Anyone shooting 6.5X57? I just got one and am looking for some load data and or field experience stories on big game. Thanks J

guided a fellow from Austria used a single shot rifle from Ferlach in 6,5x57R. took a barrenground caribou and a nice black bear.
all in one shot each and with 125 grains nosler partition.

Ferlach is Austrian handmade guns cost often more than good car.
I have 7x57R on my Krieghoff drilling. Works well on wild boar and also moose (100yrd) but might be weak for heavy game. Therefore have 30-06 or 9,3x64. Originally 6,5x57 has develop as pure hunting cartridge and suits well for roe deer or medium size game as fellow deer. Germans ammo producers RWS do not recommend it higher than fellow deer (see RWS homepage http://www.rwsmunition.de/en/rifle_cartridges/ballistic_data.htm?navid=10 ) Works well up to 200yrds together with Leopold optic. Normally use it for roe deer hunting and never been disappointed. Moose what was taken on 100yrds drop from first shot...also no complains...

I would contact Seafire, here on the CF. He has extensive experience with the 6.5x57.

Alan

Is the 6.5x57mm the same as a 6.5x257 Roberts?

The 6.5x57 is close enough to the 6.5x55 in case capacity that 6.5x55 data can be safely substituted.

Wondered if it might be that Heym Mauser that was on gunbroker. If so good lookin rifle, let us know how it shoots.

Better say the 6,5-257 is like the 6,5x57. It's a very old german creation that never was a military one but was surely inspired by all the job made on 6,5 military cartridges in Europe around the 1890-1896. Very well appreciated in Austria, Germany and even France for hunting mountain game like "chamois, isards and mouflons". With the heaviest bullets it's also used by good hunters/shooters to hunt red deer from stand or during ruting season. The rimmed version is a bit softer but one can reload it to non rimmed performance if he use modern break open. It's what i do for my daughter's Merkel K1 break open. Hornady has some loadind datas and you can find also some on Vitahvuori manual or web site. As JB wrote it's so close to the Swede that you can use datas and work load. In Europe is mostly used with 120 to 140grs bullets.

Hornady's 4th Edition manual contains load data on this cartridge. Just a heads-up that there is a significant typo in that data for the 140gr. bullet and IMR4350. Their 2500fps load lists a powder weight that's 7.3 grains higher than their maximum load (2700 fps).

I have one in a Brno 21 and load it to 6.5x55, works really well. It will be hunting with this fall!!

As Marseille mentioned, the 6.5x57R is normally loaded a little softer because in Europe it's normally chambered in break-action firearms.

I don't know if that's actually needed, but it isn't a bad idea, especially with older rifles. My own 6.5x57R is a Sauer drilling (over 16-gauge barrels) made in 1958, and would no doubt easily withstand standard 6.5x57 loads. But there's no reason to, as 100 fps doesn't attain any significant difference in trajectory or "killing power" in such a firearm.

Both the 6.5x57's are wonderful rounds: light recoiling and accurate, with plenty of killing power--as long as we put the bullet in the right place. I wouldn't hesitate to use mine on elk with the right bullet.

Funny, I wondered the same thing... I was just cleaning up my watch list tonite and deleted that rifle.

I have a Steyr "Professional" in 6.5x57. I, also, often refer to 6.5x55 data, at least for starting loads...

GH

RWS Muniton sells 6.5x57mm ammo

The rifle is a 1947 Brno 21-H, I have shot 2 loads with it so far. They were 129 SST's and 130 Accubonds with the same amount of IRM-4350. The SST's shot poorly, the Accubonds shot great. I was never a DS trigger guy but I have to admit they are nice for bench shooting. This gun has really grown on me, I like how thin the wood is, it carries very nice. The folks who built these rifles were craftsmen, these rifle are well built. jay

I found 3 boxes of 6.5x57mm Prvi Partizan Factory 139 grain ammo, anyone have any experience with this brand? I have never seen this brand before, says made in Serbia. The handloads I have settled on are 44 gr. of IRM-4350 with 130 gr. Accubonds, this load shoots real good, using 7x57 brass.

Never been inpressed with any Prvi Partizan ammo I have shot or seen others shoot.

In a .308win which would shoot assorted British Mil Surp 7.62 Nato into 2" groups, the Prvi Partizan shot slightly worse.

I have two Brnos, a 21H in 8x57 and a 22H in 7x57. Both have very long jumps to the lands. Good thing both have .30-06 length mag boxes because I use most of that length. They shot very well when bullets are seated appropriately.

My experience with Prvi ammo is limited but I recently built a customer a pair of 9,3x62. He wanted the rifles regulated to shoot the Prvi 285 factory loads since he was not a handloader. Both rifles shot sub MOA with open sights at 100. I tried the same ammo in a 9,3x62 I built for myself at the time and it liked the ammo too. YMMV.

I have only handloaded for mine. A Steyr Prohunter, but have seen Privi, RWS, and Sellior loaded rounds available from time to time. Empty brass is getting harder to find however lucky that I bought Huntington's out of RWS. It is a great round like Mule Deer stated. I also have a 6.5X55 and the two are very close perhaps 100fps more from the 6.5X57. The Steyr will shootsub MOA with handloads it likes. So far only deer with the rifle but I would feel comfortable with Elk or Moose with the right bullet.

I just picked up a set of 6.5x57 RCBS dies and am toying with the idea of one but 2 of my favorite rounds are the 6.5x55 and the 7x57 mauser and somthing tells me when you have these 2 rifles well whats the point as it would just be another batch of brass and ammo to keep track of,oh well I guess we will flip a coin......

If I let a little thing like that stop me I'd never have amassed the quantity of redundant rifles I own. :-)

Interestingly enough. I was just commissioned to build a switch barrel Mauser with one barrel in 6.5x57 and teh other in 7x57.

Took the 6.5 to the range Saturday with 2 buddies, first time I have shot it @ 100 yards. The load was 44 gr. of IMR -4350 with 130 gr. Accubonds. The 3 shot group went .470". I could not be happier with this, way better than expected and way better than I am used to as I am not the best bench shot in the world. Anyway I am growing very fond of this Brno. jay

One can consult 6.5 x 55 Load data...or if you want to load it a little more hot, you can work off of 260 Rem Load Data.

Very nice, Jay! Great looking rifle, too.

Did you chrony that load? I'd suspect you're just under 2800 fps but I'm interested to know more.

Well said. I like them very much.
After handling an older BRNO 21/22, most new factory rifle stocks seem clubby and thick...IMO.
Nice find!

This is a 1946 in 8X57 with a claw mount Prague Lovec scope with its original leather scope holder.

Very nice rifle, most of all complete with its scope. Bring in the US by a GI i think.
If you like nice classic rifle and 6,5x57 here are two pictures of a custom made Sako in 6,5x57. Every thing it made for maximum accuracy, pleasure of the eyes and feeling of nice wood stock. In the stock you see the rear peep sight just in case of scope lets you down...Made by my gunsmith friend Joel Dorleac from Perpignan in France. He specialise in classic and technical firearms. Very found of "old german or british calibers" for the classic. On this picture the stock seem to be varnished but in fact it's a oiled finition with hours and hours of polishing. The 6,5x57 is really a pleasant ammo to shoot. Very effective and accurate too with no recoil to bother at.

Yea..they be cool guns...

rifle, WOW, You like the F's I see! Is that a Ruger with the nice wood on the left?

Yes,that a Ruger and I have more Brno's....

What are the scopes on the claw mount guns? Are the optics good enough to hunt with?

Those two on the left are steel Hanshold(sp?) 4X..26mm? and yes I have hunted with them,one is a simple post with light crosshair,the other is a German 4A.The first is an 8x57,then one of the 6.5x57(scoped),my other 6.5 is not scoped(yet)...

Marseille,
That is one beautiful rifle, Joel is talented, have you taken any game with it yet?

No, even if i use some of Joel creations this one is not mine, had just presented it in a french magazine i work with. Put pictures on Fire because it's a 6,5x57. Joel makes me one technical mountain rifle on a 700AWR (old model) base and a 264Winch mag on mod70 receiver. Next will be 6,5x57 on Mauser action...

Do you have any personal experience with the 6.5x57 on deer size game? I am loading 130 gr. Accubonds that shoot quite well and would like to try it on whitetail this fall. It is a pleasant round to shoot and I just wonder about it's performance in the field(knowing that shot placement is most important). I shot a whitetail 2 years ago with a 6.5x55 with a 140 Trophy Bonded at 60 yards and was not impressed. I have the bullet from the deer and it didn't open much and retained 98% of it's weight. Maybe a non premium grade bullet like a Hornady or a Core Lokt might have done better having opened up more in the deer. I am thinking the 130 Accubond in the 6.5x57 at a higher velocity than the 140 TB in the 6.5x55 might do a better job on deer. thanks, jay

Hi Jay,

Only used on roe deer and corsican ram but know some hunters who use it very effectively on wild boar (stalking not drivent hunt) chamois and red deer doe. If your bullet is well placed in boiler room there's no reason not to use on whitetail deer.
I use RWS KS 123grs with great satisfaction and i hand load also with 125 partition. The 120NBT look a very good choice for deer, not far from a 120grs 257AI/25-06. If the 257Roberts is good for whitetail the 6,5x57 will do the same (same case and almost same diameter 257-264)

i have a custom 6.5x57 i built for my grand daughter. we hunt white tails. and she loves it.

I shot a deer a couple years back with a swedish 6.5x55 rifle loaded with hornady 160 gr. RN bullets and hit the deer right in the front of the chest at around 80 yards out and the bullet exitted the rear flank as the deer staggered around like he had lost his sense of direction and then flopped over to not twitch again and I was fairly impressed with the lil swede and if you stand a 7x57 case next to a swede case they are very close in actual size except for the .020 difference in bullet diameter and so if you neck the 7x57 down .020 in all reality arent we just turning it into a swede to some degree,just my $.02 worth.

Hi Jay
do not have 6,5x57 but have 7x57R on my drilling what should be similar. Have taken some year ago moose bull on 100yrds with chest shot...went down same place where was hit but used brenneke 154gr bullet...I think 130gr Accubond is just fine for WT
RWS offer not only 128gr but also 108gr...look below.
http://www.rws-munition.de/en/produ...llets/ks/artikel/rws-65-x-57-ks-70g.html
Good hunt