Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 6.5 Swede ???

I read some where that its difficult to AI the Swede because you lose a lot of cases to splitting when forming. Don't know the truth of that though. I've always wanted a 6.5/280 AI since I read an article about Chub Eastman hunting with one. Now I could just neck down Nosler brass.

Some years back didn't the 6.5x55 hold the record as being the best traget cartridge because of diameter of the case in relation to the length? riceone

Just a side note,

If you go 6.5x55, it pretty much matches the 260 Ackley Imp with Lapua brass which is always a plus over the 260.

"blow by the 260"!

Come on, the difference in case capacity between the 260 and 6.5x55 isn't enough to account for more than a couple of % difference in velocity potential, assuming all other factors are equal. That small a difference could just as easily be attributed to a fast/slow barrel as to case capacity, assuming all other factors are equal.

Jeff

That has been my experience as well. The 6.5x55 has about 52 grains of H20 capacity with a 140 seated, the .260 about 50 grains. That is 4% difference in case capacity, which means about 1% difference in muzzle velocity at the same pressure.

I written about my Ruger 6.5 Swede before, singing its praises. Is it any better than the .260 or the 7mm08? No. Never the less it has become a favorite of mine. Sure I've tuned it some, but over several trips to the range I shot 9 consecutive 3 shot groups that averaged right at .8" with the 120 Nos.BT. Its light recoil makes it fun to shoot. It has a 6X Leupold with dots making 400yd hits on an 8" gong child's play. I sold on it.

Besides It being and easy cartridge to shoot handload for an any decent 6.5 mm bullet for game hunting will do the trick Most of the time with just one shot, that is why its popular, tho not really. A lot of good Swedish Mausers end up here and at good prices till the last few years. I look at the 6.5 x 55 as a sort of pocket 270 dam near perfect came getter for those things in the under 500 lb range thou you could go shoot moose elk and bear with it, they would not care that much if at all. Light weight Low recoil good bullets and its shootable by just about anybody. I have a sako so chambered, I shoot stuff every year with it, works well. Fill the case with RL-22 and a bullet of your choice, zero in and go hunt. Of late I kind of like 120 gr SP's for my deer hunting.

My niece (16) filled her cow moose tag with a nice Carl Gustaf in 6.5x55, my brother picked up for her this year.

I loaded some Barnes 120 grain, she punched it through the shoulder on a quartering to shot (did a 'quiet' push on the bluff and the cow actually went where I thought it might ) and took out the top of the heart. prior to that, checking zero , she put 6 shots inside a 4 inch circle @ 187 yards (gps)over a truck hood - like she said " I'm not going to shoot any further than that"

My case capacity chart was done on the "full to the top of the neck" method and shows the 260 with 54 grains of H2O capacity and the 6.5x55 with 56 grains of H2O capacity. A capacity difference of 3.57% and a velocity potential difference, using the 1 to 4 ratio, of 0.89% in favor of the 6.5x55. A difference easily explained by a fast or slow or longer or shorter barrel or just plain rounding error. Hardly a "blow by", at least in my world.

Jeff

I recently acquired a beautiful CZ550 in 6.5X55, and found it incredibly accurate (5 shot groups of 0.60, 140gr Fed Hi-Shok SP). Can't wait to hunt with it!!

What are folks favorite handloads for 6.5X55?
I have some Sierra Matchkings in 120 and 140gr, and Nosler PT in 125gr..The Lyman, Hornady, Speer manuals are cautiously conservative, the Nosler manual seems alittle more applicable to modern makes.

The manuals seem to indicate that this cartridge works with faster powders(Varget,4895,4064) and slow powders(RL22)as well.

Thousands of Moose are killed each year in Sweden, many with a 6.5x55. Early Artic explorers used the 6.5x54 to kill Polar Bear, Walrus and whatever got in the way. The 6.5x54 is less powerfull than a Swede. The same cartridge was used in Africa by early white settlers to kill everything in their way. Roy Chapman Andrews used a Savage 99, 250-3000 with 87 gr bullets and a 6.5x54 MS to kill everything in Mongolia, Asia and wherever else his travels took him. A lady Bear guide in Alaska uses a Ruger 25-06 with 120 gr Hornady HP as a backup rifle on Bear hunts. I'm confident a well placed 140 or 160 gr bullets into the vitals of any Bear will kill it.

Well Luke, I agree with you, but as an avowed fan of the Swede, I would try very hard not use it on a big bear on purpose. I would prefer to have some more horsepower on hand if I found myself hunting anything in bear country. Sometimes situations arise unexpectedly.

I have both the 7mm-08 and the Swede. I like them both. What I like about the Swede is that it resides in a M70 base while the -08 I have is a Model Seven. What that means is that the Swede is easier to manage when it comes to reloading details in the cold. Short action Rems are a bit tight for big, cold fingers. That gives the M70 an advantage. I'm sure I would have no trouble killing a bear with the Swede should that ever be necessary. However, it wouldn't be because I chose to do things that way. I have taken moose with both rifles, but the moose I killed with it - four times!- stood there; well, wandered around a bit, while I poked him with four 140 grain Partitions and A-Frames. A single 180 Core-lokt from a (Ruger) 30-06 finally tipped him over. Only the Core-lokt exited. I suppose one might try to make the case that Ruger rifles are superior to Winchester and Remington and that Core-Lokts are superior to Partitions and A-Frames, but..........

You're a hoot, Klik.

Try the 129 grain Hornady or 130 grain AB, as they offer an optimum balance of velocity, accuracy, and penetration potential for deer and other medium game.

Jeff

thanks Jeff.

What do you like for powders?
I have most mentioned in the manuals. I was thinking about trying Varget or IMR4895 with 120- 130 gr bullets.

R22 with 125 - 140 gr bullets. It even does well with 120 gr slugs in my Swede.

i have not tried RL22 but varget and H4350 have done great.

with the nosler 100 BT, 3200fps and one hole groups with 42.5 grains of Varget...

so far my swede has been very accurate.

The 6.5x55 is very accurate, easy to reload, minimal recoil in a light rifle, handy, and with 140 gr bullets it will do all you need to do in a rifle. I know, I have two rifles so chambered. The ballistics are very likeable. There are a variety of bullets available and most powders in the medium to slow burning rate will work.

I have had a couple, one a model 38 military Husqvarna, and the other a Sako Finnbear. Very accurate rifles that just plain work. Why is the 6.5X55 better than the 260? Very easy answer it is in a Long Action. The 6.5X55 Swede will indeed "Blow by the 260" any time any day, just try loading anything heavier than 130g in the 260 SA. My Sako handles the old now gone Barnes 165Gg round nose bullets, this was my caribou round. No way it would work well in a 260 SA, the bullet is 1.37" by itself. The powder capaicity maybe close, but you still have to seat the bullet to COL of the magazine/action. The Swede will win everytime in a factory rifle.