Which gun would you suggest for the 6.5x55 and why ???

The CZ is heavy but it sports all steel parts, CRF, no DM, nice finish, and will be a rifle you'd be proud to pass down to future generations.
And then that generation will pass it down.

Neither. Merkel KR1. That way if you don't like it or get tired of it, you can put another caliber on the rifle.

T3!!! Finnish quality, it'll shoot better 'out of the box', lighter!, T3 trigger is choice & the 'Finnish Lion' stamp look cooooool

Tikka, but good luck finding one in 6.5x55. They are rare in the USA.

Gunbroker

293604146 Tikka T3 Sporter, 20" Barrel 6.5x55 Swede JRTN451 1 0 $1,695.00 5h 6m +
293604433 Tikka T3 Sporter, 24" Barrel 6.5x55 Swede JRTN551 1 0 $1,695.00

Those are not the normal guns, those are the ones with the goofy target stocks.

This

I've got a t3 and love it, 7.0 lbs scoped with a 4 x 12 redfield revolution and it shoots .75 groups, and it is a wood stock and looks the part also. Lenny

Same dealer has typical stocked rifle in that caliber.

True, 6.5's in general don't seem to do that well here, though I have the swede, 6.5-284 and 6.5 rem mags and like them all.

"Here son, i want you to have this..."

"What is it dad?"

"A CZ"

"Am I in trouble dad?"

"no, why do you ask?"

"Because you are giving me a heavy ass gun, with a backwards safety. Why can't I have your tikka?"

I never handled a CZ that was not heavy!

That's funny!

yeah, that "future generation" will pass it down to the pawnshop the next day. hahahahahaa!

My brother bought a CZ a few years back. The damn thing was rough as a cobb and feeding ctgs. from the magazine was akin to pounding a square peg into a round hole. Cartridges cycle through the action of my Tikka like schit goes through a goose and it shot circles around that cobby CZ.

Howa

Not listed as an option.

Son, you may be too young to appreciate a fine rifle so I'm giving it to your sister instead. The T3 is a POS throwaway rifle and some day you'll understand quality when you see it.
The T3 went into the recycling bin with all the other plastic trash. They took it to the dump last week.

Some people are incapable of judging the quality of a rifle by any criteria beyond whether or not a magnet will stick to the trigger guard.

You are correct but CZ to Tikka is a pretty broad range...

Definitely not the only criteria but certainly a good one.

And I've personally owned both a T3 and a CZ.

You?

The CZ 550 (long actions) all have a normal safety. The 527 models have the backwards safety. So, they got half of it right.

Oh, I'd pick the CZ just cuz the weight of them doesn't bother me and they shoot pretty damm well.

I've never owned a Tikka.

I don't like CZ 550s, particularly the 550 FS.

If limited to 1 6.5x55, I have 9 of them, it would be the Winchester/USRA 70 Fwt that I took to Botswana, although the Ruger 77 R Hawkeye that I received the other day seems like a nice enough rifle.

Jeff

Nope, never even examined a T-3 in the flesh. I do own a 595 and 695 however and have examined a schematic of the T-3. The action and trigger assembly are essentially identical. The only differences between the T-3 and the earlier 695/595 appear to be in a slightly different magazine design and the recoil lug. My brother has owned a CZ and I have shot it. I'd much rather have a rifle with some non critical synthetic parts made to precise tolerances than sloppily cobbled together steel junk that needs to be rebuilt in order to perform up to snuff. I like to buy rifles that are ready to hunt right out of the box, not semi finished rifle "kits".

6.5x55 is never a bad choice

Irrelevant in my opinion unless you like to use your trigger guard to drive your tent pegs. I've hunted guns with plastic trigger guards for over 40 years and never had one break. Not even when dropped 20 feet out of a deer stand.

Well I have and owned both CZ's and Tikka's. Also had a Sako L61R in 6.5X55. The Sako wins this one hands down. The CZ's are a bit heavy but not really much more than the wood blueded Sako. The Tikka is lighter no doubt. As to accuracy the Sako again, between CZ and Tikka it is a bit of a crap shoot. My CZ was a bit rough at first, but smoothed up nicely with use. The Sako and Tikka were great out of the box. Hard choice to me, love the wood and blue, and CZ can have some great wood. One pays ones money and takes ones chanches.

Wow, Tikka VS whatever, really sets of a nerve on both sides of the fence. To quote the recently departed Rodney King, "Can't we all just get along?"

The 6.5x55 T3 Hunter sports a 22.44" barrel and weighs 6# 13oz.

The 6.5x55 CZ550 sports a 23.620" barrel and weighs 8# even.

So for 1# 3oz you get an inch+ more tube, all steel parts, A hinged floorplate, two more cartridges in the magazine, a FP blocking safety, a single set trigger, and a finer finish.

And the Czechs have been making rifles a whole lot longer than the Finns.

Other than the rough as a cob action/feed rails, the crown on my brothers CZ looked like it was done by a retarded first grader with the corner of a brick. The quality of wood, stock finish and checkering were nowhere near my Tikka's.

I'd go T3 Lite in a heart beat over the CZ. Not trying to dog pile the CZ, it's just too heavy and beefy for my likes.

I'd love to see Tikka do a T3 in .260 as well.

Dober

Though they are rare, Sako chambered their AV and 691 in 6.5x55. I had two of the prior and one of the latter. Also had a beautiful AV in 7x64 and still have a Fiberclass in 9.3x62. If you can one of these in 6.5, you'll never look back!

I still have several of both... It's like comparing a Clydesdale to a Thoroughbred. One's good for a couple of years of work and then just [bleep] around. The other good and strong, built for the long haul.

nsaqam knows what I am talking about... others, not so much

Dr Lou, I also own an AV in 6.5x55... too many guns, not enough time to shoot em all.

Geo

Yeah, hell, my Tikka's are about all wore out after only 12 years of use. NOT ! Some of you folks really make me wonder with your unfounded, baseless theories. My buddies 658 {forerunner of the 695 and T-3} is still going strong and has been since he bought it in 1994. It has the same plastic trigger guard/ bottom metal and bolt shroud and in addition has a plastic action insert that the bolt rides within. If you threw that 658 and a CZ in a landfill for 1000 years and then dug them both up, the only thing left would be the plastic parts from the Tikka.

I've had the Swede in a Rem 700 Classic and a Win 70 Featherweight...nice cartridge!!

I just picked up a T3 Lite Chrome Moly today as I want a no nonsense basic reliable rifle that shoots out the box. If one does not mind the synthetic parts they are a great gun.

Now to shoot it!

I also like CZs though I have seen both rough and reasonably well made examples. Triggers normally need some work but thats the same for a Ruger too!

Take the Tikka and run.

Tikka is making a run on 260 Rem. Check out the EuroOptic website. I have one coming in left hand.

I do own both and I would take another Tikka every time.

TIKKA! I have a Tikka T3 with the wood stock. Great action, trigger, and the accuracy is excellent. I had a CZ 550 - heavy, action on load and extraction was rough and the acuuracy was not as good as the Tikka. It went down the road with no regrets from me. If you want CRF - find a Winchester with CRF and rebarrel to 6.5x55.

I have a CZ 550 in 6.5x55. I love CZ's. I also have a nice Tikka that is all steel. It was imported by Ithaca. Very nice gun. Just can't get into the newer Tikka's, although I'm sure they shoot nice.

Had a T3 Swede HG for 5 years and loved it right out of the box, NO tuning NO tweaks Just load it and slayed an ark full of critters. It shot bugholes with no issues even with my hasty reloads, but I traded it (and a M70 300WMg) on 2 for one & a No Cash deal for a SAKO M85 killer looking HG 260 I'm just getting started on.
The T3 Swede experiences has about convinced me to make the jump from the 243, 25'06 & 270 to all .264's, just gotta get past a 50 year love affair with a 270 and owning almost 1K of .277 boolitz that the T3 Lite can put 3 under a dime @ 100 yds if I do my part. Just hope the SAKO 260 shoots as well as it looks and feels.

I also have run a old style CZ 9.3x62 American for about the same 5-6 year time frame ... kept the 9.3 during thelast 6 months trading frenzy that has also brought a M70 Fwt 300Whizzum in the house for the first time, and am saving my nickels for the CZ's trip to see Wayne If I wanted to do a 6.5'06/264WMg to replace the 270 with. I'd/I'll start with a CZ American in 6.5x55 and have it rechambered & a basic cleanup tweak job by AH to bring it up to Tikka/SAKO standards of final finish out...and is way cheaper to do than a full custom.

Daylight and dark 'tween the 2 guns in weight & finish out, but both have their uses. JMHO ...I WOULD NOT plan on shooting a 9.3x62 often in a 6lb 2oz T3 Lite or even a 6lb 10oz Hunter without doing something about the recoil lug, lack of a Limbsaver and/or switching the stock in the Lite to a B&C Medalist & Pach pad.
JMHO & YMMV
Cheers
Ron

Alot of info to digest. Thank you. Was not aware that Howa made a swede. How do they compare to the Tikka?

No offense to the CZ, but the last one I held really didn't impress me for what they cost. Thanks again.

Have two and am happy with mine. Hey, whatever feels good when you shoulder it! Maybe I have been lucky over the years but haven't had a problem with a rifle that won't shoot. Minute of deer at least.

HOWA Vs Tikka ??
Howa is an inexpensive knockoff of a SAKO AV? series...and heavier. No flys on the Howa's shooting ability and priced right for the US market...but no distinctive personality IMO.I sold S&W Howa's for 6+ years as a distributor in the late '70's & early '80's and never had any returned. Very dependable but boring.

Today's Tikka T3 is a high tech CAD designed and manufactured product that is totally hand finished to the SAKO tradition and standards ...again no personality except as perfectly fitted product that is guaranteed to shoot MOA out of the box....and most do I'm told..all of mine have.

In a 6.5x55 Swede I would buy ANOTHER Tikka Swede ...again... all day ...any day... every day...'cause mine shot better than I could...just like my T3 270 does with no tuning tweaking or sweat...just boringly accurate & dependable within it's design paradign. Tikka's will never look like a claro walnut MkV 'bee...but Howa's can & do with more bright shiny $#@% on 'em than a Browning.

IMO CZ's are no comparison in fit & finish out of the box to either a Howa or Tikka. CZ's prices are at a severe disadvantage because of the discrepancy in the value of the US vs Czech currency's. Once upon a time that discrepancy was reversed and we all lined up and complained about not being able to buy ALL the CZ's we wanted 'cause they were allways out of stock...that'll change again IMO someday and mebbe I'll finally get to buy the KrautKar SUV of my dreams at a Ford price...just not today.

IMO CZ's are built like a tank for extended hard use in 3rd World Countries but lack the final delicate hand finishing we Americans all demand. My 9.3x62 550 American shoots fantastic...but will eventually get sent to AH for a cleanup & bolt bending makeover at their "CZ Spa". Prettyfying a CZ ain't like putting lipstick on a Savage...both of them shoot pretty good to begin with but a slicked up CZ looks great to me and a Savage will always be a Savage. BTDT too.
Ron

HOWA Vs Tikka ??
Howa is an inexpensive knockoff of a SAKO AV? series...and heavier. No flys on the Howa's shooting ability and priced right for the US market...but no distinctive personality IMO.I sold S&W Howa's for 6+ years as a distributor in the late '70's & early '80's and never had any returned. Very dependable but boring.

Today's Tikka T3 is a high tech CAD designed and manufactured product that is totally hand finished to the SAKO tradition and standards ...again no personality except as perfectly fitted product that is guaranteed to shoot MOA out of the box....and most do I'm told..all of mine have.

In a 6.5x55 Swede I would buy ANOTHER Tikka Swede ...again... all day ...any day... every day...'cause mine shot better than I could...just like my T3 270 does with no tuning tweaking or sweat...just boringly accurate & dependable within it's design paradign. Tikka's will never look like a claro walnut MkV 'bee...but Howa's can & do with more bright shiny $#@% on 'em than a Browning.

IMO CZ's are no comparison in fit & finish out of the box to either a Howa or Tikka. CZ's prices are at a severe disadvantage because of the discrepancy in the value of the US vs Czech currency's. Once upon a time that discrepancy was reversed and we all lined up and complained about not being able to buy ALL the CZ's we wanted 'cause they were allways out of stock...that'll change again IMO someday and mebbe I'll finally get to buy the KrautKar SUV of my dreams at a Ford price...just not today.

IMO CZ's are built like a tank for extended hard use in 3rd World Countries but lack the final delicate hand finishing we Americans all demand. My 9.3x62 550 American shoots fantastic...but will eventually get sent to AH for a cleanup & bolt bending makeover at their "CZ Spa". Prettyfying a CZ ain't like putting lipstick on a Savage...both of them shoot pretty good to begin with but a slicked up CZ looks great to me and a Savage will always be a Savage. BTDT too.
Ron

The CZ are excellent rifles. The wood on my several CZs was beautiful and nicely finished. The blueing was smooth and deep. They were completely reliable and very accurate, even the FS 7x57. They're kickazz rifles. Battue got me on a light rifle kick so I parted ways with mine and I now have a kevlar stocked all custom FN 30-06 and a Kimber 7-08. Apart from weight, neither is better than the CZs, just different. I haven't had a Tikka but the above reports speak volumes. I never thought the Howas held a candle to the CZs and for some reason the 6.5x55 Howas always seem to have velocity problems in everything I've read. Those owners who have written about themn said they shot slower. I have no idea if that is established fact or loose opinion. But I never saw a reason to buy one. My 6.5 CZ shot right with reliable published load data without being pushed and killed deer with great predictability. Nice rifle/cartridge combination. Same with the CZ 7x57s.

Another vote for Tikka T3 in 6.5x55. I've had a few in this cartridge, all great shooters. When it comes to light recoiling cartridges such as the Swede, I'd pick the light weight, smooth operating, accurate T3 (1 in 8 twist) over the heavier CZ (1 in 9 twist) every time!