Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Anyone shoot 6.5x55 AI?

I’m contemplating building a 6.5x55 AI for general hunting. I like wildcats and just to have something different. I would build off a R700 long action. Does anyone have a 6.5x55 AI? One hang up I have is whether or not the bolt face would need to be enlarged but I guess that’s not that big of an issue. If enlarged that would be it for the bolt.

Pros would be brass is easy to find and can shoot factory ammo to fire form or in a pinch.

Any other pros and cons over a non-AI Mauser?

Any idea what a custom 6.5 CM would sell for? I have stainless R700 with a fluted #4 Kreiger barrel at 26”. Fluted bolt and Timney trigger. Bedded in McMillan Classic stock. Has VX3 4.5x14x40 SF. I have not hunted with the rifle in 6-7 years. It is more suited for West plains and mountains than South Georgia tree stands. I was thinking of selling the CM to help fund the new project.

Don't have any experience with the AI version, but I had a Swede. Interesting round, ended up selling it off though in favor of the 6.5x57 Mauser chambered Gewehr 88/05 I'm building. Ballistically very similar, but the case does have an extra grain of capacity over the standard Swede and it uses the M88 case head, so necking down 8x57 brass works just fine instead of having to find Swede brass specifically

You want what you want...far be it from me to try to talk you out your build...but I built two commercial actioned 6.5 Swede's...one on a Model 70 and one on a Savage 110...acquired brass with large internal capacity, loaded them to the action strength and got pretty much almost!! 6.5-06 performance. Didn't take long to get bored, re inventing the wheel, and at least they sold easy being a factory chambering. My point being...I don't know what gains the Ackley brings to the table over a 6.5/.284 or 6.5-06.

Thanks for the suggestions. Rather than selling the CM I am also considering rebarreling or rechambering it. I thought about a 6.5-284 but most everything I read is go the long action route. I wasn’t sure if a 260 AI would be best fitted to a long action for 130-140 grain bullets or that could be a short action alternative.

The 284 and all of the wildcats based on the 284 share a 55mm case length, the same as the 6.5x55. The 6.5-284 has a little more case capacity than the 6.5x55AI and it would be easier to find a reamer and dies.

The 284's 55mm case length causes COAL issues in short actions with a lot of bullets, which is why Winchester only offered 2 bullet weights in their factory ammo, 125 and a deeply seated 150 grain.

I have a Winchester 70 XTR in 6.5-284 that has a rechambered 6.5x55 barrel. It feeds fine and has enough magazine length such that there are zero COAL issues.

Thanks for the information.

I have loaded for and shot both a 6.5 x 284 and a 6.5 x 55 AI and the improved swede was a breeze to get a load that shot great. The Swede was not at all picky on what I fed it and it did well on LR F-class before the whole line moved to 7 mm's and 30 cals. The 6.5 mm bullet just won't be able to do as well in the wind as say a 300 WSM, assuming both are shooting bullets appropriate to the 1000-yard line.

I have a 6.5x257 Roberts AI. Pretty much the same as a 6.5-55 AI. I've enjoyed the heck out of it.

I have sorta changed gears and am going to build a 250 Savage AI. I have a 6.5x257R also, but non-AI. There was just too much similarity between the two, so I chose the little 250. I ordered a number 4 contour barrel. I think it will work well for a heavier sporter/light varmint rig.

That idea floated around my head years ago. About perfect.

I have a custom Rem 700, 6.5x55 Sweede with a 26" Brux barrel on it, shoot the 127g Barnes long range at 3150 fps into very small groups. So this may give you some idea where the 140s would end up.

The 6.5x55mm is a pretty efficient cartridge in a modern 24" Bbl'ed rifle.

Can see the A.I., if one is goin' to be shooting it a great deal and reloading.

But other than that, there is the 6.5 PRC for more energy, if one desires it.

140 gr. at ~ 2700 fps. is an impressive field load, and easy on the brass.

No complaints.




GR