Thread: 308 or 6.5x55

Hi all I am looking at grabbing a new tikka what would be a good choice of caliber out of those two I hunt a lot of bush but every now and again I'm shooting open country will be pretty much a do all gun

If you roll your own hands down the 6.5x55
Blows the 308 out of the water
If you just buy the ammo the 308 wins
Even when I was stoking the 08 up it still can't keep up the 55 I have now

Will be factory loads unfortunately I'm reloading iltarite haha

For hunting I prefer the 6.5x55.

Originally Posted by Cody.a

Will be factory loads unfortunately I'm reloading iltarite haha

Factory Sellior and Bellot worked well in my old 6.5 and Partisan /PPU makes it too so 6.5x55 for reasonable ammo or better is the same price (ish) as the 308. So I would still go 6.5x55.

Either one will be good.

Originally Posted by longrange308

If you roll your own hands down the 6.5x55
Blows the 308 out of the water
If you just buy the ammo the 308 wins
Even when I was stoking the 08 up it still can't keep up the 55 I have now

This.

I was in a similar situation so bought 1of each and never looked back.
If I had bought my Sako in 6.5 I doubt I have got a 308

ive been using a x55 for a long time its always done the job for me im mainly bush hunting started out with a m96 and just bought a tikka in the same cal as said above if you hand load and its not hard the x55 will really come into its own

Makes no difference mate.


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Originally Posted by Danny

Makes no difference mate.

Amen.

The deer won't notice, 6.5x55 SE all the way, Superformance is the ducks and Norma is mint if you don't mind the $$

My opinion is that it actually does make a difference. Here's why:
308 factory loads better long range (over 250m) as flatter shooting.
6.5 better in every other way due mainly to less recoil, slower bullet speed whacking all it's energy into the animal rather than passing straight through. Others may have different or opposite experience or opinions, but I've owned two .308s and got sick of being booted while range shooting. I also lost a couple of stags with .308. But since changing to 6.5 every animal I've shot goes down and basically stays down on the spot and the recoil is unnoticeable. I've shot competitively against .308 at 400m and kept up too, so once you know where she shoots, I reckon 6.5 is the winner


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plenty of good coffee shops that will sell you a latte down in Dunners...why not split the difference and go 7mm/08??????
personally it would be .308 for me.

just spotted laminate model in the for sale section...... interesting what he wants to trade it for.308

Originally Posted by Hunt4life

My opinion is that it actually does make a difference. Here's why:
308 factory loads better long range (over 250m) as flatter shooting.
6.5 better in every other way due mainly to less recoil, slower bullet speed whacking all it's energy into the animal rather than passing straight through. Others may have different or opposite experience or opinions, but I've owned two .308s and got sick of being booted while range shooting. I also lost a couple of stags with .308. But since changing to 6.5 every animal I've shot goes down and basically stays down on the spot and the recoil is unnoticeable. I've shot competitively against .308 at 400m and kept up too, so once you know where she shoots, I reckon 6.5 is the winner


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The 308 kills very well from 0-500m no problem. Shot placement and projectiles is the key in all cals .Losing a couple of stags will be shot placement or crap projectiles at that range rather than the CAL. Both the 6.5 or 308 will do the job just fine but the 308 has the added value of using 125gr right up to 200gr so gives you plenty of options. How short was your 308? I dont find the 308 boots stuff all. Mine one is 24 inch thou,and barrel lenght can make a difference but a good limp saver and they a pussy cat to shoot.
My REM 700 with the new H S prescision stock only has a thin hard butt pad, hence basicly no recoil pad and i use it with hardly no noticeable recoil that worry you.
In the field its fine, on the range firing multi shots i put on a pull on recoil pad just to have it a very pleasant feel.