Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Why not just get a 6.5x55?

One indisputable advantage that the Creed has over the Swed is universally excellent factory ammo that is loaded at, or close to, the cartridge's full potential.

I have a few 6.5x55s and hunt with one when I am hunting with my Norwegian bachelor farmer friend. He shoots a fair amount of Fiocchi 6.5x55 factory ammo that is loaded with 140 grain SST at around 2,600 fps in his Norwegian Krags and Swedish SR Mausers. I think that is a little hot for a Krag, but he believes in the superiority of all things Norwegian.

Probably the best buy EVER for a 6.5x55 are the Howa 1500s that SAS has been selling for $330. I can't think of another 6.5mm bore rifle/cartridge combination that is as much of a bargain, unless maybe it was the RAR-Predators in 260 that he was selling for $299 at the end of 2015.

Just got back from shooting this 6.5x55 for the first time.... 8lbs 3oz as pictured....



First 130 Accubond load I tried....



Pretty tough to sling a 130 at 2900+ outta a 22" barreled .260/Creed.....

The lefty T 3 we got for my wife is the same, very accurate. It's a perfect match for the T 3 action and fits really nice. At 122 years old it certainly has staying power and must be doing something right

Dogshooter that looks good. If you do any work with 140's hopefully you let us know.

In my wife's Tikka I made up a 120 gr Ballistic Tip and 140 gr Partition load both with H 4350. The 140's were at 2600 fps so I just loaded some up with Magnum and see if we can get a bit more speed.

My CZ550 likes H4350 too.

I have one 6.5 and it's the Swede in a M 70.

The ONLY other 6.5 I might be interested in is 264 WM. I feel the 6.5-06 has merit but IF I needed to sell it, there is NO local market for it. I'd have to sell it to loonys here on the 'fire'.


Jerry

There is no need for a 6.5-06 with the 6.5-284 available. Been there...

No real need for either the 6.5-06 or 6.5-284 with the 100 year old 256 Newton available.

Yes, there is one REAL advantage for the 6.5/06.......
abundant brass.

I had a difficult time last yr finding 100 - 284 brass.

Jerry

Dogshooter;
Top of the morning to you sir, I trust this finds you doing acceptably well.

Thanks for posting the photos of your Swede and the resulting target - both appear to be "just about right" in our experience.

As most folks here know about me, our relationship with the Swede round/rifles goes back to the early '80's. Although there was a bit of a learning curve regarding which cup and core bullets would stick together even at sedate speeds out of a 20" 96, we eventually found some good combinations for our local whitetail and mulie bucks.

By the time our eldest daughter inherited that particular rifle the monometal bullets had come on scene and with them she had - if memory serves this morning - 7 one shot kills on varying age/size whitetail and mulie bucks - at varying distances too.

When I became less than enchanted with the performance of my personal walking around rifle's chambering, I'd originally intended to make a 6.5 Creedmoor, but components proved to be proverbial hen's teeth up here across the medicine line at the time.

Anyway, with apologies for those who've seen this photo too many times, here's the latest installment of my walking around rifle - built on a pre war commercial/military Mauser made 98 action, Wildcat Composites stock and near new Swede military barrel that was cut to 21" and sleeved to fit a 98.



It weighs 7lb 2oz as you see it, has a slightly muzzle heavy balance and is for me very easy to do good work with.

The current hunting load is 120gr TTSX at the same velocity you're shooting the 130 Accubonds.

Anyway sir, that's just another means to an end and most certainly not the only one by any stretch. I do think you're going to get along with your Swede quite well however.

All the best to you this weekend sir.

Dwayne

How does that mod 96 safety work with the scope, Dwayne? Nice looking rifle BTW.

I married into a Norwegian family, there is no way I would EVER own a swede!

I'm building a small ring KKALE 250-3000 w/a used barrel of unknown quality. If it doesn't shoot...a 6.5 Swede is going on that baby. powdr

I agree with BC30cal's evaluation of the 6.5x55 it seems to be just right for a lot of things. That's a very nice example of one you have pictured there.

I've wondered too what the reasoning is behind the other 6.5's that do nothing more then duplicate a well proven performer but looking at other calibers there's lots of duplication pretty much everywhere.

I did last year. I got a great deal on a blued/walnut Mauser M12. I saved $930 on the rifle from a gunshow special. I love the cartridge. It has shot every type of bullet that I have put through it, except one, into under an inch. I love my .257 Roberts and my 7x57, and the 6.5x55 slips nicely in between them. I feel I am complete now and in a perfect state of harmony with the world.

IMO the first reason is to use a S A.

The second reason is to have less recoil.

The third reason is to be diff (kool).


Jerry

Few rifles I have enjoyed more than my Swede. Ruger MK II will shoot sub 1" at 100 yards all day every day if I do my part. Plenty of power at anything like sane hunting range, easy to reload and ammo is reasonable if you have to buy off the shelf. Not in every shop but stocking up is easy. Better looking in the XX claro business suit imho but I might be prejudiced since I made the suit.

DS,

I never have loaded 130's in my 6.5CM, but based on what I've been able to do with 127LRX's and 125 Partitions, 2900+ w/ a 130 should be very doable with a 6.5CM and RL17.

Nice Swede and good shooting!

David

Brother Keith;
Good morning to you sir, I hope this finds you and your fine family well and that spring has been arriving in your part of the world too.

The rifle in the photo is actually what we believe to be a fairly rare up here commercial 98 Mauser as it had the Mauser roll mark on the front receiver ring and no Nazi waffenamt marks like most of the rest of them at our place do - barring the VZ28 action I'm trying to make into something for our eldest.... but anyway.

So the safety on mine is a new Timney made version of the grand Buehler design that's been around for so long. They are an absolute breeze to install and get working.

I've installed a good number of the Gun Parts Corp Super Low Scope safeties over the years and while they do work, I wouldn't exactly say it's a quick install most times.

The safety on our daughter's 96 is a Mark II safety that was intended for a 98 action.


To make it work, I milled a groove into the safety shaft, then drilled a hole through the bolt shroud and used a brass pin to retain the safety as it's got more built in lubricity than a steel one would.

Oh, I should add that whatever the Swedes used for steel on the 96 bolt shrouds it's certainly tougher than the material used on the 98 bolt shrouds I've played with. Not sure if that has any bearing on any thing, but anyway that's what I found.

The safeties do clear the scopes okay on both rifles, but are tougher to manipulate with heavy gloves on than say a tang or side safety would be.

We honestly don't use the safety much at all though, so it's a bit of a non issue for us. I always put a functional safety on my builds because it "should" be there however.

Hopefully that was useful for you or someone out there today Brother Keith. All the best to you all today and in the upcoming week.

Dwayne