Thread: 6.5mm questions....

Originally Posted by Tahr

I really like the 6.5 caliber and have had a couple of 6.5x55. Current one is deadly (Schultz & Larsen).

My only reservation is that they are not magic. My experience is that once the distance gets out to 350 yards odd they can be slow killers. I have experienced this with Sierra, Amax and SST 140grn projectiles at circa 2.8K. They have always died, but not in an emphatic manner.

I know that it won't be other people's experience, but it is mine, that both the 7/08 and 308 seem to kill better at all ranges - I often wonder if its something to do with the smaller expanded frontal area of the 6.5? Dunno really.

Nathan Foster explains this in his 'Game killing Fundamentals' In short the instant kills we see are often not actually kills ( unless brain or CNS ) but instant paralysis from hydrostatic shock. The animal bleeds out whilst paralysed before we get to it. The bigger the diameter the projectile the lower the velocity required to still cause hydrostatic shock. I was surprised how quickly some rounds loose the ability to cause HS