6.5x55 sweed

[FlyGuy]

Great to hear about these different loads. I am fortunate to have the original M96 Swedish Mauser 6.5x55 as well as the build M96 barreled action Shilen barrel 26"inch barrel..I want to see if these two different rifles , same caliber will shoot the same loads accurate ...

Some great experimenting lays ahead for me..thank you again for your sharing of knowledge in regards tot he 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser , it is much appreciated FlyGuy

Pleasure Gert.

The Swede is an excellent, versatile cartridge to experiment with.
Because of the long throat, you can test a wide variety of bullets and powders. Especially if those bullets are known to like a bit of jump. E.g. Nosler Accubond.

For a do it all hunting load, it's hard to beat the Nosler AB. Good BC, good terminal performance and great accuracy. To save some money, use the 140gr Nosler BT for load development, and then switch over to the 140gr AB for hunting. 95% of the time, the exact same load works for both, but the AB might require a slightly different seating depth.

As previously mentioned, experiment with VV N160 and N555 in the Swede's, and watch how your groups and velocity spreads tighten up.

 

[FlyGuy]

The exception to my rule of not pushing bullets particularly hard is for Norma Oryx because of the low BC.

This is the only reason I've never tried their 200gr bullet in my .300H&H.
Since Swift vanished locally, I've been struggling to find a decent 200gr replacement.

 

[Velo Dog]

Pictured below is my 6.5x55.
It is a simple but sadly now discontinued, CZ Model 550-FS.
It wears an also simple and sadly discontinued Leupold 3x scope, in Alaska Arms lever rings.

This caliber is one that Remington, Winchester and others should have pushed in their “youth model” rifles, instead of the .243 and similar extra light bullet with extra high velocity type of cartridges, for introducing children to N. American deer hunting.
With 140 grain spitzers, the Scandinavian cartridge shoots plenty flat enough for longish shots, with enough bullet weight and down range energy to break shoulder bones of larger deer species such as mule deer and caribou.
Also, it can use a 160 gr bullet for tougher animals such as boar and bear in thick cover.
Things the .243 cannot be relied upon to do.

Old Rifle Grump rant concluded.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

This

With a BC of .348, they decelerate in a hurry. If you can get to 2500 fps MV, 300 yards/275 M is absolutely as far as I'd go.

As I may have mentioned previously (I know I've mentioned it, just don't know about on this particular thread or not) - a lot of those older rifles were designed for long, heavy, RN bullets. They have lots of freebore/leade, meaning that the official SAAMI C.O.A.L. doesn't really apply for Spitzers with long, tapered ogives.

Get a .25" wood dowel, stick it down the bore on a closed bolt, inscribe a circle on the dowel at the crown. Then pull out the bolt, drop in your bullet of choice so it's seated on the lands, then stick the dowel back in until it just kisses the meplat, inscribe another circle, measure the diff between those 2 circles. Your OAL can be 2 or 3 hundredths shorter than that and you should be good to go. With the extra length, you can add a bit more powder and still not be near any pressure thresh holds.

The exception to my rule of not pushing bullets particularly hard is for Norma Oryx because of the low BC.

sgt zim, thank you again for this informative reply, it really is much appreciated for sure..it is great to see many members part take in the thread , ensuring a lot of informative feedback

 

[sgt_zim]

The exception to my rule of not pushing bullets particularly hard is for Norma Oryx because of the low BC.

This is the only reason I've never tried their 200gr bullet in my .300H&H.
Since Swift vanished locally, I've been struggling to find a decent 200gr replacement.

North Fork Solid Shank is a good option there. Reloading International carries them, and you can order direct from the North Fork web page, too.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Pictured below is my 6.5x55.
It is a simple but sadly now discontinued, CZ Model 550-FS.
It wears an also simple and sadly discontinued Leupold 3x scope, in Alaska Arms lever rings.

This caliber is one that Remington, Winchester and others should have pushed in their “youth model” rifles, instead of the .243 and similar extra light bullet with extra high velocity type of cartridges, for introducing children to N. American deer hunting.
With 140 grain spitzers, the Scandinavian cartridge shoots plenty flat enough for longish shots, with enough bullet weight and down range energy to break shoulder bones of larger deer species such as mule deer and caribou.
Also, it can use a 160 gr bullet for tougher animals such as boar and bear in thick cover.
Things the .243 cannot be relied upon to do.

Old Rifle Grump rant concluded.

@Velo Dog
The only thing the 243 can be relied on to do is disappoint. Over rated noisy pieces of crap in my book.
Actually my book doesn't even list the 243 as a cartridge. Look up a dictionary under rubbish and you will find it mentioned.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

My 11 year old son took alot of animals with a 6.5CM this trip. He was using a 129SST @2850fps. Was very happy with the performance of the round and bullet.

The 129SST was getting about 24" of penetration. The only one that was recovered had a weight of 72.12grs, measured at.58".

@Inline6
I just love how the SST performs. Wish they would make them in 225 &250 gn 35 cal for the Whelen.
Bob

 

[Frederik]

The exception to my rule of not pushing bullets particularly hard is for Norma Oryx because of the low BC.

This is the only reason I've never tried their 200gr bullet in my .300H&H.
Since Swift vanished locally, I've been struggling to find a decent 200gr replacement.

You can use locally made SBC bullets basically a trophy bonded bear Claw design works like a dream I have been using them in my 6.5x55, 7x57, 375 H&H and 458 Lott with good results all over.

Getting loads works easily.

 

[FlyGuy]

You can use locally made SBC bullets basically a trophy bonded bear Claw design works like a dream I have been using them in my 6.5x55, 7x57, 375 H&H and 458 Lott with good results all over.

Getting loads works easily.

Thanks Frederik.

I've spoken to Rudi, and will definitely give his 180gr a try in my 30-06 when I work up a bushveld load for it again.
I've always used 200gr bullets in the .300 H&H to justify keeping it. Otherwise I could just shoot the 06 for everything.

The Swifts have been great for hunting in the Kalahari and in KZN, where cross valley shots out to 375m are very likely.

 

[Field28]

The Original 6.5! Older than the 30-06 and just like the 06, it just keeps on working!

 

[Velo Dog]

@Velo Dog
The only thing the 243 can be relied on to do is disappoint. Over rated noisy pieces of crap in my book.
Actually my book doesn't even list the 243 as a cartridge. Look up a dictionary under rubbish and you will find it mentioned.
Bob

Hi Bob,

You have a great sense of humor and I enjoy your posts.
I agree that the .243 Winchester, the 6 MM Remington and all their kin, are way over rated as general purpose cartridges.
I cannot speak for Australian animals and hunting conditions.
But I suspect some if not many of them are too large and sturdy for reliable shots into them with tiny sized bullets.

In North America, (where I live), for reasons unknown to me, too many people think they are really doing something grand by using smallish calibers for shooting largish animals.
I think such behavior is unfair to said largish animals.
It is more humane to use adequate calibers for whatever species we are hunting.
In N. America, large deer critters, such as big fat, corn fed white tail and / or large heavy mule deer bucks should not, in my
opinion, be shot with tiny bullets.
But it is just my opinion, nothing more.

Having said all that, the .24 caliber rifles are notoriously good for pest and predator control, out to several hundred meters in
my experiences.
I have shot coyotes (very comparable to the African jackal ), also marmots (giant hamsters, LoL) and ground squirrels, beginning around 1970 or 1971, by means of a vintage .244 Remington Model 722 rifle and an almost equally vintage Redfield scope.
As time went by, I eventually got my claws on a dreaded Pre-64 Winchester Model 70 in .243 and there have been others.
Anyway, although I no longer own a .24 caliber of any sort, I do like them for tiny targets, all the way out to around 400 meters / yards.

On that note, if I did own one now, you can rest assured that I would use it only for rodents, pest birds (crows and such) plus small predators (coyote, badger, fox, skunk, lynx).
Likely I’d even shoot a wolf with such a small bore rifle, if I had another .243 - 6MM and a wolf was foolish enough to let me have a wack at him, while I was carrying such a varmint caliber and if a frog had wings (because wolves always seem to out maneuver my best moves).

Wolves around here can commonly weigh 150+ pounds / 65 to 70 kilos, perhaps a little more.
And so, I’d prefer more bullet than 100 grains.
The .257 diameter 120 grain comes to mind as a minimum for serious wolf hunting.
And the 6.5 bores, with 130 grainers or more —> so much the better.
Again, that’s just IMO, not The Burning Bush of Cartridge Gospel.

Cheers Mate,
Paul.

 

[Inkgardener]

Hi Bob,

You have a great sense of humor and I enjoy your posts.
I agree that the .243 Winchester, the 6 MM Remington and all their kin, are way over rated as general purpose cartridges.
I cannot speak for Australian animals and hunting conditions.
But I suspect some if not many of them are too large and sturdy for reliable shots into them with tiny sized bullets.

In North America, (where I live), for reasons unknown to me, too many people think they are really doing something grand by using smallish calibers for shooting largish animals.
I think such behavior is unfair to said largish animals.
It is more humane to use adequate calibers for whatever species we are hunting.
In N. America, large deer critters, such as big fat, corn fed white tail and / or large heavy mule deer bucks should not, in my
opinion, be shot with tiny bullets.
But it is just my opinion, nothing more.

Having said all that, the .24 caliber rifles are notoriously good for pest and predator control, out to several hundred meters in
my experiences.
I have shot coyotes (very comparable to the African jackal ), also marmots (giant hamsters, LoL) and ground squirrels, beginning around 1970 or 1971, by means of a vintage .244 Remington Model 722 rifle and an almost equally vintage Redfield scope.
As time went by, I eventually got my claws on a dreaded Pre-64 Winchester Model 70 in .243 and there have been others.
Anyway, although I no longer own a .24 caliber of any sort, I do like them for tiny targets, all the way out to around 400 meters / yards.

On that note, if I did own one now, you can rest assured that I would use it only for rodents, pest birds (crows and such) plus small predators (coyote, badger, fox, skunk, lynx).
Likely I’d even shoot a wolf with such a small bore rifle, if I had another .243 - 6MM and a wolf was foolish enough to let me have a wack at him, while I was carrying such a varmint caliber and if a frog had wings (because wolves always seem to out maneuver my best moves).

Wolves around here can commonly weigh 150+ pounds / 65 to 70 kilos, perhaps a little more.
And so, I’d prefer more bullet than 100 grains.
The .257 diameter 120 grain comes to mind as a minimum for serious wolf hunting.
And the 6.5 bores, with 130 grainers or more —> so much the better.
Again, that’s just IMO, not The Burning Bush of Cartridge Gospel.

Cheers Mate,
Paul.

A wolf sounds like a good pairing for another 6.5, the 6.5-300 Weatherby.

 

[Velo Dog]

A wolf sounds like a good pairing for another 6.5, the 6.5-300 Weatherby.

If you can catch some wolf pack doing a group hug, you might bag a dozen or more with one shot from that rocket launcher.

 

[Field28]

@Velo Dog
The only thing the 243 can be relied on to do is disappoint. Over rated noisy pieces of crap in my book.
Actually my book doesn't even list the 243 as a cartridge. Look up a dictionary under rubbish and you will find it mentioned.
Bob

I'll always have a special little place in my heart for the 243, I killed my first deer with one. All the deer that I've ever shot with a 243 dropped where they stood due to shot placement, dead on the shoulder.
I'd much rather someone show up to hunt with me have a 243 or 6mm than a 22-250 or 223. I've shot deer with both 22-250 and a 222, imo they are only suitable for head shooting does.

That being said it is far from my ideal whitetail cartridge, that would be the 25-06. However if I was going to hunt in a place like Saskatchewan or Alberta where the deer were larger bodied, 30-06 or 7mm mag all day long.

 

[Russ16]

Hi Bob,

You have a great sense of humor and I enjoy your posts.
I agree that the .243 Winchester, the 6 MM Remington and all their kin, are way over rated as general purpose cartridges.
I cannot speak for Australian animals and hunting conditions.
But I suspect some if not many of them are too large and sturdy for reliable shots into them with tiny sized bullets.

In North America, (where I live), for reasons unknown to me, too many people think they are really doing something grand by using smallish calibers for shooting largish animals.
I think such behavior is unfair to said largish animals.
It is more humane to use adequate calibers for whatever species we are hunting.
In N. America, large deer critters, such as big fat, corn fed white tail and / or large heavy mule deer bucks should not, in my
opinion, be shot with tiny bullets.
But it is just my opinion, nothing more.

Having said all that, the .24 caliber rifles are notoriously good for pest and predator control, out to several hundred meters in
my experiences.
I have shot coyotes (very comparable to the African jackal ), also marmots (giant hamsters, LoL) and ground squirrels, beginning around 1970 or 1971, by means of a vintage .244 Remington Model 722 rifle and an almost equally vintage Redfield scope.
As time went by, I eventually got my claws on a dreaded Pre-64 Winchester Model 70 in .243 and there have been others.
Anyway, although I no longer own a .24 caliber of any sort, I do like them for tiny targets, all the way out to around 400 meters / yards.

On that note, if I did own one now, you can rest assured that I would use it only for rodents, pest birds (crows and such) plus small predators (coyote, badger, fox, skunk, lynx).
Likely I’d even shoot a wolf with such a small bore rifle, if I had another .243 - 6MM and a wolf was foolish enough to let me have a wack at him, while I was carrying such a varmint caliber and if a frog had wings (because wolves always seem to out maneuver my best moves).

Wolves around here can commonly weigh 150+ pounds / 65 to 70 kilos, perhaps a little more.
And so, I’d prefer more bullet than 100 grains.
The .257 diameter 120 grain comes to mind as a minimum for serious wolf hunting.
And the 6.5 bores, with 130 grainers or more —> so much the better.
Again, that’s just IMO, not The Burning Bush of Cartridge Gospel.

Cheers Mate,
Paul.

I’ll second this. I grew up in Texas hunting mostly the hill country and west Texas. Lots of deer there never hit 130 pounds on the hoof. My .243 featherweight model 70 killed lots of them and they never ran more than 20-30 yards. Also a great coyote rifle with a more fragile bullet.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

rdog, if you haven't already done so, check out Nathan Foster's evaluation of the Swede. Nathan is a very respected long-range Kiwi hunter. I found it quite interesting, I suspect you will as well.
https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase.html From that page go to 6.5 X 55

""""The 140 grain bullet is the most versatile bullet weight in the Swede. Hand loaded to between 2750 and 2800fps, this combination produces the best balance of wounding versus penetration. Nevertheless, regardless of high BC’s and SD’s, the Swede can be a slow killer at ranges beyond 200 yards. Conventional projectiles, regardless of SD, often fail to produce deep penetration. The 6.5x55 is simply not in the same class as the .270 which it is often compared to, regardless of hype.""""

I really would like to hear opinions in regards to this statement : taken from Nathan Foster`s rifle/different calibers research ?????

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I'll always have a special little place in my heart for the 243, I killed my first deer with one. All the deer that I've ever shot with a 243 dropped where they stood due to shot placement, dead on the shoulder.
I'd much rather someone show up to hunt with me have a 243 or 6mm than a 22-250 or 223. I've shot deer with both 22-250 and a 222, imo they are only suitable for head shooting does.

That being said it is far from my ideal whitetail cartridge, that would be the 25-06. However if I was going to hunt in a place like Saskatchewan or Alberta where the deer were larger bodied, 30-06 or 7mm mag all day long.

@Field28
My mate Peter who has shot fallow deer with a 243 and was not happy.
Range around 70 yards. First shit deer ran then dropped second one ran off never to be found despite searching for two days.
Both perfect shoulder shots with Remington 100gn core lockt.
He now owns a 25-06 for his deer hunting.
Bob

 

[Velo Dog]

[QUOTE="Bob Nelson 35Whelen, post:

My mate Peter who has shot fallow deer with a 243 and was not happy.
Range around 70 yards. First shit deer ran then dropped second one ran off never to be found despite searching for two days.
Both perfect shoulder shots with Remington 100gn core lockt.
He now owns a 25-06 for his deer hunting.
Bob

This.

 

[dlmac]

I had 3 total, 1 was 38, 1 was a 94 carbine and the last is a project an old stock B&A barrel on a 98 action going to do an AI on this one. As many said the 2 military rifles were just average shooters. Still the cartridge is a great and classic. Boring or not it still works, just like many marriages