First Hunting Rifle: 6.5X55 Swede, .270, or. 308/7.62x39 Russian

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CCBPES34

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6.5x55 Swede
.308
**.300 Win Mag
.270
*.270 WSM
*.338 Federal
(*Possibly)
(**Very Unlikely)

Which would you take for a First Hunting Rifle? I can't decide. Mainly, it will be used for Deer, maybe Elk and possibly Black Bear. I don't Handload, but that doesn't mean I can't or will not. I was leaning towards a Tikka T3 Battue (if they import it), or some sort of CZ. Any advice will be helpful! Would a 14 year old (5'8'' 170 lbs) be able to handle a .300 Win Mag? He wants one, but I don't think he'll be able to handle the recoil. How about with a Limbsaver?

Update: Today, I talked with some friends, who hunt and shoot quite a bit,
about what I should get caliber wise. One recommended .270 WSM, another recommended .338 Federal. I researched ammo pricing for both, and have some questions. What's so special about the .270 WSM! What benefits over the other cartridges does it have that make it so expensive? How's the recoil? More or less than the .308? How about the .338 Federal? I was told less than .30-06 depending on the rifle, but it sounds sort of fishy. What if I put a good Limbsaver on the gun then how would it be?
 
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Why did you settle on these 2? This may get messy...

I'll bite, .270 Win, just because I have never seen a box of Swede on the shelf.:evil:
 
68wj said:
Why did you settle on these 2? This may get messy...

I'll bite, .270 Win, just because I have never seen a box of Swede on the shelf.:evil:
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Were you referring to the guns, or my choice in calibers? Assuming you are referring to the calibers, because I wanted something that would work for just about anything in North America. Something that had good power,accuracy, and lower recoil than the .308 and 30-06. I guess you could say this is a Family Hunting Rifle, something that everybody in my family could handle for most anything they will hunt.
 
wow ! This is a question that never gets asked. The 6.5 x55 , most defenitely. It has an outstanding ballastic co-efficiant , and moderate recoil, and it is chambered in excellant rifles. May I suggest the CZ FS Model 550 . A beautiful rifle , with great lines ,and accuracy , The best sights you can get on a factory rifle .And it is all you need for any north american game, except for the largest Alaskan bears.
 
Id jump on the 6.5mm if you get into loading your own and want to be adventurous. BUT it can be tough to find store ammo for it. A fast 6.5 (ie loaded with 140 grain SGK or SMK) will stomp a 308 in drop and wind drift. My 260 rem is a blast to shoot, and it has noticeably less recoil than the 308 or 270, but I cannot get ammunition for it nearly as easily.

If you are going to be buying ammo, I would strongly lean to a 308 (or 30 06) or the 270 you mentioned. Recoil is subjective, but I have never felt a huge difference between two in similar loadings.

FWIW, the 308 (or 30 06) has a huge selection of components to choose from if you are loading, and a very very good selection of off the shelf rounds to do whatever you want. The 270 is pretty good here, but that swede and other 6.5 (ie 260 rem) can be a bit dicey in this department. Online is usually an option though, so that will help to even the field for the 6.5 swede.

The 308 (and I think 270) has "managed recoil" rounds that recoil much less and are effective on game out to reasonable ranges. You could also cook up some 155 grain or lighter loads if you are handloading. They have great ballistics to reasonable ranges and will feel less harsh than the heavier loads.

FWIW my girlfriend goes hunting with me and does lots of target shooting. She is pretty slight, maybe 110 lbs. She hasnt been shooting a long time, so she is not as comfortable with recoil yet. I usually run 175 grain SMKs at around 2650 fps; they are a little stout for her. SOOO I have a light load worked up for her. 125 nosler ballistic tip at a very moderate speed. Recoil is much less and it has worked great on steel targets out to 600 yards and whitetail out to 200.

FYI, you could do pretty much the same thing with the 30 06 or just about any other caliber with good component selection. Handloading will open up lots of possibilities in any caliber you choose. That said, I usually lean toward chamberings that are easy to find in the store (components included); I only have a few odd balls.

My dad has a 270, and it shoots very well. I like it. The only issue (for me) is the lack of very good bullets and components for loading that I like (ie lapua brass, heavy long range bullets etc) and a difficulty in finding match ammunition. Other than that, it has nice ballistics and everything else.

For recoil, you could get a suppressor : ) OR maybe go for a muzzle brake or one of those slip on butt pads work great.

As a family rifle, something versatile and affordable is going to work best I would think.
 
I thought about this same question about 15 years when selecting a hunting rifle for my wife. 6.5mm Swede was purchased. She needed a deep penetrator for elk plus super accuracy for antelope and prairie mulies. Of course, recoil was a major concern. But in retrospect, 270 would've been a better bargain both in price of rifle and ammo. A 270 Premium bullet weighing in at 150 grains will penetrate at least as well as the Swede's 140 grain bullet

My brother bought his wife a 257 Roberts but it turned out to be less than ideal for elk so he bought her a 7mm-08. Its a KEEPER!

TR
 
Between the two, I would choose the 6.5x55. But, I currently have 3 of them(one is a CZ and the other is a Tikka) and have never had a 270. If you reload, that is where it really shines.

As far as ammo, just about every store around here has ammo on the shelf for the Swede. 270, 308, etc. is easier to find, but I like the "odd ball" calibers. Always makes for good conversation when among other shooters.
 
The .270 Win has flatter trajectory and greater energy, out to 400+ yards. Ammo/rifles are more available. Should you prefer something else at some point, it's probably more trade-able.

This isn't a lifetime decision, you can buy another rifle caliber, so get the .270 Win this time and you may (or may not) get a 6.5 later. Once a .270 fan, always a .270 fan!
 
I'm going to add the 7.62x39 Russian (aka. 308) to the discussion. CZ has a rifle chambered in this, that I really like. It should be able to fire the .308 because it has a bore of .311, if I'm right.
 
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lower recoil than the .308
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Recoil between the .308 and the .270 will not have a noticeable difference. The .30-06 slightly more. And I can't say for the 6.5 as I have never shot one.

My recommendation would be to stick with the .270 or .308 until you get into reloading because I honestly have never seen 6.5x55 on the shelf.

But if you want a reason to get into reloading.....well I could see that as a good reason for the 6.5 :rolleyes:
 
6.5 X 55...have both the .270 and the 6.5 X 55, whomever says the .270 has a flatter trajectory out to 400 yards is sinff'n too much cow manure. A 139 grain BTSP loaded with a full load of H4895 will flat butt, out shoot the .270 in whatever configuration from my experience. The only thing the .270 has over the 6.5 X 55 is ammo availability...and that is marginal in my neck of the woods.
 
I'm a huge fan of the 6.5x55, as I have two, but if you are planning to use factory ammo, then hands down, the 270 Win, and I have one of those. It will take care of business with proper bullet selection.

I can only recommend that you buy American made and keep the money and jobs here. A Savage or Thompson Center Venture will give you a seriously accurate rifle, crafted in the USA.



NCsmitty
 
I've got two rifles designated as hunting rifles. A lever action in 30-30 and a bolt action 30-06. Both are more than adequate for my needs as I personally won't take a shot at longer than 200 yards. If you didn't want a long chamber, you could substitue a .308 for the 30-06.

I've been very happy with both and don't plan on adding any more rifles for hunting unless I plan to go for large dangerous game (which I don't see doing any time soon), at which point I would add a 45-70 lever action.
 
What about a 7mm-08? 7mm bullets have good BCs and for just a little bit more recoil than the 6.5, the 7mm-08 offers a good deal more energy. You'd have to check around your parts, but my impression is the 7mm-08 is easier to find in rifles and ammo on the shelf.
 
NCsmitty said:
I can only recommend that you buy American made and keep the money and jobs here. A Savage or Thompson Center Venture will give you a seriously accurate rifle, crafted in the USA.



NCsmitty
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Most of Savage's Rifles are heavy, I probably should have mentioned this before, but I'm needing a Guide/Scout type rifle. Hunting here is Mountain/Backcountry. Ever try Black Bear Hunting over the Foothills of the Appalachian Mountain Range, with 15 pounds of gear on your back? It's not very fun.;)
I'll take a look at Savage and Thompson Center. I don't have to have a Scout/Guide type, but A 10 pound rifle isn't really an option.
 
I'm going to add the 7.62x39 Russian (aka. 308) to the discussion. CZ has a rifle chambered in this, that I really like. It should be able to fire the .308 because it has a bore of .311, if I'm right.
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The 7.62x39 is not the same as the 7.62x51 NATO (similar to the .308 Winchester). The 7.62x39 has ballistics much closer to the.30-30 than to any of the other calibers mentioned. The 7.62x39 is generally considered weak for game larger than deer.

Good luck.

W44
 
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I'm going to add the 7.62x39 Russian (aka. 308) to the discussion. CZ has a rifle chambered in this, that I really like. It should be able to fire the .308 because it has a bore of .311, if I'm right.
Click to expand...

CCBPES34, I just noticed your post, and it's obvious that you do not have much experience with firearms.
The 7.62x39 is a caliber all it's own, and will not shoot 308 winchester, if that's what you're asking?
If it's a .311 bore then it will not shoot a .308 diameter bullet very accurately, if that's what you were asking?
Just what were you asking?



NCsmitty
 
I certainly wouldn't get a 7.62x39 for bear or elk. I wouldn't get it as an only rifle either. I would only get it as something different for hunting deer.

I'd get 6.5x55 or 7mm-08 if you don't think you can handle .30-06 recoil
 
Wheeler44 said:
The 7.62x39 is not the same as the 7.62x51 NATO (similar to the .308 Winchester). The 7.62x39 has ballistics much closer to the.30-30 than to any of the other calibers mentioned. The 7.62x39 is generally considered weak for game larger than deer.

Good luck.

W44
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The CZ 527 Carbine's barrel has a bore of .311 which means it should be able to fire the .308, right? That's all I want to know! If not, could someone recommend me a good Scout rifle chambered in .308 or .270?
And NCsmitty, you would be correct. I don't have a lot of technical experience with Rifles, so please excuse my ignorance.
 
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