Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Best factory ammo for 6.5x55

Someday after a long parade of time and money commitments, I would like to get a machine and dies and reload my own ammunition. Meanwhile, I'm shooting factory ammo. Yes $$$ I know. So I need your help.

What is the best factory ammo for 6.5x55? I could use two recommendations.

1. Highest quality/accuracy/reliability. Cost no object.

2. Best value -- the most accurate and reliable considering cost.

Even at the Big Reno gun show, the pickings were slim for 6.5x55. All they had was PRVI. I couldn't even find Sellier & Bellot.

Any recommendation is deeply appreciated. I know all y'all make your own so there may not be a deep body of experience here with factory ammo, but I figure somebody has to have used it from time to time.

Thanks. I didn't see this answered in a "search".

I was given a couple cases of Hornady Superformence ammo for a shooting school. Accuracy with a Sako, and a R8 Blaser was most exceptable.

Norma, and RWS if you can find it are also very very good. Expensive yes, but it will not be downloaded like almost all of the US ammo. For here in the US handloading is the best way to go.

If you could find it, Norma loads a 140gr partition to about 2700 fps. I'd get a box of that, try it and if it worked, buy the rest of the case. I'm in Ireland, and handloading is not allowed, and a lot of people here swear by the Norma 120gr NBT load, particularly those who are shooting a lot of deer and foxes and taking a lot of head or neck shots.

OK, we are answering #1. Thank you all very much. I really appreciate the help.

Yes, I really need to get into reloading for rifle cartridge, but I'm just years away from affording the equipment. Too many financial obligations in the meantime. If I fired 100 rounds a month of rifle, but we are talking 40 rounds a month.

Someday I will get into reloading... Someday. Gas to and from the range is $35-40 a pop, so add another $60 for ammo and that's a $100 day. For re-loading, it's an $80 day. Oh well.

So thank you all for the help.

Look for a good used beginers outfit, they are out there. Lee has a complete kit that is under $200. At $25 to $45 per box of 20, reloading starts to make sense real quick. Do start to save your fired brass!!

If your shooting 2 boxes a month you ought to buy an entry level kit and assemble the ammuntion yourself. You can get some pretty decent buys on the classifieds here and on Eb$y. A press, scale, case trimmer, dies, and the various little tools you need will run about $200 to $350. Lee offers a kit with most of the things you need for a little over $200.00. You can save about $10 to $15 a box off of the premium ammo and in a year your reloading kit has paid for.

Lee, noted elsewhere, is fine reloading equipment to start with. Heck, probably okay to use forever.

Yes, I know I have to get into reloading sooner than later. I've seen some nice presses I want and add in the dies. I do. I'm just no there yet so in the meantime, I just need to know the best of the premium and best of the value brand ammo for6.5x55. I've never shot my Steyr .260 and likely won't bother to until after I am reloading .260 for myself.

That or I'll sell the rifle as I'm just not crazy about it. 6.5x55 and .260 are somewhat redundant anyway. Add in the price of the .260 ammo and how much I love my Sauer 202, and I will likely get rid of the Steyr before I ever reload for it.

But you are right. I need to reload eventually.

I'm not really a 260 fan, But really do like the Steyr's. Mine is in 6.5X57, reloading is the only option other than importing ammo. Keep a look in the classifieds and even fleebay, deals are out there if one is patient.

+1 on the Norma ammo.

Im sure all above is good.I dont own 6.5x55 but have used Federal Fusion in 25-06 and really like it.So does my rifle.I would try the 140 gr. to see how it shoots in your rifle.

The bullet does the killing. Pick the ammo with the bullet you want first.

As far as I know Norma and Hornaday "Superperformance" ammo has greater velocity ammo than any other other ammo sold here.

I don't know about the Hornaday SP bullet performance. Norma ammo using 140 Nosler Partition bullets which are outstanding. But Norma is pricey.

heres a link for purchasing online:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=304242496n

Thank you for the help.

Look blue box federals and big greens 6.5 x 55 are plenty fast enough for most deer hunting applications along with Federal Fusions. Norma makes good loads, the 120g BT is a good one, and the 156 gr loads are very accurate in most guns. Don't over look Lapua, they make very very good ammo. As for hand loading, you can get all you need for less than 7 or 8 boxes of the Norma's. If you can shoot you will find that the Swede is pretty easy to shoot and to shoot accurately, 10 shots every other week would be more that enough if you confine your shooting to off the bench. You don't have to burn up a lot of ammo at once, its better to shoot a couple of two or three good shots at a time , then 50 that has no real purpose other that punching holes in paper.

OK, I'll keep that in mind.

Where are you located? What are you hunting or is this just for the range?

I prefer Norma and RWS factory ammo.

If I can't get either, I'll shoot Hornady, Wolf, or FED/REM/WIN.

If I'm desperate, I'll shoot Prvi.

About 20 years ago, I had a Swedish Ljungman semi-auto and bought a bunch of S&B 131 grain SP ammo 'cause it was cheap. It shot OK, but was very dirty, not a good choice for the Ljungman. Any of the 140 grain ammo should work interchangeably, as they are all loaded to the same approximate velocity.

A friend of mine is a Norwegian bachelor farmer who probably has 30+ rifles chambered in 6.5x55 and another 30+ built on Swedish Mauser actions. He recently told me that he had bought some Fiocchi ammo that was loaded with the 140 grain Hornady SST bullets and that he likes it better than any other 6.5x55 factory ammo that he'd ever used, and he has probably used them all.

Jeff

Range ammo. I rarely hunt. I just enjoy the mental challenge of shooting as an activity.

Thanks for those recommendations.

I was told Wolf was low quality ammunition, but you group it with Winchester, Federal and Remington. Is Wolf that good? Maybe I was steered wrong.

Thanks for mentioning Fiocci. I had forgotten all about it. Also, I didn't know S&B tends to be dirty powder.

Thanks. I appreciate the help.

The prvi ammo I have shot through my m96 is so dirty that it gets soot on your fingers if you touch any part of an empty case, and chronographed in the 2300 fps range. Remington ammo is much cleaner, faster, and pretty accurate. I haven't tried any other factory loads through that rifle.