We have a lot of Monkeys based outside the US and I'm curious about what you shoot for hunting, self defense and survival. What are your common choices for rimfire, pistol, intermediate, and rifle cartridges/calibers? Intermediate cartridges are those that fall between pistol and big game cartridges. Examples are 5.56 NATO and 7.62x39.
.22LR, .223/5.56 (that said I own neither but have a 22/250 in that space) 308/7.62 and .300Win for me. Broadly, .303, 7.62x54r and 6.5x55 very very common in the old bolt gun range and the x55 is also popular in modern bolt guns.
Can't speak too much for others in other lands, but I know 7mm Rem Mag ( And some what so the mighty .300 WIn Mag) is super popular in Europe, especially countries where hunting is still permissible! Most Former Britt colonies still favor .303, and in much of Africa, the 7.62X51 has really gained in popularity, to go along with the classics such as 6.5X55 Swede, and 7mm (7X57) Mauser! Many south american countries have embraced the common NATO calibers, more of necessity then preference, but I don't see that as a bad thing!
6.5mm rifle calibers have never really caught on in the US and I don't understand why. Projectiles in that caliber have excellent ballistics and retain their velocities well. Recently a few calibers like the 6.5 Creedmoor and Grendel have been gaining, but they really don't have much over the 6.5x55 Swede, which has been around for time immortal. Seems like the Creedmoor simply re-invented the wheel. Have to admit I don't own anything in 6.5 Thanks for your input Andy
I have a special fondness for 6.5x55. It's what my dad hunted with and the first cartridge I reloaded at the ripe old age of 12. Mild recoil but very effective. I somehow never wound up with one, but do have a rifle in 6.5 CM. That's because of what I could get chambered in it. The 6.5x55 has virtually identical performance in factory loads to the 260 Remington and the 6.5 CM, each representing improvements in case design. Those improvements mainly result in less stretching when fired. That was the whole reason for the 6.5 CM to make it economical for competition shooters due to longer brass life. In a modern rifle loaded to modern pressures the 6.5x55 is a whole 'nuther beastie. Chamber your rifle for 5.5x55 AI and you get all the cartridge improvements in the CM plus more volume. The 260 and the CM are in the rear view mirror with either of these, plus due to the long action you can use the longer pure copper bullets to best advantage with their very high BC's.
Way back when, I got all wound up in the 6.5 craze, especially wildcats, and I played with several and had lots of fun. My all time fave is a 6.5X06/270. Basically a 6.5 from the mighty .30/06 or .270 brass. Also tried the 6.5x300 and the 6.5x.284, with today's ultra high spec barrels, these are not only valid options, but the 6.5x.284 has actually become a factory chambering from a few makers on a special order basis! For the best all around, you simply cannot beat good hand loads in the classic 6.5 Swede, it gets it done very well and could be one of America's primer hunting cartridges, but I'm glad it isn't for the same reasons I'm glad the .243 isn't more popular ( another chambering I really dig) so yea, the 6.5 continues to live on, but takes a real rifleman to get the most from it! My Match 1903 Springer in the 6.5 Swede is still one of the sweetest and most accurate rifles I own, and still rings steel at ranges that would get your attention! I still also have my 6.5X 284 and the 6.5x.06, cause I paid really good money for the barrels and modded bolts, but the Swede gets most of the mans work for me! Would love a Tikka T-3X varmint or the older Super varmint in the Swede, talk about a match made in heaven!
3 of the 4 other guys I regularly hunt with have Tikkas in 6.5x55. I can't fault them at all (though I am not a huge fan of the Tikka - but can't deny they are a great rifle). I very much want to build up a .260Rem, only reason I would do so over a x55 is the ability to build it on a medium length (AII) Sako action whereas the x55 needs the longer action. My most used rifle ever is the .308 I built up over 20yrs ago on worn out (barrel/stock) AII actioned .22/250.
