Cz 6.5 x 55 ? any views ?

NUTTA1

Hi all !

I am thinking of buying a 6.5 x 55 rifle !

I have never owned a gun but have been shooting a .22 for months , I was told to go for a CZ
6.5x55 and have been told for the money I can spend I can get a new one and still have plenty left for a desent scope etc .

I been reading the threads on here and there is no mention of them and that got me thinking may be there is a reason for that !

Ps what's a desent make and model of scope for around the 200euro mark?

Sparks

What were you thinking of using it for?

NUTTA1

Should have said! it will be mostly target shooting but there is a few of us who will be going after deer !

It was one of the experianced deer lads that suggested that gun !

Sparks

If it's target shooting, to be honest, I'd stick to .22lr. More ranges and more matches to go to, cheaper ammunition and not so much hassle with licencing. Learn to shoot using the .22 and go to some matches and see what interests you the most and go from there.

If that doesn't appeal, I can't speak to the deer hunting, but I've heard a fair few people say they use the 6.5 for that. For target shooting with fullbores, lots of different calibres get used for various matches, so you have to know what you want to do - ISSF 300m uses up to 8mm, but 6mmBR is the current favorite; target rifle uses .308 I think, so does palma and a few others; but I can't think of anyone using 6.5 right now. Maybe some of the fullbore shooters can help out?

rrpc

Sparks wrote:

If it's target shooting, to be honest, I'd stick to .22lr. More ranges and more matches to go to, cheaper ammunition and not so much hassle with licencing. Learn to shoot using the .22 and go to some matches and see what interests you the most and go from there.

I think he's referring to full-bore target shooting. In any case the 6.5x55 is not a very used round as I believe it's relatively expensive compared to the other calibres such as 6mm BR Norma, 7.62 etc.

BryanL

7.62 is a pig on recoil compared to 6.5
and when you are buying ammo,good ammo in any calibre is going to cost you
Bryan

rrpc

BryanL wrote:

7.62 is a pig on recoil compared to 6.5
and when you are buying ammo,good ammo in any calibre is going to cost you
Bryan

Specialist ammo is always more expensive. It's just that the more widely used stuff is produced in bigger quantities and can be significantly cheaper. I haven't looked at the price of these rounds in a long time, but I do remember a poster here saying taht the 6.5 was relatively more expensive.

Might be an idea to put up a price comparison for the OP.

Sparks

BryanL wrote:

when you are buying ammo,good ammo in any calibre is going to cost you
Bryan

Yup. Nearly seven euro per 500 for .177 pellets these days, and .22lr is nearly up to twelve euro for a hundred rounds for the really good stuff...

rrpc

Sparks wrote:

Yup. Nearly seven euro per 500 for .177 pellets these days, and .22lr is nearly up to twelve euro for a hundred rounds for the really good stuff...

Try doubling that Sparks and add a bit as well. Tenex EPS is around €27/100. Lapua Midas is in and around the same. I think €24/100 would be the best you could get that for.

Lapua Master is running currently at €14/100 and I believe that's going up to €16/100!

Sparks

Tenex EPS isn't the really good stuff rrpc, I was thinking R50

Sharpie

Is anyone here using these for deer? I am looking at one of these also and would be interested to hear how they find the 6.5x55 round as well as the gun.

rrpc

Sparks wrote:

Tenex EPS isn't the really good stuff rrpc, I was thinking R50

Oh! Well that's *only* about €22/100

Sparks

Depends on where you get it

fathersymes

I use a Sako 6.5x55 for deer, have yet to see one run away! Low recoil also making it good for target.

Some do say that it is too slow for deer due to the fact that factory ammo is catering for use in vintage guns with lower pressure withstanding abilities.

By "too slow" I mean the velocity and corresponding energy delivery is considered by some to be insuficient to cosistently humanly kill. I have personally found this to be rubbish. The Scandinavians use the 6.5x55 on moose all the time.

sixpointfive

its a quality round, have been using it for years on all breeds of deer and cant fault it at all, the ammo thing is the key as with any calibre, i found Norma 125gr ballistic tip the most consistent and fantastic stopping power even on reds, fairly pricey but the old saying is true, you get what you pay for and you pay for what you get.

Sharpie

I looked at a Sako 75 in 6.5x55. Very nice piece of kit indeed. Love to go for one but by the time I add scope etc it is way out of my budget.

Dare I ask, but what are the thoughts on these compared to .243? Is it a case of 6 of 1 and a half dozen of the other type of thing?

fathersymes

There is a lot of arguement regarding .243 and its suitability on larger deer. In the states the .243 is considered to be a "varmint" round, generally meaning vermin like coyotes.

I would say go for something a bit bigger for deer, why not give them a bigger punch and therefore a more humane kill.

25-06, 6.5x55, 30-06 etc..

bogteal

i use cz 6.5 with lapua 139g never had any run away , i found 270 and 308 had to much of a kick. with deer shooting in ireland you very rearley shoot out past 150 meters i think its a great gun, as for target shooting i have no idea.

.243

i use the .243 and never had to put a second round in to drop a deer be it sika or red,its all about bullet placement, with low recoil and doubles up as a great foxing weapon plus if you read this months target sports a guy won the sporter class at 400yrds with a bog standard remmy 700 with no mods done to it at all,"bigger aint always better".

NUTTA1

Thanks for the info lads !

Any thoughts on the scope side of things , ie good models and suitable powers , I don't quite understand the values (sorry for my inexperiance but we all gotta start somewhere !)
Ie 6-25x50 ??

Beware novice buying a gun over here !!!

fathersymes

Firstly the first 2 numbers mean it is a variable power scope, from 6 power to 25 power of magnification. The last number is the objective lens, the larger this is the more light gathering ability (important for dusk and dawn shooting) when deer are moving.

For deer hunting go for either a fixed power scope of 6 or 8 by 50 or 56. Or a variable of 2.5-12x56. Although in practice you will probably leave it set at 6 or 8 power if it's variable power.

For target higher the better, nightforce make them up to 42 power.

Finally, do spend money on your scope, you will only need to buy it once and will last a lifetime. Approx 1000 euros for a Schmidt & Bender, Zeiss, Swarovski.

NUTTA1

Well FU@K me !!

E1000 for the scope that's more than the gun !

I do however see the rational in what you are saying plus it can be used on any gun I buy in the future !


The place I am buying me gun told me they had a good one for three hundred new but I would not need it at this stage (not sure of make or power ) and suggested one for one eighty but it can't be very good if that cheap I will check make and let you know !

Thanks for the power stuff it helps to know a bit about these things before buying !

Sparks

Nutta, when you said you'd been shooting for a while with a club .22, how long is a while?

fathersymes

Nutta, trust me on this. If you buy a cheap scope and put it on a fullbore it will not hold zero.

1,000 isn't a lot of money for your sport and especially if it is going to last a lifetime. Go to the credit union and pay it off over a few years, tenner a week type of thing.

If you're really stuck with the money you can get a Leupold from the states for 500ish. I did this but secretly wanted a German Scope. Leupold are very good scopes.

I learned a long time ago that if you buy cheap you buy twice!

NUTTA1

Been shooting .22 for about six months ! Only at targets but I would like to get into a bit of hunting now !

I was talking to a dealer today that was explaining that the rifle I'm after would be more hunting than target although I would wish to do both , he suggested a tikka T3 .308 tactical would be a fine target and hunting rifle !

Sorry to add this to the mix but what do u reckon
?

It would be deer hunting and 300+ target stuff mostly !!

fathersymes

Tikka are a great rifle, made by Sako, very accurate. .308 is good for deer and targets. The tactical might be a little heavy for walking around all day. I use a Sako varmint(heavy) barrel and am thinking of changing to something very light for hunting. Remember you will be adding a scope, maybe bipod, sling. They all add to the weight.

bunny shooter

6.5x55 SE is a good all round calibre. There are a good few in use on ranges throughout the country and a lot of deer shooters are using it too.

It is a highly regarded round, even by the americans and they have access to a lot more calibres than we probably ver will.

I am awaiting a licence foe this calibre in a swedish mauser. I will be target shooting (informal) with it but not F Class. I have been studying calibres for a good while, 5 years to be honest, and the 6.5x55 SE is definately my choice. It is a good long range performer, there is excellent factory ammo available and aparently it is east to reload for

Kryten

I know of a CZ550 for sale in 6.5mm. Only had a couple of hundred rounds through it. Complete with Iron sights, Good quality scope(dont know which make) and a bipod. Let me know if you are interested.

Fired it once at targets out to 300m. Well impressed by the accuracy.

Sparks

Do none of the fullbore shooters here think that maybe a Tikka .308 might be a bit too much rifle to be going to after only six months of .22lr shooting?

Hezz700

I agree with you Sparks, He'd be better off going for .223 or similar and gradually build up if he feels the need to. Theres a big difference in the abilities of .22 and .308.

.308 can have quite a harsh recoil (depending on barrell lenght and the like). a newbie unfamiliar with centerfire rifles might very quickly develop a flinch which can be very hard if not impossible to shake.

fathersymes

If he's keen to hunt deer, then a 6.5x55 is the best choice as the .223 isn't allowed here. Some induction or training would be a good idea with a fullbore to understand its potential and for safety issues. Thats where the club come in.

Another option is to fit a moderator, I fired a .308 in the UK which had one fitted and recoil was slightly more than a .22, no muzzle blast, which can be very offputting for a beginner. Aparently a moderator will improve accuracy, don't know why. Perhaps it stabilises the bullet just that little bit. What I do know is that some bullets need 100metres before they stabilise and reach a consistent trajectory.