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The 6.5x55 offers short action performance in a long action. It was a remarkably innovative cartridge when it came out (superior to the .30-03/06 almost a decade earlier) but suffers from all the problems of cartridges designed for machine gun use, plus being designed for an awkward intermediate action.
Just get the Creedmoor and have the superior gun. Never heard of it being designed for machinegun use.
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There is actually a lot of 6.5x55 online: ammo and cases.
According to the Nosler reloading manual rim size for the Swede is .480 and for the CM is .473. US brass has been a consistent .474 for the Swede brass I have checked. Like I said Lapua was larger and would not fit my Barrett. Being a Tikka would there be too much slop in the bolt face to go to a CM if made to Euro specs?
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The 6.5x55 offers short action performance in a long action. It was a remarkably innovative cartridge when it came out (superior to the .30-03/06 almost a decade earlier) but suffers from all the problems of cartridges designed for machine gun use, plus being designed for an awkward intermediate action.
Just get the Creedmoor and have the superior gun. Never heard of it being designed for machinegun use. In that era all military cartridges had unneeded taper and shoulder slope added because it was believed to be required for reliable machinegun feeding. Since neither brass stretch nor actual accuracy was of military concern, it was viewed as a reasonable trade-off. For a hunter, it's a horrible trade-off. We now know that case geometry is completely unnecessary for machine guns as well (consider the .277 Sig Fury) but at the time that was what they thought.
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I don't know about it being horrible for hunters. I like how slick my 300 H&H feeds. It has never bobbled, but it is also CRF although that isn't supposed to have anything to do with it. I rarely have to trim my handloads that are going 2950 fps. My only straight walled cartridge is a .284 Win in a Mod 88 Win. It is not the slickest feeding whether it be the action or the cartridge I don't know.
Thanks for the info.
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Funny how the countries with lots of experience actually using their 6..5mms in combat that were similar enough (like the Italians and Japanese) were willing to actually drop them in the middle of a world war.
Funny considering its so much better than the 30-06 I mean.
Suppose I'm just not so concerned with minutia to consider anything a horrible tradeoff. Like em all, to be honest.
Last edited by Igloo; 12/06/21.
But I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier, The last of Barrett's Privateers
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Which one is better than the 06 and how so?
The way life should be.
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Pick one and relax. Converting a Creed to a Swede is beyond loony, even if the cartridge dimensions permitted a simple rechamber, which I doubt (without looking).
Only reason I see for a Swede over a Creed (or a 7x57 over a 7-08 while I’m offending people) is finding a really nice rifle, generally an old classic, so chambered. The new kids benefit from standard dimensions and higher MAPs, so why futz around with stuff that’s out of date and may be troublesome because of brass or throat differences?
What fresh Hell is this?
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Pappy and others of you make good points. I have a sentimental attachment to the Swede and it’s a helluva hunting cartridge. I’ve killed a lot of deer with it. But there are very few light rifles chambered in it now. The CM is readily available in light rifles and if it will push a 140 along at a good velocity then I’d be happy with one. My personal bias is toward the 140s. It makes no sense to rechamber a CM. Buy a Tikka and go hunting.
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Buy a Tikka and go hunting. Yup. I’ve owned 3 factory rifles chambered in 6.5CM. 2 of them Tikkas. And been around a handful of others. All have been very accurate with handloads. My latest, a T3x Superlite, was purchased for a project. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t a dog of a barrel before I sent it to the gunsmith. An acquaintance had given me some factory ammunition he had leftover. It shoots factory ammo pretty well. If I were building a classic, wood/blues rifle, I’d go Swede. But the CM is the easy answer for a lightweight hunting tool.
I've seen more well-shot game lost with TSXs than any other premium bullet.
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Based on your own OP and your responses herein Virginia07, just find the rifle in a Swede. Although most herein have made good points, you never articulated that you wanted or needed a Tikka in one of the 6.5s. You were not seeking suggestions for people's opinions of cartridges that may be similar or superior. You clearly want a Swede. Just find one, even if it means being patient. Good luck in your quest.
_________________________________________________________________________ “Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
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I have both (not Tikka). The Creed will generally shoot tighter groups than the Swede; both of mine have Shilen barrels, so that should be a wash.
One can reload the Swede and get great accuracy. Factory ammo definitely favors the Creed. The Creed is less sensitive to various kinds of ammo, shoots about everything well. The Swede is more picky, but does great with what it likes. My Swede is a Lapua snob, loves Lapua brass and 139 gr. Scenars over MRP.
Given that choice, to me it would be the Creed, although I really like my Swede. Both are keepers. The Creed will give you more performance with less effort. Their ballistic performance is pretty close. A reloader can push the slightly larger case a bit faster. Critters will never know the difference.
DF ^^^That^^^ Their so similar that rebarreling doesn’t make any sense especially on a fairly inexpensive rifle to begin with.
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Pick one and relax. Converting a Creed to a Swede is beyond loony, even if the cartridge dimensions permitted a simple rechamber, which I doubt (without looking).
Only reason I see for a Swede over a Creed (or a 7x57 over a 7-08 while I’m offending people) is finding a really nice rifle, generally an old classic, so chambered. The new kids benefit from standard dimensions and higher MAPs, so why futz around with stuff that’s out of date and may be troublesome because of brass or throat differences? Well said. Something like a Ruger no. 1 chambered in 6.5 CM seems a little goofy to me. A rifle like that screams old classic cartridges IMO a Tikka is a modern hunting tool. I can’t imagine the hassle and money down the rabbit hole to rebarrel from one to the other.
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Perhaps this wil help steer you in the right direction:
l told my pap and mam I was going to be a mountain man; acted like they was gut-shot. Make your life go here. Here's where the peoples is. Mother Gue, I says, the Rocky Mountains is the marrow of the world, and by God, I was right. - Del Gue
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1 minute later, they join to make a Swede shooter.
_________________________________________________________________________ “Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
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I would take Burleyboy up on his offer and coordinate with him to buy the stainless T3 SL in 6.5x55. I have a blued 6.5x55 SL and it is definitely one of my favorite rifles. Light but not too light, accuracy was easy to come by and it just plain works. Nothing against the 6.5 CM but if you want a 6.5x55 I suggest waiting and searching until you find what you really want.
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Per SAAMI one operates at 62,000 psi (Creedmoor), the other at 51,000 psi. That’s the real difference, especially if you do not handload. You get new barrels for your Creed more often.
I am..........disturbed.
Concerning the difference between man and the jackass: some observers hold that there isn't any. But this wrongs the jackass. -Twain
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Yes, there’s that consideration as well. With 140 gr loads at 62,000 psi at 2,750 fps you get approximately 2,250-2,500 rounds before accuracy starts to fall off. In the Swede operating at 51,000 psi with 140s at 2,600 psi you get around 4,500-5,000 rounds or better before giving up some accuracy. Barrel life on the Swede would be similar to the 308 Win.
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I own both in the Tikka. Both shoot great. The Swede case is larger and offers higher velocity. The Swede is my favorite gun. There is just something right about that cartridge. Very accurate and easy to load for.
I bought my son a tikka creed just because I couldn't find another Swede.
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When I stumbled on a Tikka Forest 6.5x55, I couldn't say no and have no regrets. With the Tikka being a long action, I'd pick the Swede over 6.5 CM given the choice, but there's not a thing wrong with the CM in a Tikka. I guess it just depends on how soon you want it...
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