6.5x55 Help please
- Thread starter D.Pagenkopf
- Start date
- Location
- SE corner Sk
These are a few of my favorite 6.5x55 hunters, HVA Dahlberg 1600 with 20" barrel, BSA CF2, and a PH LW. Had a "modern" Howa but it just didn't have any class lol.
Very nice! I see that intersurplus has a LH carl gustaf in 6.5x55, wish I had the cash to buy it
Jonnyofalltrades
Regular
- Location
- North-central Saskatchewan
The Swedish mauser and 6.5 X 55 are a combo that is absolutely magical. Mine groups almost everything under 1.5",
With iron sights.
With iron sights.
- Location
- SE corner Sk
Here's my "Swede Scout". I believe it was built from a 94 carbine, barrel is 18.5", glass bedded into a B&C stock with a Vortex dot. Very handy short rifle for dogging or the tree stand. Thing is wicked accurate with everything I've put through it. The rear of the receiver is also drilled/tapped, but needs the mount that clears the charger lip. I don't hunt anymore, so sadly it sits in my cabinet....
Very nice!
Here's my "Swede Scout". I believe it was built from a 94 carbine, barrel is 18.5", glass bedded into a B&C stock with a Vortex dot. Very handy short rifle for dogging or the tree stand. Thing is wicked accurate with everything I've put through it. The rear of the receiver is also drilled/tapped, but needs the mount that clears the charger lip. I don't hunt anymore, so sadly it sits in my cabinet....
This is badass.
Nicely done! That gets the job done!
I don't mind any action really, biggest things to me- Looks, weight and price.
I like the classic look of the side mounts, an m98 would be great-no worries on m96 "issues" that way. I don't think 6.5 CRM has run out of steam, I think now its settled in. I will say that the advantage to the 6.5CRM and 6.5PRC is it is a short action round.
I'm in Alberta. I will hunt it all, 6.5 kills all equally. Everything I can buy a tag for will be what I hunt- but most likely Mule Deer, White Tail, Black Bears, Coyotes, Sheep, Wolves, Cougar... Literally everything, Grizzly if I had to... The 6.5 Swedes have been killing their Moose (aka Elk), Wapiti (aka Elk), and Reindeer/Cariboo for ages. I'll hunt open prairies, open mountains, thick bush and thin bush. I've trekked it all with long and heavy rifles... I'm at the point now where I know my physical limitations at the moment and want to find a rifle in the sweet spot of weight at around 6-7lb weight and money I'm still mulling that over. I need to get scope, ammo, dies, brass, powder, bullets, sling... The route is looking used- I would love another T3x in 6.5x55 but it does nothing for me in terms of esthetics and right now when you add it all up its out of the budget. I'm drawn to the 1640s forsure, I like a few of the m96 sporters too. I've been following Intersurplus for their selection of firearms. Have my eye on a couple, also reaching out to the used market here on other sites.
BEAUTIFUL rifles. I know what you mean about the class of the rifles when your talking about Howa- but I have had a Vanguard in the past and was a solid rifle.These are a few of my favorite 6.5x55 hunters, HVA Dahlberg 1600 with 20" barrel, BSA CF2, and a PH LW. Had a "modern" Howa but it just didn't have any class lol.
Great looking rifle, PM'd you. Thanks!Here's my "Swede Scout". I believe it was built from a 94 carbine, barrel is 18.5", glass bedded into a B&C stock with a Vortex dot. Very handy short rifle for dogging or the tree stand. Thing is wicked accurate with everything I've put through it. The rear of the receiver is also drilled/tapped, but needs the mount that clears the charger lip. I don't hunt anymore, so sadly it sits in my cabinet....
Long site pictures make for accurate shooting, but I'm sure the round performs at any length of barrel and sites. I love iron sites and shooting that way, all shooting takes skill and it just adds in a extra bit of fun and class!- I'm after a dedicated hunting rifle
I have a number of Swedes. Military sporters and the commercial M98 and the 1640s.
I used a single shot target rifle in 6.5x55 and gave a sporter to my brother in law, who shot a moose with it. Mushroomed160 gr RN under the hide on far side.
I also had a nice Win M70 in 6.5, but it had no class/character.
Get one of the Inter suplus 1640s.
I used a single shot target rifle in 6.5x55 and gave a sporter to my brother in law, who shot a moose with it. Mushroomed160 gr RN under the hide on far side.
I also had a nice Win M70 in 6.5, but it had no class/character.
Get one of the Inter suplus 1640s.
^^^^^
I was sold on the 6.5x55mm about 30 yrs ago when I first shot a buddy's Win 70 featherweight in it.
At the time the factory sporters in the ctg were hard to come by so I had a Model 96 Swede short rifle sporterized by a local gunsmith. It was just ok & never held a candle to buddy's M70.
Eventually, I scored a NIB Ruger 77 MkII in 6.5x55mm and parted ways with the sporter Swede. [I did also have Model 96 and 38 Swedes that were full wood, military, that I kept]. Today, I wish I never sold that Model 77 but did when I scored a Remington 700 Classic in 6.5x55mm after that.
A few years ago, I managed to score a vintage, pushfeed Win Model 70 in 6.5x55mm which I always considered my rifle 'holy grail'. So, off went the Rem Classic.
I no longer have any Swede military rifles, sold my last M38 at a gunshow a couple years back.
I consider the Model 70 a 'keeper'.
The 6.5x55mm is a great ctg!!!
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NAA.
I was sold on the 6.5x55mm about 30 yrs ago when I first shot a buddy's Win 70 featherweight in it.
At the time the factory sporters in the ctg were hard to come by so I had a Model 96 Swede short rifle sporterized by a local gunsmith. It was just ok & never held a candle to buddy's M70.
Eventually, I scored a NIB Ruger 77 MkII in 6.5x55mm and parted ways with the sporter Swede. [I did also have Model 96 and 38 Swedes that were full wood, military, that I kept]. Today, I wish I never sold that Model 77 but did when I scored a Remington 700 Classic in 6.5x55mm after that.
A few years ago, I managed to score a vintage, pushfeed Win Model 70 in 6.5x55mm which I always considered my rifle 'holy grail'. So, off went the Rem Classic.
I no longer have any Swede military rifles, sold my last M38 at a gunshow a couple years back.
I consider the Model 70 a 'keeper'.
The 6.5x55mm is a great ctg!!!
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NAA.
^^^^^
I was sold on the 6.5x55mm about 30 yrs ago...
Eventually, I scored a NIB Ruger 77 MkII in 6.5x55mm and parted ways with the sporter Swede.
The 6.5x55mm is a great ctg!!!
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NAA.
A Ruger M77 Mark II is what I am shooting in 6.5x55... great rifle, shoots really well... currently using 120 NBT's in it.
Top rifle;
Attachments
Did you acquire it off CGN? I sold mine to someone on here but can't recall the name. Probably 15 yrs ago or so now. I had bought it NIB out of Lever Arms in Vancouver, B.C. circa 1994'ish. It was a great shooter right out of the box with 140's.
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NAA.
So far when it comes to 6.5x55 this is my fav
If you ever sell that I call dibs! Lol
- Location
- SE corner Sk
Yep, also in the Vihtouri manual, think they call the modern loads SKAN.
https://www.vihtavuori.com/reloading-data-tool-rifle-handgun-cowboy-action-shooting/#/metrics/1/70/-1/-1/-1
https://www.vihtavuori.com/reloading-data-tool-rifle-handgun-cowboy-action-shooting/#/metrics/1/71/-1/-1/-1
She’s a beauty. I love my m96, but would be nice to have a modern action to start pushing the limits. Better optics etc. I just have a sig whiskey 3 on mine. Reticle sucks but glass is decent. Especially for the clearance price I picked it up for at Christmas lol.
From a uk site
“The 6.5X55mm 'Mauser' / SE / SKAN situation is pretty complex historically, and probably only a handful of people in Scandinavia know all of the detail and nuances.
First, max pressure-wise, there are only two categories, and that only applies to Europe / CIP. 6.5X55mm SE is the current standard CIP cartridge and rifle proofing one. That is, in the absence of any other factor this is the European cartridge. Its MAP is 3,800 bar / 55,114 psi.
However, as that's excessive for some historic rifles, lower pressure standards are adopted by some European ammunition manufacturers for some of their products, geared to around 45,000 psi or maybe a bit less. In effect, although this is the original version so to speak, it's now no longer the standard, definition and standards-wise, rather a 'shadow version'. In fact, c.45,000 psi is too high for some historic rifle models I can think of and if I were loading for them, it'd be to considerably lower peak pressures. Pressures and hence loadings aside, there is no difference in cartridge or chamber dimensions.
In the US, SAAMI doesn't do dual-standards after bad experiences in the past with other cartridges where users failed to read warnings on ammunition cartons to only use their contents in modern weapons in good condition, or specifically not for named firearms. SAAMI rates the 6.5X55 at 46,000 CUP MAP, but if some of the US factory deer loads I've chronographed are anything to go by, I'd say the ammunition factories load them substantially below that level.
Then we get to the complicated bit - SKAN. First, it's an SE pressure-wise, so no difference at all in loads. It's all about standardising chamber and case dimensions. The big prone centrefire international rifle discipline across Scandinavia is an internal regional one based originally on 6.5X55 Service Rifle. When prone rifle shooting as overseen by ICFRA moved from Service Rifle to Target Rifle in the 1960s, most countries such as the UK simply dropped their old competitions and equipment and moved to 7.62 and the new single-shot rifle regs even if the first rifles were mostly rebarrelled Enfiled No.4s with cut-down stocks, or military Mauser 98 action-based. Scandinavia adopted those, but also stuck to their own version using originally service rifles with allowed improvements including match sights.
Then a problem arose. In these Scandi international comps, the host issues ammunition to all parties including the visitors. It turned out that when the 6.5X55 was originally and jointly developed by Norway and Sweden in the late 1880s/early 90s, that although a single set of 'toleranced' chamber and cartridge drawings were approved and issued to all parties, the various countries' armouries interpreted the tolerances differently. This led to situations where 'say' Norwegian manufactured ammo was 'tight' in a minimum headspace Danish or Swedish chamber, and in the reverse situation Norwegian competitors were issued ammunition with too much shoulder clearance in Swedish or Danish hosted events. Functional chambering problems with some batches of ammo at tolerance limits aside, it was claimed that some combinations gave the home team a competitive edge.
With the discipline remaining popular and desires to make it even more so, the participants got together sometime last century (1980s?) and decided to sort this issue out whilst also dealing with the matter of original rifle actions being worn out and nothing like state of the art in various things like lock-time. Rather than adopt the GB NRA TR situation of where every competitor decides on his or her choice from various competing designs that were being constantly improved (and tended to become more expensive in real terms at the same time) once adaptation of the former service models went out of fashion, the Scandis adopted a single design by Sauer, the STR, that everybody used. Switch barrel too, to allow quick change to 308 for those comps with non-Scandi countries and/or disciplines where only 223/308 can be shot, also to allow various standard barrel lengths to be available and swappable for different uses. At the same time, the chamber / cartridge discrepancies were sorted with a new and slightly different standard spec for the Scandinavian standard rifle, ie the 6.5X55mm SKAN. It is slightly different from SE. Most times there are no issues in ammo interchangeability with commercial sporting 6.5X55mm 'Swedish Mauser' ammo, but IIRC the SKAN chamber is marginally shorter from bolt face to shoulder datum line, so maximum tolerance cases from non-SKAN spec sources may not always chamber in the Sauer competition rifle.
The whole set up has worked very well AFAIK. The STR on its home turf is much cheaper than a state of the art TR rifle here and is much more flexible too allowing more than just slowfire single-shot matches in a single discipline. When a barrel is shot-out, replacement is a DIY task buying off the shelf chambered barrels at a fraction of the cost of machining, chambering, headspacing, and fitting stainless barrel blanks as is done elsewhere. Everybody uses the same model of rifle and shoots the ammo supplied in big matches, although I'm sure handloading is done by many in club matches where 'local' rules allow.“
