Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles New 6.5x55

Wife surprised me with a tikka t3x 6.5x55 for Christmas. I already ordered Talley lightweight rings for it from optics planet since they have them on sale right now. Probably going to put a leupold vx3hd 3.5-10x40 on it because I bought an extra when I found a deal on them a while back. Anything i should know about these, good or bad? This is my first 6.5x55, been interested in the cartridge for a while. Only other tikka I have is a t3x superlite 6.5 creedmoor.

Hi!

Have hunted with 6.5x55 for years. Its a great cartridge. I used 140 grain bullets for hunting. If you want to use copper, 120 grain should be fine. One of the most sold calibers still here in Norway.

That's awesome!! what a great caliber

I have a 6.5x55 in a Barrett Fieldcraft, it is a great gun shoots very good, good caliber, easy to reload

You'll love it... I have a Tikka in 6.5x55... Put a Leupold VX-5HD 3-15x44 on it with the B&C reticle.

I worked up a load with RL23 and Sierra 130gr Gamechangers... Shoots 1/2 MOA consistently. This year, the boys and I shot 4 deer @ 400 yds and out.

Funny how I lost interest in a Creedmoor. It's kinda fun to do Creedmoor things with a 100 year old cartridge.

A Ruger #1A chambered in 6.5x55 Swede with a Schmidt & Bender 3-12x42 Klassik. Norma 140gr Partition. This was the first of two deer I got with this rifle this season. This one dropped immediately. The other one made it about 15 yards before expiring. For me, it's been a great cartridge for hunting deer in the southeast.

The Swede is an excellent cartridge. I like loading the 140s simply because they’re deadly in that cartridge. It is a very un-dramatic chambering; no great loud roar, easy recoil, excellent accuracy, kills with efficiency. It becomes too easy to take your 6.5x55 rifle for granted. The Tikka will have a fast twist so you’re all set. Enjoy!

The 6.5x55 is a nice cartridge. American factory loads are loaded to be safe to shoot in the Norwegian Krags, so better performance will come to you either via European factory loaded ammo or your own loads.

I like 140 and 156/160 grain component bullets because most of my 6.5x55s have long throats to accommodate the 156 grain European factory loads. Regardless of the bullet that you choose, kiss the lands with a properly constructed bullet, shoot it into the heart, lungs, or CNS and you'll be punching your tags.

Back in the summer I got a Tikka T3X stainless hunter fluted 6.5x55 and it's a shooter. Used RL22 with a Hornady 140gr sst to take two deer this year 185 and 196 yds. RL19 and the Sierra 130gr Game Changer is another very accurate load. Stay with slow powders and you will be fine. Have used Siera 120 and 140gr and Nosler 120gr BT in my Win Mod 70 Fwt 6.5x55 also. I'm well please with this caliber.

Congratulations on your new 6.5x55!

my favorite chambering of all time. enjoy.

Gonna swim upriver.

All Swede articles talk about 160 or 140 gr bullets.

Got mine, called Sierra and ask for data in the Tikka, and about the 140gr BTHP.
They wouldn't give data, but confirmed my plan. And highly recommended
the 120gr Pro-Hunter over the 140.

I already had the 140s...of course I used them. Very unhappily.
Thrashed around with other 140s, never happy, never gave them a second chance.

Got some 120gr Pro Hunters...Bliss.

Good quick kills. Anywhere in the chest.


I'll be honest, I never worked the 140 loads up to pressure.
I simply added a few grains to 260 data and stayed "on book".
Maybe I was 100fps below what's possible? All the 140s did expand,
they just didn't do much damage. 120s tear stuff up, and deer die quick.







PS, no monometals were used.

Congrats on the great surprise gift there!

My Tikka T3x 6.5x55 shot well with 100gr TTSX and N150 and 127gr LRX with Hunter.

Had shot deer with the 120gr ballistic tip and on hitting shoulder had it come apart inside chest cavities and not penetrate the offside shoulder/leg. But it did make for fast kills! Not for me though. The monos kill plenty well.

Nothing much to know besides it shot well, has a great trigger, smooth action and makes venison lol. Would not hesitate to shoot much bigger game with em.

I had a M70 FWT in 6.5 Creedmoor and currently have 2 6.5x55s (one is a customized military action and the other is a Husky 1640). The Swedes are just as accurate as the Creedmoor was at the ranges I shoot and push the same 140 grain partition. The cool factor definitely goes to the Swede. If you're looking for factory ammo or even just cheap ammo to use for brass, SGAmmo usually had a good supply of 6.5x55.

Probably my favorite hunting rifle is my Sako 85 in 6.5x55. Usually shoot at least one deer with it each year. I’ve used 130 NAB’s and, currently, am shooting 130 SGK HPBT’s. The Sierras are a hard bullet and I may or may not go to something a little softer when I use up what I’ve got. They are very accurate and I’ve never had a deer catch one.

I have one of the Remington 700 Classics in the Swede. Shoots factory Norma 140 grain partitions really well.

Congrats on your Tikka! I have been wanting a Norwegian Krag since watching Cap and Ball on You tube hunting with one.

You musta been very very good. Can't speak to the Tikka but the Swede is a winner. I have two, a custom bolt gun and a Dakota M10. Both shoot the Hornady 140's very well and I took a nice Fallow deer in Texas with the bolt gun. I'll give some 120's a try in the Dakota as the twist rate in the bolt gun was set up for heavier bullets and won't stabelize the 120's.
The Swede has been doing a fine job for over 100 years, it's not broke and doesn't need fixing.

Nosler 130 Accubonds and Reloader 22 (if you can find some).

This makes no sense.

Call me curious….. why would your wife buy you a 6.5x55 when you already owned a Creed?

Unless you’ve voiced an issue with the Creed, I’d think something smaller for varmints and plinking or bigger for “whatever”…. Would have made more sense…….

I went through a box plus of 120gr Hornady bullets in the bolt gun and nothing worked. I tried different primes, powder, seating depth anything I could think of. Called the smith and told him what was going. When I commissioned the build he asked me what bullet weight I was going to use and I said 140. The gun just won't shoot the 120's worth a damn but will bug hole the 140's so I'm happy with that.
I have no idea the twist rate of the Dakota therefore I'll experiment with the rest of the 120's I have on hand.
Rifles are like women some are more finikey than others.

He did say he had been interested in the cartridge for a while.

I don't find a problem with having two rifles in very similar cartridges. I have eight rifles in 308 that I can quickly think of.

If common sense, practicality & logic ever become requirements for acquiring a new rifle, I'm in serious trouble...

The funny thing is I own a pair of 375 H&H Magnums. I'm seriously considering getting a 375 Ruger. The thing that makes this humorous is that I don't "need" any of them. I just like shooting them a lot. I have several hunting buddies who I know would tell me that this doesn't make any sense. I would just smile & nod my head in agreement.

Having said that, when I saw the OP's original post, one of the first thoughts that popped into my head was "Interesting! Two very similar cartridges...and where do I find a wife like that?"

She just has good taste in rifles.

I have had a 6.5x55 for 40 years, and I have shot a shyte pile of deer from 20ft--300yds. 140sp Speer or Hornady 140 sp is all I ever use, personally, I dont like a lighter bullet....... Varget, IMR4064 are 2 of the powders I use regularily.
This buck from this year.

You would just have to know me. I like the “different” and older cartridges. She knew I’ve been wanting a 6.5x55 for a while and At my house need has nothing to do with gun purchases.

I bought a Rem 700 Classic in 6.5 Swede the year it came out. My load was the Nosler 125 gr. Partition and RL22 at ~2950 fps. Shot several deer with that load, all within 300 yds, and all were bang flops. Never did recover a bullet.

Believe it or not , I do understand.....
In short action rifles alone, I have two .223’s, a .243, .260, 6.5 CM, 7-08, .308 and a .358.
The only long action rig in the house is my old .270.
If I had to start over again for some reason, I just snag a fast twist .223 and a 6.5 CM.
Rock on with your 6.5x55. It’s a great cartridge.....

Congrats on the Tikka.

I shoot several Swedes, several 260s, and a 6.5 x 57.

A lot of times when I feel like taking one of the Swedes hunting, I just use 260 Rem data it seems.
I shoot the 260 more, but I certainly like to get nostalgic and take the Swedes out at times.

Congrats on your deer 673...That is a nice one.

a Swede with a load of 4064 and a 140 grain SP.. not much it won't take down.. even with some of the bigger game that BC offers.

Hi Clockwork, My wife did the same fore me about 4 years ago at Christmas. It is a Browning X-Bolt Hunter in 6.5 Swede. She is a special lady and has always supported my outdoor passions. I hope the rifle puts a smile on your face every time you pick it up just like mine does.

Kill anything in North America with these in the 6.5x55…

https://ravenrocksprecision.com/norma-6-5mm-264-156gr-oryx-bullets-100-ct-box/

Killed 3 whitetail this year with my 1885 Swede using 129 grain Hornady Interlocks. Uneventful all the way around.

The last one was stopped on the far side hide.

Congratulations. That is a great cartridge. Very deadly on game.