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.

That's bad. I hate dirty ammo. I'll pay a bit more for something that is not filthy to shoot. Thanks for the valuable tip.

Consider the Hornady Superformance load with the 140gr SST or the Nosler Trophy Grade with 140gr Accubond. The Hornady makes 2735 fps from a 24" barrel and the Nosler makes 2650 from a 23.5" Leija barrel. Not too far away from modern pressure handloads that can get you up to ~2800 fps in a standard length barrel. Both can be purchased online from folks like MidwayUSA.

I originally avoided posting a response since I haven't purchased factory 6.5x55 ammo in 6 years. What was avaiable then and what's available now has changed. My experience with factory ammo in 2005 and 2006 may not reflect what is produced today. But here is what I experienced.

Hornady Custom, Federal blue box, and Winchester Super-X were all very respectible in accuracy with perhaps a slight not to the Hornady ammo.

Wolf Gold had average accuracy, but low velocity (2,480 fps). S&B, both the 131g and 140g, showed poor results. Remington green box was the second to worst performer. Hotshot brand (supposedly rebranded Igman) came in last and was garbage.

I don't recall Prvi being widely available. Federal hadn't yet released 6.5x55 in their Fusion line. PMC produced 6.5x55 ammo and it was the most accurate factory ammo in my rifle (both Bronze and Silver w/GameKings). It's no longer available. Federal Premium had 140g Trophy Bonded Bear Claws that were second in accuracy only the PMC's. I've only seen them on the shelf once. They wouldn't be a good choice for range work anyhow.

If it were me? I'd try them in this order:
Hornady Custom 140g
Federal Power-Shok 140g
Winchester Super-X 140g
Federal Fusion 140g

If you want as cheap as you can get, try Prvi and Wolf.

Thanks. 6 years may still apply for most of this ammo.

FWIW, I usually like middling ammo. Cheap is cheap for a reason, generally. And premium -- well my marksmanship usually can't take advantage of it. Got to save somewhere. So I usually do a little homework and settle for the best of the middle priced ammo, if any.

YOU CAN SCRATCH THE NORMA 120 BT AND 140 PARTITION, THEY'RE NO LONGER AVAILABLE.

blue box federal, rsw, and all norma ammo are my rifles like.

Thanks! That saves me the trouble looking for them when every place just says "Out of Stock."

Too bad though.

I have only fired a couple of boxes of factory ammo through my Howa 1500 in 6.5x55. The old Federal Premium 140 gr TBBC was the most accurate and fastest over the chronograph, at only 2411 fps. Of course, it is no longer available, but I still have 3 boxes stashed. Both the Federal blue box and the Prvi ammo only chronoed around 2300 fps and accuracy was okay, around 2 inch groups at 100 yards off the bench. My Howa is not a tack driver, but it does perform acceptably well with Hornady 140 gr Spire Points and Accurate Data Powder 86 (a non cannister version of 3100). If I had to buy factory ammo today, I would go for the Federal Fusion for the more reasonably priced ammo, and the Nosler Custom ammo, if it is still available. The Prvi is the cheapest, and would probably work for deer hunting or practice. Just plan on a thorough cleaning of your rifle after shooting. Cabela's has it online for just $16.97 per box. New Lapua brass is almost as much money, without the primers powder or bullet!

Jimbo,

I have two 6.5x55's and shoot only factory ammo these days. Both rifles shoot the following 3 very well.

Nosler Custom Trophy Grade 140gr Accubond - consistent small groups - darn dear one hole in both.

Federal Power Shok (blue box) 140gr softpoint - averages 1/2 to 3/4 groups

Fiocchi 140gr Hornady SST - average 3/4 to 1 inch groups.

BTW - The Nosler and Federal are proven deer killers several times over.

Pick your poison and hope you find a great shooter.

Of course, Lapua brass is uniformly excellent and Prvi brass is uniformly mediocre, so you get what you pay for.

Jeff

I am liking the PRVI less all the time.

Thanks for all the great tips. This is extremely helpful and includes brands I didn't even think to try out, so I deeply appreciate the suggestions.

I know the Norma distributors in USA working on importing ammo. Best is to load your own ammo. Sometimes you come across Swedish military 6,5x55 ammo in USA. Last time I visited Dallas Gunshow a vendor had lots of Swedish military ammo, intended for the M/41 sniper rifle.

Midway got a pretty good selection on 6,5x55 ammo from Lapua, HSM, and Norma to dirty El Cheapo ammo. Today, both Sinclair International and Midway had 6,5x55 match ammo from Lapua in stock - expensive as usual.

Cheers!

Thanks!

You are welcome. Enjoy the shooting! And get started with the reloading, great fun - quite addictive. Personally I prefer Redding dies, presses from like Forster coax or Redding Ultra mag - depends on the cartridge size.

Cheers
J

Your best bet is to reload, but I like the surplus military ammo with 139 grain bullet better than Federal or winchester. I feed 2 swedes and handloading is the only way I get the performance I want.

Answer #1: I will second the thoughts on the RWS. Can't find it now. Picked up a few boxes from Midway on sale last year. Excellent accuracy. Not tried on game yet but some of the European members on this forum say it works just fine.

Answer #2: PRVI. Have you tried it yet in your rifle? Very affordable and it was nearly as accurate as the RWS. Usually available either at gunshows or online.

I will also second the thoughts about Lee reloading presses to "start out". I don't do enormous ammounts of reloading so it has served my purposes for 15 years or so now. I even like and use the hand press, which might work for you based on the amount you plan to shoot on a monthly basis. I have some RCBS dies also and "I" can't tell the difference when I'm loading.

Good luck with it all.

Geno

Green box Remingtons shot good in my Tikka - under an inch at 100. But you owe it to yourself to start getting into reloading. Birthdays, Christmas, Father's Day are all good times to get equipment.

Lapua ammo with the 155gr Mega bullet.

I have heard time and again, from so many guys, that they cannot afford to set up for hand loading.

Jimbo, the Lee Classic Loader is available in 6.5 Swede for ~ $30...
And i'd bet you could find one in the classifieds here for almost nothing.

With some used brass from your collection, you can be set up with the kit, bullets, powder and primers for around a bill...

This would acquaint you with the essentials of loading, and produce ammo as good or better than you can buy.
And your net expenditure per round, for your first 100 rounds would be less than what you can buy 100 factory for. The cost goes down from there.

Norma and RWS - in that order. Both are exceptional.

The 6.5x55 is a reloader's cartridge. I have chronied the Federal and Hornady standard 140 grain loads and that stuff is literally crawling compared to my hand loads. I will also add that if you buy a Lee Classic Loader, that will only lead to many more purchases as you will continue to upgrade your equipment. Been there, done that. Loading your own is an excellent way to increase your enjoyment of the shooting sports. That's my $0.02.

Thank you all. It sounds like the best answer is "reload". I'm not ready for it yet & I am a slow starter. It is on the back burner, but factory ammo will just have to do it for the next couple of year. I haven't been shooting much this year anyway. Too busy & too many $$ commitments.

I just thought, for the times I can get out with the 6.5 Swede, what would be the best compromise of price/performance for hunting paper targets.

Thanks all.

On the PP- a buddy of mine bought his son a 243 Win and 100 rounds of their ammo just to burn & for brass.

That brass has held up exceptionally well compared to the Win I bought at the same time running hot loads several times and maintaining tight primer pockets.

Just a sample of one, but if their brass is good relative to Win... Besides, we clean our guns for a reason, so dirty is easy to correct...

Not only is it hard to find ammunition for this cal where I live, but brass is hard to find as well. And both are pricey. I reload for it, and buy Federal Fusions when on sale........then I get the brass as well.

Haven't tried the Fusions yet at the range or on game, but everything I have read about them accuracy wise is very good.

Interestingly, Federal recommends this bullet in most calibers and weights for deer and smaller game.

HOWEVER, in the swede they recommend the Fusion on game up to elk size.


http://www.fusionammo.com/products/rifle.aspx

The Privy ammo I shot was lower velocity +/- 2,500 in my rifle and yes slightly dirty but the accuracy was good and the bullets though ugly perform very close to the old thicker jacketed Remington Core Lokts on game, which is very good. The cases needed the primer pockets both uniformed and tapered but after preparation the cases were good and out lasted Rem. and Winchester and they had the correct rim diameter. Not in the same class as RWS, Lapua or Norma but they seemed harder than the Norma brass.

The S&B or the Herters version would jamb in my rifle. Not sure why as I tossed them after the second one jammed.

Can't beat RWS or Norma. I think some of the Norma may have a velocity edge but not much since they quit loading to SKAN pressures.

Which ever you choose order a case with the same lot number if you can and you will be set for a long time. From time to time you see deals for surplus ammo and if non corrosive might be worthwhile for plinking.

That quote is from 9, 2012 but I can update it as of last year 2017

I have a couple of boxes of PRVI 140 gr that I graphed ---->> 2250 fps +/-

It's STILL dirty.


Jerry

Bullets.com still has some 50 count Lapua 100 and 108 gr rounds for 51 & 56 bucks a box. That's half price and some of the best brass on the market, you can't buy the brass for that.

Dad went round and round and settled on the Sellior & Belliot. Very good accuracy\consistency in his 6.5x55 but to be honest that CZ . It happens to be the cheapest ammo but he would never use it if feeling it a compromise. Text book on game performance to date. I would certainly pick up box to see how it shot knowing it isn't an expensive test. $16.99 a box at Midway right now.

[quote=jwa
It's STILL dirty.


Jerry[/quote]

Mostly what I shot was when breaking in the barrel so I cleaned more frequently and didn't get any build up. My rifle has a 24 inch barrel and the shorter American lead so that could account for the velocity difference, no free bore.

Checked CRJ's suggestion and even better the 156 Norma Oryx for $25 http://www.bullets.com/products/Ame...er-156-Grain-Oryx-Ammo-Box-of-20/BL10414 This bullet is one of the best for game heavier than deer but works well on deer too.

If I shot factory I would stock up on this, excellent bullet, good brass and less expensive than the brass alone. If I hadn't stocked up on Lapua brass I would buy it just for the brass.

Been looking at Graf's recently to finally start loading for a T3 SL Swede and saw the Lapua sale there too. I'd also look at Nosler's ProShop and look for blems and Over Runs in loaded ammo on a regular weekly basis as there is never a lot of it regulaly like the more popular loadings, but it does come up occasionally. Surprised at finding as much as I did in stock in Swede components in the usual places, based on the last time I owned one of these caliber Tikka's 6-8 years ago....must be the CM Effect, leaving more stuff for the rest of us Swede Shooters.
Ron