6.5x55 ????

EDP

EDP

New member
anyone have any information on this caliber?
Is it a good long range?
What grain bullets
What caliber would it be close to?
 
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6.5 x 55 swede is probably what you mean. In a modern gun with higher
pressures there aren't many that outrun it. No better long range bullet
exists than a 6.5 for the non-big gun calibers. With the old low pressure
rounds they run about 2450 with a 140 grain bullet. Look at some of the
bullet manufacturers websites for the bc.s' on the 140's and 160's. Most
6.5 barrels are in a 1:8 twist to stabilize the long bullets.
 
If you're a handloader, the sky is the limit with this cartridge. From 85 gr to 160 gr bullets. I have an Encore barrel in this caliber and it is my deer rifle when I'm not using my muzzleloader...
 
I've had 3 6.5X55s. The first was a sporterized military rifle. It was accurate, but I hated the cock on closing action, and it wouldn't handle hot loads. I have had 2 Howa's, one was so inaccurate that a 3 inch group at a 100 yds. was the best it would do. I sent it back to them, and they replaced it with another rifle. This one was okay. I'm not a real big fan of Howa rifles, but I do like the 6.5X55. It is a superb deer cartridge, and in Sweeden, is considered a good moose round.
 
I have my brother's Tikka sitting at my house and I've shot it many times. Dead on accurate. He purchased the caliber because of the ability to load up to an elk round and down to a small game round. He has popped many coyotes with this caliber and is so enamored with the 6.5 - he picked up an AR in a 6.5 grendel.
 
The 6.5 bullet has a great B.C. and incredible sectional density. I had a swede that was built on a mauser 98 large ring action. It was really accurate with light bullets but I really wanted to shoot a 140 g. Amax and it couldn't get it to shoot the heavy bullets accuratly. I would love to rebarrel my stevens 300 win mag to a 264 win mag!
 
The swedes have been killing moose with it for eons. Good round for up to elk sized game.

As mentioned above, handloading is necessary to squeeze the full potential from the round. Brass is pretty common, and available from quality sources like Norma.
 
Over here it´s as said popular it´s THE caliber of choice for long but as we are controlled as hunters what animal we can shoot depending on the rifles Muzzle energy the 6,5 will if the goverment go through with their led ban lose a class rating from 1 down to 2 and then it´s illegal to use on class 1 game such as Moose, Wild boars, Bear and our two bigger Deer kinds. Therefore it is losing sales on the market over here as we dont know how long we will be able to get hold of lead bullets.(pre ban research have been going on for a few years on enviorment vs. lead) Lead is already banned at Skeet and Trap ranges for shotguns and hunting over water, so the future is not going the Swedish hunters way...... I personally dont own a 6,5x55 Swede but my frien does and it´s a custom rifle that shoot factory ammo like a dream, cant wait til he starts reloading this fall im curious on the group size turn outs.....

///Fredrik /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
6.5x55, oh my! Where to start. I have 5, all Swede's. 1 hunter, 2 M38 carbines, 1 M96 rifle, and 1 M41b Sniper. If you doubt its' long range capabilities check out Kim Du Toit's article on it. The M41b is a true 800 yard sniper rifle. The 6.5x55 came about in 1894, one of the 1st modern cartridges. All the rifles I shoot have 1896 actions. Easy on the shoulder and deadly on game. I load from 87gr HP's for vermin to 160gr for large game. I normally shoot 129gr out of my 1964 Husqvarna 1600. It has a shorter throat than my Military rifles. One of the most accurate cartridges ever made. Love it. I also shoot 8x57 and 9.3x57 Swede's. JP


 
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^^^Nice to get an actual Swede's perspective on it! Sounds like there's not one in every Swedish closet as I've been led to believe...
 
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^^^Nice to get an actual Swede's perspective on it! Sounds like there's not one in every Swedish closet as I've been led to believe...



8x57, 9.3x57, or 9.3x62. [beeep] I live in the U.S. and don't own a 30.06! Must be a Commie /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif
 
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^^^Nice to get an actual Swede's perspective on it! Sounds like there's not one in every Swedish closet as I've been led to believe...



8x57, 9.3x57, or 9.3x62. [beeep] I live in the U.S. and don't own a 30.06! Must be a Commie /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif





LMAO!!!!
 
My dad and I are Tikka converts. He picked up a T3 wood/blued version sporter topped with a Leupold 6x18. With SMKs he is getting groups in the .3s and .4s consistantly. It is wickedly accurate and he loves to show people what it can do.

I have a .260 Rem on a 700 short action (one of my last Remingtons), but if doing it over, I would have gone with a 6.5 Swede in a LA, due to the availability of Lapua brass.
 
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