6.5 x 55

thelurcher

Anyone I know with a centerfire for deer use .270 or .243

For me - I don't really want a gun for foxes - have the terriers and lurchers for that.
So the advantage of using the .243 as a dual purpose rifle would be wasted.

I hear the .270 is a pig to shoot.

The 6.5 x 55 seems like a good compromise for me for all species of deer:
Any opinions? - I see from past posts that FLAG has one.
What's ammo availability like?
Any licensing issue with this calibre?

macnas

My brother traded in his .243 for a Tikka 6.5 and he's very happy with it. He uses it for Deer and Foxes. 140gr is about standard weight and availability and price are much the same as the .243 ammo.

Vegeta

I agree with you there on the .270, it is not what i'd describe as comfortable to shoot. We have a sako too so its not like we are using a piece of crap.

My brother has gotten used to it more than I have but I find it overly unpleasant. The last deer he shot was a 250 yard headshot.

TomBeckett

What about 30.06 Springfield
its now becoming a popular round fairly plesent to shoot aswell:)

Traumadoc

I had a sporterised swedish mauser in 6.5 and subsequently got a 270 steyr.
I am sorry I sold the 6.5 as it was a very sweet shooter - with plenty of punch, acceptable recoil and pretty accurate. The 270 took a long time to get use to the recoil,and initially I flinched alot and Im happy with it now.
I have heard people saying the .243 is too fast for thin skinned animals and projectiles pass straight through.
I went on a pig hunting safari in November and used a 30-06 camp gun ( a ruger) lovely shooter-but I dont know if you need that much gun for hunting in Ireland.

P226

I love the 6.5 X 55 SE Cartridge.
It's fantastic and has passed the test of time.
I have a Tikka T3 Varmint, Rifle (Heavy Barrell) and use it for Deer and Target Shooting. A lighter barrell would be easier to haul around the forest, but it has to be said I am well used to it and regard it as a great value for money multi use, versatile purchase. I would challenge any shooter to compare it against any rifle available for smoothness, build quality and value !

sniper2

P226 wrote:

I love the 6.5 X 55 SE Cartridge.
It's fantastic and has passed the test of time.
I have a Tikka T3 Varmint, Rifle (Heavy Barrell) and use it for Deer and Target Shooting. A lighter barrell would be easier to haul around the forest, but it has to be said I am well used to it and regard it as a great value for money multi use, versatile purchase. I would challenge any shooter to compare it against any rifle available for smoothness, build quality and value !

sounds interesting can you tell me more ie. price of rifle and ammo,effective killing and target distances,wat scope and mounts you have,any downsides bar the weight

P226

The Tikka uses the Sako "OptoLock" scope mounting system, a very clever stable system, avail in Low, Medium & High in 25mm (1") or as i have 30mm.

I use a Leupold 6.5 - 20 Power X 30mm tube, bought secondhand - probably more expensive than the rifle. A very wide range of ammo is easily available, 108 & 139 grn Lapua for target and 140 grain and upwards for deer stalking.
I discussed the calibre with my local Garda Sgt, he regards it as a normally used round for both deer stalking and target shooting - no issue.

A friend of mine prefers his 6.5 to his .270. He reckons that his .270 is too powerful for most applications and from personal experience I know it kicks like a mule -
I don't want to visit a Physio after each visit to a range :eek:

I have seen mint second ones for sale in Dublin and Wicklow recently, you could put the cash saved towards a 'scope.

thelurcher

Some good info all round there - thanks.
It sounds like the ideal calibre.

I was looking at the Tikka alright:
:

But if I got a good price I'd like the Sako:

Not big into the stainless barrels but at least it's supposed to be non reflective.

Must call to local Guards and see what they think - before I go further.

thelurcher

This looks serious!!!!!!!!!!!!!:eek: :eek: :eek:
http://www.thegunzone.com/rifles-kb.html

Anyone know aymore about this issue

Rew

thelurcher wrote:

This looks serious!!!!!!!!!!!!!:eek: :eek: :eek:
http://www.thegunzone.com/rifles-kb.html

Anyone know aymore about this issue

It was a bad batch of steel a few years ago, all the effected rifles were recalled

Double Barrel

Lurcher,
It is an accurate, pleasant shooting, and excellent performer ballistically. If you are shooting in the open, or from a hide/stand, I would suggest an eight twist barrel 26 inches finished to get good results from the 140gr class bullets.

Good luck

Double Barrel

I would think hard about giving up the .243 Winchester.
As you state and your handle implies you have lurchers ... but...it is one versatile small-bore that will perform a great number of tasks, and fill in for many others. It will handle everything from rabbits to red deer, under the right conditions. High quality ammunition is readily available and with a gratifying array of bullet weights and types. It can be had in rifles that are highly accurate, light of weight, and low-priced--and that is a rare combination in itself.

In something like the Remington Model Seven, a .243 Winchester can fill in as either a woods rifle or a mountain rifle. Or, you could get a completely different configuration with a longer, heavier barrel and a more powerful scope, and have a good fill-in for long range applications.

Actually, there is a lot to be said for having two different rifles in the same caliber. It saves money on bullets and other components, and you become intimately familiar with the cartridge and its capabilities.

Double Barrel

Tom,
The 30.06 is one of my favorites and probably the most famous, and popular, hunting cartridges in the world and if I had to choose one rifle for all of N. America and Europe I would pick the .30-06. Not only will it do many things well, it is also a supremely useful back-up rifle. The round comes in a diverse range of bullet weights from .55 gr. to 220 gr. to duplicate the 308. the 5.56, 223, and then some. That diversity is what makes this such a great rifle and one hell of an all around cartridge for hunting or competition shooting.

thelurcher

Double Barrel - this will be my first center fire.

The 30.06 sounds like a good alternative - I wouldn't have even considered it till this thread!
Looks like more reading to do.

I'm going to get my permissions together before going to the guards.
Should I send off to Duchas for the deer license before getting the gun?

Do the Guards consider the 30.06 and 6.5X55 in the same catagory as the
.243 and .270?

Rovi

thelurcher wrote:

I'm going to get my permissions together before going to the guards.
Should I send off to Duchas for the deer license before getting the gun?

You'll need to have the Duchas licence in hand when you apply to the Guards for the Firearms Cert. On the application for the Duchas licence, you must state the Make, Calibre, Serial No., and bullet weight of the gun you propose using.
So, you'll have to pick out a particular gun and put its details on the Duchas application, and then (in due course) provide the Duchas licence when applying for the Firearms Cert.

.

thelurcher

Must get to work on the farmers so - have permission in a few places to hunt where there's also deer - so must just see if they haven't signed anyone else off on it.
Will get 3 if I can.

Rovi

Unless the landowners have made some sort of exclusivity agreement with any existing deer hunters, they can make the rights available to as many people as they like.
The local Duchas rangers will determine if the local deer population will sustain another hunter.

When I applied for one a few years ago, my Firearms Officer told me that around 100 acres (40 hectares) of permission was adequate, it didn't matter if it was all in the possession of only one individual landowner.
This may differ from one Super to another, though.

.

thelurcher

Plenty of deer in the area I've got permission for the lurchers - causing a few accidents as well and all the farmers around there want them slaughtered :rolleyes:

Local guard here looks for two farms always so will try for that.