in them as well as the Swede. So I don't agree with the "premature expansion" theory. The 26's higher sectional densities love to go deep, breaking anything in it's way. Thus you will find a boatload of Swede's in the Elk counties of Idaho.

It should be fine with good placement. A 6.5 with good shot placement will out-kill a poorly placed super-magnum. A lot more game been killed with the likes of .30-06, 7 & 8mm Mausers, 6.5 Swedes, and plain old .30-30s than all the magnums ever produced.

I'd check out loading some Swift 140 gr A-frames or Speer 140 gr Bear Claws. These are premium bullets designed for penetration first with controlled expansion. The sectional density is equal to a .308 cal in 190 grain (which is excellent for Elk). And the 140s will give you a trajectory about equal to a .308 or .30-06 with a 180 grain bullet. This means you can sight'er in at 225 and hold dead-on from 0 to 275. That's probably as far as you would want to shot at a big Elk with this round anyway.

This just means the bullets are heavy-for-caliber. I'd be more worried about bullet construction, copper bonding, etc than the weight of the bullet compared to the diameter of the bore. The worry isn't long range shots, but close range where bullets still have most of their speed and a cheap bullet(standard soft point) isn't going to perform ideally if it hits bone, or otherwise falls apart on the tough muscle of elk: so I stick with the idea of using premium bullets for a little help if such a thing 'might' happen.

The 6.5x55, with good bullet construction and shot placement will take elk at the 300 yd distance. Anything from the 129 gr Hornady up to 160 gr bullet should work fine.

'Course, I'm a confirmed 6.5 nut, so you have to take that into account!

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"Firearms only have two enemies - rust and politicans" author unknown

Thanks for the replies, guys! Since everyone thus far seems confident that it won't be a problem, can we turn to bullet selection? You have the Barnes Triple Shock, Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, Hornady Accubond, Nosler Partition, etc. What bullet or bullets would really shine when it comes to penetration not just at my max of 300yds(which I plan on never shooting), but also penetrate well at the increased velocity associated with "close and personal" shots of, lets say, 40yds.?

Thanks,

Jim

You have a good list of bullets there. Although I haven't used the 6.5x55, I have used a 6.5-06 with 140 gr Nosler partitions. It's only killed a cow elk and an antelope so far. The elk was your classic broadside shot behind the shoulder through the boiler house and it went on through, and a plenty dead elk in not too far. That was at 168 yards, and it was kind of bloodshot around the holes. Any of the bullets you list should be fine with the 6.5x55. I sure wouldn't go less than 140 grains on elk if the rifle will shoot them well.

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TSX, Partition, A-Frame, any of the bonded bullets. Try'em all and see what your particular rifle likes best.

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"Firearms only have two enemies - rust and politicans" author unknown

Sir,

Congratulations on the new rifle, and the oppurunity to make use of it. I am truly excited for you.

The heavier weight bullets make a great deal of sense, 140+, and I have no doubt that they will serve your application. One of the benefits of this cartiridge is because of the combination of moderate impact velocity and a longer bullet, the standard cup and core bullets stay together surprising well. Espeically true of that 160 Horn, although it really doesn't have the reach of the 140s, and it in my rifle it doesn't shoot as well....close, no cigar.

Nothing at the matter with the bullets that have been mentioned, but I, as usual, have a strong preference for the partition Nosler. I normally start to think TSX or bonded core bullets when the velocity starts to get a little extreme, and in this particular caliber, a fellow may need to find the right mix of expansion v. penetration.

Good luck, friend, kill a great big one.

Steve

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Experience is a hard teacher, because she gives the test first, and the lesson afterwards.

I have the exact same rifle and feel a special relationship with it as well. The single set trigger is fantastic and really helps me to shoot this rifle really well. I have load tested it extensively, but have not yet had the opportunity to try it on elk. It has sacked whitetails with aplomb though. Anyway, I had settled on the 140 Partition with a healthy dose of Re22 that averages 2750 fps from mine. I would not hesitiate to shoot the grandest bull in the world with that load out to any sane range for elk hunting (you pick yours). Now though I find that the accuracy of the 156 gr Norma Oryx is fantastic and it makes me very confident as well. I have shot them both in test media (wet and dry newspaper, jello with a leg bone in front, plain old water, that new wax like stuff in tubes etc.) and quite simply they penetrate like madmen with great wound channels, so I would use either. When push comes to shove, I would use the Nosler Partition on elk only because I have shot a lot of game with Partitions and have never had any failure, so confidence is extremely high with them. Try them both and be confidant that either will serve you very, very well. The best accuracy and velocity with the 140's is a toss up between Re22 and H4831 sc. The Norma prefers H4831. The 140's are also great with H380, very accurate, but slightly slower. A side note, I also have this rifle in 9.3x62 Mauser and elk drop like stones to it and 286 gr Noslers. Both of these rifles use Talley mounts, by far the best CZ mounts on the planet. Use them, you will love them.

Idoc

Well I've been reading this with some interest. Most any cartridge will kill an elk, I've known folks to pot them with a 22 long rifle off the front porch. Got a friends wife whom used her 243 for years and years. I don't think it's a question of what will work so much as what works best.

Several years ago I stopped doing the heart lung shot in favor of a front shoulder shot. Just had two many dead elk head for a canyon bottom after one of those perfect heart lung shots. Found that once your break the front shoulders they loose motovation.

One point brough up by Mr. Boddington is that of all the elk he's shot the ones shot with bigger calibers (8mm mag and up) did not travel far after the shot.) This has been my experience also.

Here's an article from Craig Boddington on elk rifles and cartridges. This pretty well sums up my views, course it helps that he favors my favorite elk rifle cartridge also.


The 'Ideal' Elk Rifle

The debate over what makes a good Wapiti gun rages on. Here's more fuel for the fire.

By Craig Boddington

Elk are tough to bring down, and it takes a well-placed shot from the right gun to kill them cleanly.

The subject of guns and loads for elk has long been controversial. One group maintains that elk are big and strong, and require heavier calibers and bigger bullets than deer. The other group maintains that shot placement is everything, and that your favorite deer rifle will do just fine. Both groups are secure in their convictions and often outspoken. Frankly, I really don't want the controversy to end; rifle and caliber disagreements give us something to talk about around the campfire.

Most folks who know anything about elk are in agreement that elk are not just big deer, but also incredibly strong and hardy deer. This applies to all elk in varying degrees. A cow is not as big or as strong as a spike. A spike is not as big or as strong as a young raghorn. A young bull is not as big or as strong as a fully mature bull. The majority of my elk have been mature bulls, the largest and strongest of the tribe. Because of that, and the fact that I've never lost an elk or had to follow one for even 100 yards, I think my choices of elk guns have merit.

GETTING SOME ACTION

Elk are famous for their ability to cover lots of distance when wounded. If the first hit doesn't take immediate effect--and it probably won't--I am extremely unwilling to gamble on the shot placement and bullet performance of that first shot if a follow-up is available.

Often, that follow-up must be very fast or not at all. Hunting with the White Mountain Apaches last fall, I shot an old, huge-bodied bull as he stood from his bed. At the shot, he ran, and I swung with him and fired another round from my 8mm Rem. Mag. just as he vanished over a little lip. We found him piled up just below that lip, with the two entrance wounds hardly an inch apart. This means the second shot was probably needless, but only a fool would bank on that.

I have made just a couple one-shot elk kills in my career. Two years ago a handsome New Mexico bull jumped from his bed and stood quartering toward me. I shot him on the point of the shoulder with a 180-grain Nosler out of a Lazzeroni 7.82 Warbird. The bull took off as if nothing had happened, vanishing into the black timber. He was piled up about 75 yards away, so that was a pure one-shot kill--but I guarantee you I would have shot him a second time if I could have. Another New Mexico bull I shot on a thick oakbrush slope with a .375 H&H, firing 240-grain Trophy Bonded Bearclaw bullets. The bull vanished into the brush, and we found him a little distance downslope. Again, I'd have kept shooting if I'd had the bull in sight.

The .340 Wby. Mag. sports a synthetic stock and black rustproof finish. Elk hunting is hard on guns; stocks and metal treatments that can take rough handling and inclement weather are a real plus.

So, based on my experience, I do not think a single-shot rifle is a sensible elk rifle. Follow-up shots usually must be taken quite quickly, so a repeating rifle is far and away the best choice. I have taken all of my elk with bolt guns, although that doesn't mean they are the only potential choice. Lever actions, pumps and semi-autos will all work with adequate chamberings.

Guys who like bolt actions often cite their accuracy, but this is not really a valid argument on an animal the size of an elk. However, bolt-action rifles can be loaded and unloaded quietly. Elk hunting requires a lot of walking, usually in tough country. When following tracks or still-hunting elk, you simply must be ready--but you will often need to sling the rifle to negotiate obstacles. It's a simple and silent matter to take the cartridge from the chamber and push it down into the magazine. The other action types are not as forgiving, nor as silent. On the other hand, the other repeating action types are generally considered faster for the second shot in the hands of a rifleman who's well practiced, but I have always found the bolt action to be plenty fast enough.

If you choose a bolt action, you can select models from virtually every manufacturer. Slide actions are limited to Remington's M7600 and Browning's BPR. Current lever guns that I find suitable are the Marlins in the larger chamberings, Winchester's Big Bore 94 and the Savage 99 (with .308 the most powerful current chambering); there is also a wide variety of vintage rifles that are fine for elk. Current semi-autos are also limited, with the Browning BAR and Remington M7400 just about the only games left in town.

STOCKS AND FINISHES

Nobody appreciates good walnut more than I do, but elk hunting is exceedingly hard on rifles. The country is often steep, sometimes rocky, and snow is fairly common. Backpack hunting is murder on guns, and horseback hunting is even worse. There are few elk hunts that don't require one or the other. I have carried beautifully stocked rifles on many an elk hunt, and I probably will do so again. But if I were choosing a rifle especially for elk hunting, it would sport a stable and indestructible synthetic stock. Most major manufacturers offer synthetic options, at least on bolt actions, and for tough hunting they make a lot of sense. Laminates are just as stable as synthetics and more durable than walnut, but they are generally the heaviest of stocks.

Bolt guns allow quick, accurate follow-up shots, and they're available from more manufacturers in more calibers than other actions--making them the most logical choice for most elk hunting.

Stainless steel and/or special rustproof metal finishes also make sense. My preference still runs toward blued steel, but most elk hunting is as hard on metal as it is on wood. If you're considering buying a new elk rifle, I'd look at stainless steel with a nonglare, matte finish; or, if you want a model not offered in stainless, I'd have the metalwork rustproofed with a nonreflective finish.

LIFTING WEIGHTS

I'm not crazy about superlight rifles for elk hunting. It's true that a heavy rifle makes hard hunting even harder. The dilemma is that I like powerful rifles for elk, and if they're too light the recoil is more than I care to deal with. The other drawback to bantamweight rifles is that they are extremely difficult to shoot well when you're out of breath--the hunter's normal state when it's time to shoot an elk. I recall few shots at elk when I've had enough time to really settle down and catch my breath, so I prefer elk rifles to have substance--something on the order of 81/2 to nine pounds is just fine with me.

I will admit that a six-pound rifle is a lot easier to carry, and you may well prefer leaving the weight behind. If that's the case, and especially if you like the same kind of cartridges that I do, then I strongly recommend you think about a muzzle brake to get the recoil down to an acceptable level.

The 'Ideal' Elk Rifle

The author thinks the fast cartridges from 8mm to .375 are tops for all-around elk hunting. Of these, he believes the 8mm and the .33 calibers are the best of the best.

SEEING THE SIGHTS

We are all held hostage by our own experience or lack thereof. I understand elk hunting in the Rocky Mountain states. I don't know a darned thing about hunting elk in the rain forests of western Washington and Oregon. I know the shooting there is usually very close, and it's also extremely wet. In those circumstances, open sights may be best. For elk hunting in other environs, a scope is the best and most sensible choice.

Since the elk is a large animal and its vital zone offers a huge target, you don't need a lot of magnification for precise shot placement--even when shooting across a canyon or big meadow. Most of my "elk-capable" rifles feature variable scopes from 3-9X on up to 4.5-14X, but this is for versatility, not necessarily for elk hunting. My Brown Precision .338 sports a fixed 4X scope, while my Remington .35 Whelen features a 13/4-5X variable. If you like more magnification, go for it, but it's really not necessary.

CARTRIDGES:

The Real Stickler

Last comes the tough one--the criterion that starts most of the arguments. Although I seem to have been branded as a heavy-caliber guy, I don't think of myself as such. On the other hand, I'm certainly not a light-caliber guy, either. I have never shot an animal the size of a bull elk with a .270, so I really can't say how well such calibers work or don't work. I know many hunters kill elk with .270s, but I believe 7mm is the bare minimum for hardy animals weighing up to half a ton. I've never hunted elk with a .416 or similar cartridge, either. You can, but cartridges suitable for elephants and Cape buffalo are no more ideal for elk than are lighter fodder appropriate for deer.

All of my elk have been taken with cartridges ranging from the .30-06 up to the .375 H&H. I have no issue with those who swear by 7mms from the .280 on up, but I consider .30 caliber as my minimum for elk. I have great confidence in the .30-06 with 180-grain bullets, but in more open country I feel even better about the faster .30s (I also prefer 200-grain bullets to 180s).

On the upper end, the good ol' .375 H&H works wonders on elk, but I don't think a cartridge so large is necessary, and I'm equally certain that something with a flatter trajectory is more desirable.

To me, the ideal for most elk hunting lies above .30 caliber and below .375. This means the 8mm Rem. Mag. and the faster .33 and .35 calibers. Just how fast depends on how and where you hunt, and also how much recoil you're comfortable with. The .338 Win. Mag. is a wonderful elk cartridge. The .340 Wby. Mag. and still-faster .33 calibers are even better because they offer more reach, but they kick a lot more and you may not need the extra reach in your country.

Development of fast, powerful cartridges seems on the upswing these days--witness the .30-378 Wby. and its new big brother, the .338-378, and the superfast Lazzeroni cartridges. These huge-cased cartridges burn a lot of powder and churn up plenty of muzzle blast and recoil (the .33s more than the .30s), but they are effective timberline elk cartridges, well suited for use in the most open country.
Among the major manufacturers, Remington has probably made the biggest headlines in 1998 with its .300 Ultra Mag, followed this year by the .338 Ultra Mag. Neither should be considered magic wands. Actual velo-city of the .300 Ultra Mag is similar to the .300 Wby. Mag., while the .338 Ultra Mag is similar to the .340 Wby. Mag. However, the Ultra Mags are based on the rimless .404 Jeffery case, shortened and with a slightly rebated rim. Advantages include the inherent efficiency of a fat case and headspacing on the shoulder rather than on the belt, both of which tend to enhance accuracy. For elk hunting, I would prefer the .338 Ultra Mag, but .30-caliber fans should find a great new cartridge in the .300 Ultra Mag.

This bull from the Jicarilla Apache Reservation fell to a .375 H&H. While the .375 is effective, it's really more cartridge than you need, and other rounds offer better trajectories.
The beauty of cartridges with long- range potential is that they work up close as well, but if long-range shooting is not probable, then lever-action cartridges such as the .348 and .358 Win., .444 Marlin and the ageless .45-70 are fine choices. The .35 Whelen is a great medium-range cartridge.

Much of this is theory. No one can do enough elk hunting to become truly familiar with the performance of a wide variety of cartridges. Most of my elk hunting has been done with the 8mm Rem. Mag. and the .338 Win. Mag., and I know these rounds work. I also know that the .30-06 and the .300 magnums work--although not as well because, in my experience, complete penetration from these rounds is far less likely. Plus, the elk I've shot with the latter cartridges have traveled farther after the shot than did the elk I've killed with the more powerful rounds--despite similar shot placement.

I know the .35 Whelen works, and I know the .375 H&H works--but I also know that I want a bit flatter trajectory for most of my elk hunting. I have never shot an elk with a .340 Wby. Mag. (or a faster .33), nor with a speedy .35 such as a .358 Norma Mag. or .358 STA. And theorizing that they would perform as I think they would, I'd certainly have full confidence in cartridges such as these.
In real terms, I do not know that the .270 is incapable of putting an elk down like my 8mm or .338 magnums. If you have the same kind of confidence in lighter cartridges that I have in my medium magnums, then you should stick with them.

So now you know what I like for elk hunting; I do not claim that mine are the only options. The debate over suitable elk rifles will rage on, which is fine by me. It will give us something to talk about if we meet by a campfire some fine, starry evening.

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Bob from Idaho

No reservations at all and I'd go with the Norma Oryx 156 or Hawk 160s, too. They make a bullet I think well suited for 6.5s on bigger game: http://www.hawkbullets.com//maintest.htm. Sierra made a very accurate 160, too, but I'm not sure it's still out.

With the heavy bullets, that round will go thru or deeper than just about anything out there. Don't sweat the velocity. I doubt you'll recover those bullets from any angle.

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"Had God not driven man from the Garden of Eden, the Sierra Club would have."

I've actually heard of some people hunting polar bear with the 6.5 Swede. I didn't think much for their intelligence, but it evidently got the job done. Bullet placement is very important with any caliber. You could be hunting with a .375 H&H and if the bullet didn't hit the right spot, the animal isn't going down.From everything I've heard, the Swede is plenty of power for elk. Good luck and congrats on the new rifle.

Squint

I just gotta say, that I can't knock the Col. for his selection of elk calibers, especially the .338 Win mag and the .340 Weatherby. I switched over a dozen years ago and glad I did hunting mature bull elk. I too prefer taking front shoulder shots on bull elk, if at all possible.

I won't kick sand in the face of the hunter using the century old 30-06 either, as I have seen with my own eyes, what that caliber can do to a bull elk, with a well placed shot over 400 yds down range, using a Nosler partition bullet. Dead Bull Elk!

Now my feelings on bullets, has always been bigger is better than small simply put. However, Barnes new TSX bullet is putting smiles on my face. I do believe a hunter could easy drop down one bullet weight or so in their rifles magazine and go fetch home some elk steaks. My tests on these newer Barnes bullets has produced very good results.

I have klled bulls and cows both over the years with various calibers. I have noticed more body reaction on the elk, when using the larger calibers, after the bullet strikes it's mark. I like seeing that happen myself! Sometimes trying to figure out if you hit that elk before it trots off to the black timber is a tuff thing to accomplish.

There are over half dozen brands of excellent premium bullets nowdays to use with your elk gun. Nosler regular partition and the Gold, Swift A Frames, Trophy Bonded Bear Claws, Northfork, Barnes TSX. None of these will let a hunter down, even on front shoulder shots.