.30 or 6.5mm Caliber decisions..

T

TheBear

New member
Hi guys,
I`m finally going to get a rifle that is capable of shooting precise at 400+ yards. I already know what kind of rifle I want but I just cant decide which caliber...
So candidates are: 30-06, 7.62x51, 6,5x55swedish mauser, .243 win.
Most important, it should be very accurate up to 800yards and be good for hunting game up to the size of moose. The weapon will be used for fun target shooting at long ranges and hunting.
 
I'm a .30 caliber guy, love them whatever the brass on the end might be. .30-06, .308, .30-30, .300 Savage, I love them all.

That said, the guys on the firing lines are doing great stuff with 6.5mm calibers. Check out some of the Savage option in calibers like 6.5 Creedmore, 6.5X284 Norma, and .260 Remington. Whichever bore diameter you choose, I don't think that you'll have any problem finding a rifle to shoot it.
 
Many guys say the .30 cal rifles are less accurate and have much more Recoil compared to 6.5mm rifles. Accuracy was always more important to me than "stopping power" thats why I got interested in the 6.5mm. Is it true that .30s are alway less accurate and have much more recoil than 6.5mm rifles? Is the 30-06 an accurate caliber?
And yes, I have shot 800 yards (one of our properties has a 1032yard range) but only a few times with granpas old K98k and with a friends 5.6x57R hunting rifle and I didnt realy get a good group.
 
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In sweden they hunt moose with the 6.5x55 all the time. So im pretty sure its got enough punch to take them down.
My main question is: Are the .30 cal rifles in general less accurate and do they have a lot more recoil than the 6.5mm caliber ones (using the same rifle)? More bullet weight traveling with less velocity should mean less accuracy specially at longer ranges, right?? Anyone got experience with both bullet diameters?
 
You guys will have to forgive me, as I am deifinitely an amateur hunter, but is there any reason the .308/7.62x51 cartridge, with an appropriate bullet, can't take elk and or moose? :confused: Also, I apologize for the off topic post in the thread, I'm just curious.
 
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Sweden - Only SOME of the 6.5x55 loads are legal for moose .The 156-160gr as I remember . Swedish moose are smaller than ours .Comments by Scandinavian shooters is that some old timers use 6.5x55 but most use 308 or 30-06.
The 30-06 seems to be denigrated by many today but it certainly has a very long history of taking anything in N.America .Modern premium bullets make it even better !
 
308 Fan here (big time). I shoot my 308 at 800 yards and it is more than accurate enough. My next rifle will be a 6.5 but.. 30-06 is a great option also,but when it come to target shooting you will be at a lose as they do not make a great target bullet for the 30-06. It is not a so called paper punching rifle. It's more down the line of a hunting rifle. I say 308 all the way.:D
 
I am a big fan of the 6.5x55, but I won't be taking it on a moose hunt. Can't beat an '06, but most of the 30 bore target guys shoot .308.
 
4runnerman said:
they do not make a great target bullet for the 30-06
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Huh? Any target bullet made for the .308 can be used in the .30-06, with great results. While you're right that many .30-06 rifles are hunting rifles, you're fooling yourself if you believe that the caliber isn't capable of magnificent accuracy. Most of the .30-06 hunting rifles I've acquainted with are capable of better accuracy than the shooter, and if the shooter takes the time to work up loads for his particular rifle, the caliber is capable of very fine accuracy.

My Savage 110 is a bone-stock hunting rifle with a fixed 6X scope and it regularly, routinely turns in groups of about 3/4 inch at 100 yards. Most of those groups have two shots touching and the third opening the group. For a standard sporting rifle with a slim taper barrel that level of accuracy is certainly acceptable.

Any target bullet that you might use in the .308 can be used in the .30-06. It'll launch them faster and they'll stay supersonic longer than the .308.
 
30-06 is a great option also,but when it come to target shooting you will be at a lose as they do not make a great target bullet for the 30-06. It is not a so called paper punching rifle. It's more down the line of a hunting rifle.
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hmmmm...I think a lot of expert Hi-Power shooters would disagree there.

To the OP...You can't go wrong with either choice. When I got my first centerfire bolt gun for long range target use, a guy I worked with (Who knew his stuff), told me not the get a .308, that it was a bad idea.

Well...here I am now, shooting the same rifle VERY effectively at long range. I wish I could have told him then that I would shoot a 534-11X out of 600 points at 600 yards in an F-class match with my .308:D
 
I guess my main point was ,,That what ever caliber the OP chosses,i was just saying get a Savage. Yes the 30-06 is a great shooting rifle. Just sighted one in for a guy at work this weekend. I was amazed at how accurate it is with just plain store ammo. I still say get the 308 :D
 
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Shooting 400-800 yards accurately is easy with any of the 6.5s. Assuming you have a gun that's good enough quality to do it. The bullet won't be the problem. 260, 6.5-06,6.5x47, 6.5x284...any of them
 
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