Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 6.5X55 or 257 Roberts

I've been tossing this around for awhile now and still can't decide. I'll get both in time but for now help me decide. Tell me what caliber and what rifle you would go with and I guess why.

6.5x55. goes from 85 grains of bullet weight to 160. also haven't heard of one being inaccurate either. light recoil, and doesn't need alot of barrel length to get it's job done. also, works well with a lot of different powders.

i do like the roberts but don't have any experience with one. i just think the swede is more versatile.

6.5x55 if you reload.

Rifle: quality bolt action. You can still find M70's and Rem700's if you like.

Twist: look for 1-8, don't go over 1-9 under any circumstances.

Reason: myriad of quality boolits, accurate, etc. I've had four and still have a couple. Gave Dad a M70 FWT some years back when they first started making them. He has literally shot a truckload of whitetails with the 129g. Hornady FBs.

what do you want to use it for?

For little stuff like groundhogs the Roberts would be my choice.

For deer it is a wash.

For larger game or some long range target work the 6.5 would be the way I go.

Rifle? For the Roberts I would be get a Kimber 84M in either Select Grade or Montana, whichever blows your hair back. I'm out of touch on the 6.5X55 but a Ruger Hawkeye or similar would be very nice. That of course would make a very fine Roberts as well!

Uses would be deer and groundhogs. My ranges at deer would be 200 yards and less but groundhogs I've got 1000 plus yards to go and yes I do roll my own. (handload)

I know this isn't much help, I have used and like both. If I am partial to the Roberts, it is because I used to have one and shot it more. It really worked well on deer and small stuff at fairly long range. But the 6.5 performed well also. I guess I would go with the rifle I found first that I liked.

Your killing me smalls your killing me!

For deer and smaller, I'd lean toward the Roberts.

I'm no doubt a 6.5 slut, but I vote Swede all day every day. A heck of a lot more versatile and a plethora of good 6.5 bullets if you are serious about going to 1000 yards. Take a look at what SU35 and Shag have been doing with mild 6.5s at 1000 in the long range section. I hear nothing but good things about Tikka rifles, but wouldn't turn down a Remington Classic, Ruger, Wichester, CZ if you don't mind heavier rifles.

Of course i wouldn't complain to loudly if someone tried to give me a Kimber 84M in the 'bob.

last year looking for a rifle I was trying to find a .260, but could not find one in the rifle I wanted. I bought a roberts instead. I like it just fine, killed a deer with it, using partitions or X bullets I expect its pretty potent.

That's not a bad idea Rick.

Or like you said a Hawkeye.

I too am a 6.5 slappy so that is my vote for caliber. I will probably own a Roberts eventually, but only because I already have a 6.5.

As far as what rifle, I have expensive taste but limited funds. I would love to have a NULA at some point, but for now, I did a trade on the campfire for a Tikka in 6.5x55 and I gotta say, I love it. I still want the NULA, but the Tikka really does everything you need it to do. Good trigger, shoots great, ect... and for the price, I'm not afraid to beat it up.

Guess we already put our money where our mouths are on that one huh?

Rick, how'd yours work out?

I'm gonna try some 117 SGK's tomorrow. 115 BT's still shoot but the Sierra's might shoot a little better.

lovesomeshootin,

I have owned both .257's and 6.5x55's for many years, and hunted a wide variety of both varmints and big game with them. In fact I still own rifles in both chamberings, and love them both.

Both will work great for your purposes, and you would never be able to see a dime's worth of difference between them either on deer or varmints.

In fact with today's bullets I doubt you'd ever see a difference in performance on game bigger than deer. This is based on some experience in observing elk hunters here in Montana. A .257 or 6.5x55 will take elk quite neatly with the right bullet in the right place; if it doesn't the shot placement was lousy, not the choice of cartridge.

Yep CMG hit the nail on the head. Take your pick.

I have a 257 AI that I love, plan to pick up a Kimber 84m in standard Bob, and am currently working on a Swede. Not because I need 'em with my AI, but just because they're awesome rounds.

If I were to go back and do it all over, I'd do the standard Bob in a Kimber 84M Select Grade. That would be my advice to you: pick the rifle, and let the selection of chamberings in the rifle you choose drive the choice in caliber.

The Win M70 featherweight in either caliber would be fantastic, though I'd say that the Ruger Hawkeye in 257 is a bit heavy for my taste. I think Tikka sells their lite in the Swede? And I've mentioned the Kimber. I don't think you can go wrong with the Winchester, Tikka, or Kimber, personally.

IMHO, there is no comparision. I have NEVER heard of a bad shooting 6.5x55 and have heard many times that the 'bob can be fussy or not very accurate. Have you ever heard of ANYONE using a 'bob for any kind of rifle match? I haven't, but the swede was used in and won 1000yd matches until the new 6.5s came along.

From Woodchucks to moose, to deer, to speed goats, to bears under 600lbs and anything in between, the Swede can and has handled the job for over 105yrs. I own a Ruger MKII Model 77, a Remington 700 classic, and a Husky Model 38 in 6.5x55. Someday I will own a Tikka or find a Model 70FWT and add them to my collection.

Mine needs bedded. It is double grouping.

Shooting a 5 shot group, it will put 3 extremely close together, and the other two extremely close but an inch high and a bit to the left. I have every confidence it will be a very accurate rifle after bedding.

Lovesomeshootin-

I have two rifles at the moment in the "bob" and one "Better Bob". Have also owned a M-700 Classic that I rather wish I'd not let go of...

That said, I also own six rifles in 6.5x55... Including the only factory Rem M-40X I have ever seen. And have previously owned at least that many more.

The definitive answer to your question lies in nearly any loading manual printed in the last 25 years. The fact is, the 6.5 outperforms the Bob in about every arena.

I know I risk the wrath of the Bob lovers, but the truth is I like the "Bob" myself... However the Swede just does everything better... Especially with a much better bullet selection.

When it comes to 300M competition, one will not have to look hard to find a Swede... But a .257 on the line would be rare, indeed.

The above notwithstanding; when it comes to varmints and deer... It's doubtful one could tell the difference in the field.

Thus: my best advice is; Go with the one that YOU like best...

Edw