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

I have never owned a Swede but am certain it's a very fine cartridge. I have used the Roberts a good bit because it was my third CF rifle and I have used it a lot for varmints and deer/antelope.But I never did much with the Roberts taking it past the 400-500 yard marker.

I would expect that the Swede's ballistic trump card is with the heavier bullets.But since I have other cartridges to jump to from the Roberts I have just stuck with the Roberts in that category,and have never found it lacking for my purposes.

Dude..get both.
I have two of each,different packages,different uses,if you are a handloader,even more fun to have...

If you are at one gun only,the 6.5x55 will do what the .257 and a .270 will do,with a mix of .25-06 and .308 thrown in....

Rifle = +1 (and "Roger that") on the 6.5 Swede.Regards, Homesteader.

Our groundhogs in Texas get up to 400 pounds or so. Sharp tusks too. Dee

Since I am apparently one of the few responders who has actually used both the .257 Roberts and 6.5x55 for quite a bit of both big game hunting and long-range varmint shooting, and stated that I never could tell all that much difference, I ran some numbers on the Sierra Ballistics program out to 1000 yards.

The bullets used were the best I've found in each caliber for long-range varminting, the 115-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip .25, and the 140-grain Hornady A-Max 6.5.

Muzzle was assumed to be 3000 with the 115 in the .257, and 2700 with the 140 in the 6.5x55. I've found these to be typical muzzle velocities with safe handloads in both rounds, in 24" barrel.

Both rounds were assumed to be zeroed at 200 yards, with a 5-mph crosswind:

The results for the .257--
Drop at 1000: 305 inches
Wind drift at 1000: 47 inches
Velocity at 1000: 1293 fps

The results for the 6.5x55--
Drop at 1000: 336 inches
Wind drift at 1000: 43 inches
Velocity at 1000: 1332 fps

Gee, no wonder I've never been able to tell all that much difference between the two rounds.

I might also state that despite the 6.5x55 being used for a lot of target shooting, I have never been able to tell any difference in the accuracy of the two rounds. In a factory rifle the accuracy potential will vary with the individual rifle: I have owned factory rifles in both chamberings that are medicre shooters, and factory rifles in both chamberings that shot extremely well.

In a custom rifle both are very accurate. This isn't surprising, since the cases are about as close to each other as they can be without being identical.

As stated in my earlier post, I have never been able to tell any difference in the way either cartridge killed big game, even elk. This is not assumed by looking at energy figures, or other assumptions based on bullet weight, but by actually seeing animals being taken in the field.

I will echo what Mule Deer had to say....I also use the 115 Nosler in a standard .257, but I have always shot the 129 Hornady in the 6.5. If I could only have one of the calibers, I would go with the 6.5. I don't have a ballistic program so it would be interesting if Mule Deer would run the 129 for numbers. Just for the record I am keeping rifles in both chamberings.......if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

John

At 1000 yards, with the same 200-yard sight-in and 5 mph crosswind, the 129 started at 2900 goes like this:

Drop: -336
Drift: 52
Remaining velocity: 1226

These numbers, by the way, are all calculated at the standard elevation, temperature, etc. that ammo factories and loading manuals use for their ballistics charts.

While I have used both rounds a LONG ways out there on varmints, on big game my longest shots have been around 400 yards, both on pronghorn. I have also taken several big deer with both rounds, using a variety of bullets. The results are identical: If the bulet goes in the right place, the animal is dead very quickly.

I have never seen a big bull elk taken with either round, but have seen enough meat elk taken that I have no doubts that either would work--though I tend to prefer just a little more cartridge for such work. I do know a woman who has aken 17 elk with the .257 Roberts, with 17 shots. All were cows or meat bulls, and none were taken past 250 yards, but it worked just fine.

Right now I have two .257's and one 6.5x55, though the .257's are both factory rifles and the 6.5x55 a complete custom job on an FN action, with nice English-walnut stock, Lilja barrel, Gentry 3-position safety and Timney trigger. All shoot very well.

wow, would never have guessed it was THAT close.

Me neither.....Can someone run those numbers with a 270 and 140AB at 30350?

Here you are, Bob--though I ran the numbers at 3050, not 30350 (was that from the .270 Weatherby?)--

Drop: -273
Wind drift: 41
Remaining velocity: 1425

Looks like we have a winner! So dump those Bobs and Swedes and come on over to the O'Connor side....

If a guy was real smart he'd shoot a Bob and a 270!

Thanks, John.Haha! Typo!But you guessed me right.

I suspected it would turn out the way.....the old girl ain't exactly chump change, is she?

yeah but if you upped the swede to 3050 the story changes too. not that you could do that but...unfair comparison.

Sammo,how's it feel to be a genius at such a young tender age?

If I could convince my wife of that it'd feel alot better....(grin)

She don't count....we do!LOL!

+1 on the Bob...all this talk of a .270 made me throw up in my mouth just a little....

Ingwe

I do

I reload for a couple friend's 270. One is a Winchester model 70, the other a Rem 770. The Winchester 70 is just slightly more accurate at 5/8" 100 yds, the 770 7/8" consistantly with the odd one going to 5/8". I was shocked by the 770, not so much the Winchester. My 257 roberts is 3/8-1/2 any day. It is a ruger 77 not hawkeye.

That having been said my husqvarna 6.5 swede has never failed to kill anything I have shot at with it. It is a 1.25 rifle at 100, 1.5 at 20 and 2 at 300. I cannot explain that. It has killed everything from grouse and rabbits to big bear and moose. It would be my choice if I had to make it. I don't own a 270 because the swede fills the niche for me.

Randy

You're on to me...