[SwedeSteve]

You guys need to remember that Scandinavian Moose are small, not as big as say a Yukon. I have killed a good sized bull here with my 6,5x55 Swede. Again, like others, I probably wouldn't choose it right off. But it'll get the job done if you do your part.

[roverboy]

I would like to have a 6.5x55 just because I like calibers with history.
I missed out on a M38 Carl Gustaf that had been sporterized
because I didn't have the cash. Somebody did a great job on it.

[Palladin8]

The Scandinavian Moose are about as large as an Elk. Still a good sized animal. I don't think that you would have a problem with taking any animal with either cartridge with the proper bullet and shot placement.

[toolman]

Welcome aboard, dennis28!

[bob35]

Hi I'm new to the site and just came upond the thread in a search. I bought the 260 Rem in a 700 mountain rifle. Its a great deer gun but not a good pick for moose. The 260 is a very flat shooter and there is no recoil. You can hold on your target after you shoot. Many years ago I did have a 6.5x55 sw but sold the gun. I really can't remember the difference. I'm talking many years. 260 is great for deer, hogs, coydogs, etc. Now I know a lot of you guys are great great shots and I'm not just a good shot. This is just my opinion. Thanks for letting me put in my two cents

[bushy]

im gettin either a 260 or a 6.5x55 in a tikka and i already have some 156gr norma roundnose projectiles i would like to use and i was just wondering if the 260 shoots the heavy bullets just as straight as the 6.5x55? thank you
regars paul

[dmsbandit]

The two cartridges are peas from the same pod. What one will do, the other will too. The only real difference between them is the 260 is suited for Short carbine rifles like the Remington model 7, and the 6.5x55 needs a medium-long action to fit in. Because of the action length, the swede should have a 22" barrel and would make a better long range gun than the short feather weight carbines the 260 is chambered in. If you shoot under 250yds, the 260 will do fine. If you have to stretch the ranges closer to 400 yds, the swede and the 22" barrel will hold better.

[Kompressor]

Quote:       Originally Posted by SwedeSteve

You guys need to remember that Scandinavian Moose are small, not as big as say a Yukon. I have killed a good sized bull here with my 6,5x55 Swede. Again, like others, I probably wouldn't choose it right off. But it'll get the job done if you do your part.

Picture from last week. Scandinavian moose cows.




Eh... Small? That depends on the size of the moose of course! They tend to come in different sizes around here. And we do hunt calves and young animals (1 1/2 yrs) a lot, so our middle size compared to Yukon bulls are definitely smaller. But hey, they do get up to a 1000 lbs every now and then here too. That's not small i my book. And a well placed 6.5x55 is a final argument to any bull that size. I'd hunt any animal in Scandinavia with a 6.5 except large boars. Not because they don't fall or die, but simply because they don't bleed as much outwards when the blubber seals the bullet holes. But for moose I'd choose the 6.5 over a .308 any day for sure.

[nathangdad]

I am in agreement with the general theme of the posts and, to give credit where it is due, Samuel has done some excellent work.

Perhaps a point to consider is the availability and affordability of ammo/reloading components.

[moosemike]

I'd go with the 6.5X55. Mainly because I like former military rounds and also because I think someday the .260 will be as dead as the .284 Winchester and the 6.5 will still be soldiering on.

[SwedeSteve]

Good point Moosemike !!

[AndreF]

320kg carcass Eland shot with 6.5x57 Mauser July 2006 in Kalahari, South Africa. 140gr Hornady Interlock @ 2800'/s. Distance 220yards. One shot, sneaked in between ribs, through back of heart, punched a dent in opposite side rib. Animal expired 20 seconds after receiving the shot.

And they say African game is a whole lot tougher than North American game. . .

AndreF

[OKIE2]

I agree with all of you on the 6.5x55.
The 260 has never impressed me at all.
I have a 96 6.5x55
a savage 26" heavy barrel 6.5 rem mag
a remington sps 26" barrel 264 mag
love them all.
If any of you want a very big suprise get a
6.5 rem mag in a 26 inch barrel.
then you will like the 6.5 caliber even more.
just like I do.
6.5x55 sweed

6.5 rem mag

264 mag

I am now building a 30 inch mcgowen straight 1 inch barreled Remington 264 win mag.
here it is
30 inch 264 win mag

[Bart B.]

Here's some more flies in the ointments regarding the best case to shoot .264-inch diameter bullets from. It's exactly the same debate that started 50 years ago right after Remington's Mike Walker designed the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge. Seems Winchester got the first military contract for ammunition, capitalized on it to also make the commercial version, named that "new" cartridge the .308 Winchester resulting in the .30-06 round now had a competitor.

"What should I get, the .30-06 or the .308?" became the popular issue. Nowadays, it's the same song with different words talking about the 6.5x55mm Swedish Mauser vs that commercial offspring of Mike Walker's famous cartridge design with a just a bit smaller diameter bullet.

When Sierra Bullets was finally able to get rolls of bullet jacket copper good enough to make very long 26 caliber jackets dimensionally uniform, accuracy equal to the best 30 caliber bullets with less recoil and a bit better wind bucking ability was at hand for high power competition. In the late 1990's, a few top competitors had been necking down their .308 cases to 26 caliber using Sierra's new 142-gr. HPMK bullet and handily won matches with this cartridge named the 6.5x.308. Remington soon saw their advantage to get some glory back so they commercialized it with the .260 Remington name. The rest is history.

Same arguments on accuracy and performance that happened in the .30-06 vs .308 controversies are now the same but only the names are changed; .260 vs 6.5x55. The newer one's more accurate for the same reasons as before. The older one's more "huntable" for the same reasons.

Consider the same basic facts about either one for hunting; any bullet leaving either one at the same muzzle velocity will perform equally. 200 (or 20) yards or metres down range, no animal's gonna tell the difference between one striking him about 100 feet (32 metres) per second faster.