6.5 x 55 on elk

[Ron Johnson]

Has anyone used the swed on elk? I have a daughter who shoots this one well, but I can't get the 140 gr. Speer GS to shoot better than 3" at 200 yds. It will shot the 142 or 144 Sierra Matchkings into 1 3/4" at 200 yds all day. I wonder about a Sierra 140 gr. Gameking? any thoughts.
Thanks,
338 Nemesis

 

[gfc91658]

maybe abit light!

My sons first rifle was a "swed". The first year he shot a small rag bull right in the boiler room and it ran nearly a half mile before we caught up to it. Next year he shot a small 6 point 4 times before it tipped over.
I don't really remember the bullets we used or how accurate this rifle was but I do think its a bit light for elk. He's now shooting a 270 with 130 gr. bullets and hasn't had an elk run off yet. Good luck!

 

[Michael Eichele]

I havent used it on elk but I have a friend that has. He has had good success on elk with it. He was using bullets of good quality and put em in the right spot. The key here is the bullets were put in the right spot. This is critical for any caliber but some are a bit more forgiving than others.

 

[sambo3006]

I shot two deer in the last week with the Sierra 140 gr SBT gameking out of my 6.5WSM at 3200 fps. The ranges were 175 and 154 yds respectively. The 175 yd doe was quartering away and the bullet cleared out a six inch section of ribs going in, angled through the lungs and top of the heart and penetrated to the opposite shoulder where it splintered the bone. I never recovered the bullet, however.

The 154 yd buck was shot behind the shoulder, the bullet taking out a rib going in and coming out. I am satisfied with the performance of this bullet for deer but I would probably not use it on elk. I would instead use something like the GS you are shooting or a partition, or the gold standard for moderate range performance seems to be the Barnes TSX.

I shot my bull elk this year at 320 yds with a 225 gr Accubond out of my 338 RUM at 3050 fps. It hit and shattered the offside shoulder bone but did not exit, nor did a followup shot that passed through the neck into the chest. Elk are big creatures and I certainly wouldn't want to shoot one with a SMK out of a round like the 6.5 Swede. I would also be willing to sacrifice a little accuracy for a tougher bullet. You aren't going to be airing it out at 500 yds on an elk with the swede.

Just my thoughts, hope this helps.

 

[CapDog]

Give the 130gr Accubonds a try. Thats what I loaded in my wife's rifle this year for her cow elk draw. Have had good success with the 140gr TBBC on moose as well as 140 Hornady SP's. Nothing wrong with the accuracy you are getting considering the ranges you should be shooting elk with a swede.

 

[radnur22]

the 6.xx55 accounts for tens of thousands annual moose kills in norway and sweden link

 

[Winchester 69]

The 6.5 is small for elk, requiring premium, controlled-expansion bullets. I would look at Partitions, TBBC, TSX and A-Frames, minimum 140 gr. (130 gr. TSX). These will give you the penetration you need, regardless of angle of opportunity and internal obstructions.

 

[älg]

You can also look at the Lapua Mega and Norma oryx(156 g) bullets.-that´s what the swedes use on moose in their 6,5 x 55.- not the most accurate bullets but should work at moderate distances.

 

[jwp475]

A proper bullet inserted in the proper location with the Swede = dead ELK