new rifle

stephentri

hi iam doing my deer staking cert so iam looking to buy my first deer rifle i need help as to what cal i should go for. I have shot a .243 6.5x55 and a 270 i like the 6.5x55 best out of the rifles i have shot what do yous think is best .
thanks stephen

dwighet

stephentri wrote: »

hi iam doing my deer staking cert so iam looking to buy my first deer rifle i need help as to what cal i should go for. I have shot a .243 6.5x55 and a 270 i like the 6.5x55 best out of the rifles i have shot what do yous think is best .
thanks stephen

270 would be the pick of the litter there.... It hits like the hammer of Thor.
The other two calibers you selected will do the job fine but as your new to the deer shooting game you WILL loose a few to runners...
The 270 is much more forgiving than the 243 and 6.5x55..

all the best with your decision...It aint a easy one and we have all been there...;)

poulo6.5

stephentri wrote: »

hi iam doing my deer staking cert so iam looking to buy my first deer rifle i need help as to what cal i should go for. I have shot a .243 6.5x55 and a 270 i like the 6.5x55 best out of the rifles i have shot what do yous think is best .
thanks stephen

I have used .243 .270 .308 and 6.5x55. All of which were successful in doing the job required of it so caliber wise you should choose which one is best for you.
IE you need to know if you can buy them when you need them. All above are common hunting rounds so you shouldn't have to worry about that.
Next is price. How much do you want to pay for a bullet. I know you can buy cheep and cheerful ammo for most of the above cals.
Next is where will you be hunting. In wide open spaces or small fields. In open areas you will prob need to shoot at longer ranges and need a bullet that can buck the wind. I am no expert but here is what I think for long range. First would be the .308 &.270. Then 6.5x55 then .243.

For close range I would start the other way around. However there is no disadvantage to having a caliber that is slightly more powerful than needed so that means that for short range any cal is good.

Probably the most important thing to choose is the type of rifle you wand and how it will perform with the cal you have chosen. For example a very light rifle with a .270 might kick lick a mule. And a heavy rifle with a light cal would feel very light on recoil.

There is a lot more to cosider than just cals but that's half the fun.

I hope I helped to confuse you even more.

Enjoy what ever you choose.

Oh ya don't forget the 7mm08. It's excellent

garv123

will you be using the rifle for just deer? if you plan on using it for foxes and the likes the .243 doubles up for both as you can get cheaper ammo for it for the foxes when the deer season is closed and then when the season opens you can get 100gr rounds for the deer.

stephentri

garv123 wrote: »

will you be using the rifle for just deer? if you plan on using it for foxes and the likes the .243 doubles up for both as you can get cheaper ammo for it for the foxes when the deer season is closed and then when the season opens you can get 100gr rounds for the deer.

no i have got a .223 for foxes.

deerhunter1

stephentri wrote: »

hi iam doing my deer staking cert so iam looking to buy my first deer rifle i need help as to what cal i should go for. I have shot a .243 6.5x55 and a 270 i like the 6.5x55 best out of the rifles i have shot what do yous think is best .
thanks stephen

308 308:D

DR6.5

What deer will you be shooting predominatley, red, sika or fallow.

I have a 6.5/55 and a 25-06, all my stalking is for sika and hybreds, used the 6,5 for approx 7 years, last season was the first season using the 25-06, would take the 25-06 over the 6.5. Using 100 grain federal btips in the 25-06 it flattens sika, great round.

A lad i stalk with bought a .270 last season, and after using my 25-06 changed the .270. He found the 25-06 much nicer to shoot than the .270.

I use a mod on the 25-06, its a lovely round to shoot.

Would definatley recomend the 25-06 for ireland.

dr6.5

dwighet

None of you guys are answering the question at hand......
Its just going to be another mine is better than yours thread....


The OP asked about 3 calibers only that he has shot previously...
Not what we shoot or what we think is best....

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Tackleberrywho

dwighet wrote: »

None of you guys are answering the question at hand......
Its just going to be another mine is better than yours thread....


The OP asked about 3 calibers only that he has shot previously...
Not what we shoot or what we think is best....

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

6.5X55 Is a lovely cal on deer, quality ammo can be expensive though

Longranger

Personally i'd go for .270,just to satisfy the original post.

stick shooter

Go with the .270 you will never look back . By far the best stalking calibre;) . Flat shooting hard hitting .

It wasn't me!

They'll all be good, and unless you're shooting a lot of animals you're unlikely to notice much difference between them. Of those three, personally, I'd have the .270, since you don't need a crossover gun for foxing and it doesn't hurt to have a bit more of a good thing. The 6.5x55 is a great round too, mind, but factory offerings from America in particular are relatively weak. The more you read and the more you try find the "perfect" round for the job, the more likely you are to end up at the conclusion that anything that will poke a hole through ribs and organs, can break shoulders and draw plenty of blood will be perfectly adequate. Some shoot a bit flatter, but if you zero at 200 yards and use the same holdover at 300, you won't find any practical difference between any common deer calibres at that range or back towards 100 yards and less. Most important of all is to shoot something for which there's a plentiful supply of the factory ammunition you intend to use in your local dealership or one nearby. No good if the guy has fifteen different loads you don't like and won't order the other in. Not a huge amount of difference between quality loads in price from calibre to calibre either, you can basically expect to pay somewhere between about €35 and €45 a box no matter what it is, and you likely won't shoot enough to see much difference in expenditure over a given year.

patsat

I shoot a .270 and its an awesome round that will never leave you wanting when it comes to deer shooting in Ireland, it does have a bit of a kick but with a mod on the rifle it's very tame

My father and a few friends shoot a .243 and it is a very good cal. for stalking red and fallow deer although some say its a bit underpowered for sika.

I was going to buy a .243 but the flatter shooting and extra power of the .270 made my mind up!

Tackleberrywho

Bullet choice is as important as calibre in my book.

Get an explosive round and deer go down.
I am a Hornady Fan through and through, they do unreal damage on heart lung and are great on head/neck shots

Cass

Never shot with a .270, but from friends that have it is a good hard hitting round/caliber.

I have shot with a 6.5x55 for years and loved it. Was picky for ammo, but anything in the 140gr mark worked well. Shot placement was important, as it always is, and for penetration the 6.5 beats the others. Sometimes to its detriment.

This year i moved to .308 simply for better ammo choice, plus i got a lovely rifle at a great price so couldn't pass it up.

As IWM said there is feck all between the calibers when you consider the average distance of 80 - 300 yards is all you will most likely be shooting.

Longranger

After my previous post i feel like a tit saying this,but has anyone got experience with a 7mm08? I've heard some great things said about it but never got to use it.

Tackleberrywho

Last deer I shot was off a fence post, so good mounts are also important:D


OP
If you love 6.5 buy one, TFox's is for sale still AFAIK

Tackleberrywho

Longranger wrote: »

After my previous post i feel like a tit saying this,but has anyone got experience with a 7mm08? I've heard some great things said about it but never got to use it.

D has one
I hear guys also raving of .260 REM :eek:

Longranger

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

D has one
I hear guys also raving of .260 REM :eek:

.260 REM! Next thing it'll be the eargensplitten loudenboomer! Has to be the daftest round in history!

It wasn't me!

They're all just ways to stick long-established bullets in new cases. A 7mm bullet doesn't care whether it comes from a 7x57 case, a 7mm08 or a 7mm magnum, just different velocities. A .260 Rem will perform pretty much like a 6.5x55.

poulo6.5

dwighet wrote: »

None of you guys are answering the question at hand......
Its just going to be another mine is better than yours thread....


The OP asked about 3 calibers only that he has shot previously...
Not what we shoot or what we think is best....

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Not quit true I thought I gave a fairly balanced look at all the cals and even gave your favourite 7mm08 a thumbs up as another option.

As for the for the question has any one here used a 7mm08. I have spent a few hunting trips with a friend that has one. And we spent a day target practising with all our rifles. His 7mm08 shot a bit flatter than my .308. But they both drilled holes threw a deer silhouette at 430y as I'm sure the .270 and maybe the 6.5x55 would.


The point I was trying to make is that any of the deer legal cals will do the job but and there is nothing wrong with having a bit more power than a bit less.

Glensman

dwighet wrote: »

270 would be the pick of the litter there.... It hits like the hammer of Thor.

What a line!
and if anything it is an understatement!

I would say as regards the .270... Nothing on your list kills like it, nothing on you list is as forgiving as it, nothing on your list gives as much confidence as the .270... But all the calibres on your list are nicer to shoot than a .270. I've seen them described as an ASBO round

dwighet

poulo6.5 wrote: »

Not quit true I thought I gave a fairly balanced look at all the cals and even gave your favourite 7mm08 a thumbs up as another option.

As for the for the question has any one here used a 7mm08. I have spent a few hunting trips with a friend that has one. And we spent a day target practising with all our rifles. His 7mm08 shot a bit flatter than my .308. But they both drilled holes threw a deer silhouette at 430y as I'm sure the .270 and maybe the 6.5x55 would.


The point I was trying to make is that any of the deer legal cals will do the job but and there is nothing wrong with having a bit more power than a bit less.

Mate.... Wasnt directed at you..;)
here ya go...BIG HUG :D

It wasn't me!

.270 is grand, just loud. Would never advise anyone off one because of the recoil. It's around the same as a .308 to my shoulder, and that's no big hitter. And to be fair, for most lads, they're not going to shoot twenty or thirty rounds a day from their deer rifles to get fatigued by them, regardless of the chambering, so realistically, the difference between a 6.5x55 and a .270 isn't going to make any real impact on either shooter or deer. Have to say, if I were handloading, it'd be a 6.5x55 very close to top of the list for an all-rounder, provided there were a bigger gun in the safe for the other stuff.

deerhunter1

dwighet wrote: »

None of you guys are answering the question at hand......
Its just going to be another mine is better than yours thread....


The OP asked about 3 calibers only that he has shot previously...
Not what we shoot or what we think is best....

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

308 308 :rolleyes::D

poulo6.5

dwighet wrote: »

Mate.... Wasnt directed at you..;)
here ya go...BIG HUG :D

Oh I feel better already.

stephentri

hi thanks for all your help what ever i go for i will be hand loading for i think it will between a 6.5x55 and a .308 of the two what would you go for . iam thinking of a tika t3 your though please.
thankyou
stephen

It wasn't me!

Handloading, I'd be very tempted by a 6.5x55. 140 gr bullet at 2800 fps is mild on the ears and the shoulder. It's immensely hard to ever argue with a .308 though. Just a great choice all round. Neither will ever do you wrong. More options if you go abroad with the .308, mind, but you might prefer to get the lighter gun and get something bigger altogether for foreign trips (My own inclination).

6.5x55

The 6.5 x55 Are normally loaded very mild if they are american rounds ,If they are european loads they are normally souped up a bit .The general thinking that to get the best out of a 6.5x 55 mm you should hand load them(if only we were able to legally in this country ).However I have never had any problems with mine with factory ammo. Norma,Hornady,Remington,Federal,
In fact most of the deer I have shot havent gone more than a few yards ,with quite a few being dead right there.

Its Accurate ,Mild kicking,and can be offer a good selection of bullet weights.You either hate the 6.5 or love em and I know where I stand on this issue . Best of Luck with your search !.

6.5

poulo6.5

stephentri wrote: »

hi thanks for all your help what ever i go for i will be hand loading for i think it will between a 6.5x55 and a .308 of the two what would you go for . iam thinking of a tika t3 your though please.
thankyou
stephen

Tikka t3 is an excellent rifle I had one for a while. And I would not hesitate in getting another one.

When I had my 6.5x55 I used 120gr norma BT's. They never let me down. I would have loved to have bin able to load for them as I reckon they could match any round when properly loaded.

deerhunter1

stephentri wrote: »

hi thanks for all your help what ever i go for i will be hand loading for i think it will between a 6.5x55 and a .308 of the two what would you go for . iam thinking of a tika t3 your though please.
thankyou
stephen

go 308 cannot go wrong i am shooting one 37yrs now:eek::D

dwighet

poulo6.5 wrote: »

Tikka t3 is an excellent rifle I had one for a while. And I would not hesitate in getting another one.

When I had my 6.5x55 I used 120gr norma BT's. They never let me down. I would have loved to have bin able to load for them as I reckon they could match any round when properly loaded.

They would indeed

FISMA

stephentri wrote: »

hi iam doing my deer staking cert so iam looking to buy my first deer rifle i need help as to what cal i should go for. I have shot a .243 6.5x55 and a 270 i like the 6.5x55 best out of the rifles i have shot what do yous think is best .
thanks stephen

Stephen,
Aside from deer, what else will be your game? Will you do any lamping?

For deer, I like the 30-06. However, for hunting in Ireland, you probably do not need that much "oomph" and finding ammo can be tricky.

I am fast becoming a fan of the 7mm Magnum. If that is an option, do your homework and consider it. Nice flat shooting, hits hard, but probably very hard to find ammo in Ireland.

The 30-06 is a bit much for foxes.

I think the 270 WCF is one of the most versatile rounds for hunting deer and lamping in Ireland. Also, I find that the ammo is more readily available.

Do yourself a favor and go to your local firearms dealer and see what ammo they carry and how much it goes for.