257 or 6.5x55

Because I have not had a 6.5 swede and of course know little about how much better the handloads are ..
I am just assuming again here .. But if a guy got a 6.5 creedmoore it should have as much or more than a 6.5 swede handloaded ..
And you would not have to handload :::) But then you could handload for the creedmoore and get more again
 
If you are not hand loading, .257 will give you grief. With 6.5X55 even with factory loads, the sky is your limit (almost). even ahead of 260. Hand loaders don't see the choice of calibers from our point of view (non-hand loaders). My two cents only.
 
If have to agree with the last comment . 6.5 x 55 outperforms the 6.5 x47
and the 260 do your own study .
I have the hole range of rifles
just finished a custom 6.5x55 last year it's a killing machine and at 600-700 it's great .
Easy to shoot and pulling .5 inch groups at 300 m
 
6.5mm bullets are longer than the caliber suggests, so they like to buck the wind at long distances better than other calibers that don't have the Length/width ratio in their favor.
.257" bullets just don't have the Ballistic coefficients to keep up. BUT , that only matters a lick when the range you shoot at are 400+ yards. At the distances you like to shoot at, it really doesn't matter. Pick the gun that you can get the most cost effective ammo for. Check locally and make sure there is some of each. Then check the price, as you'll shoot the one you can afford to shoot more, then become a more lethal hunter because of it. (My personal preference is still .257" , as I LOVE MY .25-06 rem , and it has been responsible for me getting quite a few "timid" people to get the courage to actually pull the trigger) For 100-200 yard shooting, if you don't reload, just get the most practical round for you...............cheapest and easiest to find ammo. THEN MAKE FRIENDS WITH SOMEONE WHO RELOADS. It isn't rocket science, and once you are shown how, the sky is the limit. If a knuckle dragging moron like me can reload, then you could possibly win a Nobel prize doing it.
 
I studied both the 260 Remington and the 6.5 x 55 when looking for an action for a build.
The short action came first so the 260 became the choice however I hand load and the rifle has never seen a factory load.
Had I been a non-hand loader, what is available on the shelves would have dictated my choice, either is rifle choice or ammunition availability.
Probably the 6.5 would have won as 257 Roberts are rare.
Had your heart been set on a quarter incher, then the 25-06 would have been a more logical choice as both rifles and ammunition are generally in good supply.
All three choices require a long action so there is little weight saving regardless of caliber.
 
Well the odd part of that is i DID have a 25-06 Parker Hale .. Nice gun .. But there was something wrong with it .. Not accurate at all .. May have beenwhy it was for sale .. And why I got rid of it too .. And I had trouble buying factory ammo for that too .. I had stores say "" you mean 30-06 "' No 25-06 .. Never heard of it ...
Well then I guess you do not have shells then..
And you could only buy 120 gr hollow point.. If the gr point is right .. I know the hollow point part is correct
 
If you are using factory loads...neither. handloads...either. The Swed in particular is loaded down to make lawyers happy in factory ammo. I would imagine neither ammo will be easy to find, except at a very good sporting goods store.

If you are wanting a good medium deer only round, already have varmits covered by other guns, perhaps consider 7-08. Much more available ammo in many more locations.
 
Well I really do appreciate all the info .. I am doing everything in my power to buy both .. I am sure I will have the 6.5 tomorrow .. and the 257 is in my sights ..I look at the pics of the 257 every day so that means I am hooked ..
 
MiG25 said:
Any proper sporting goods store will have ammo. Canadian Tire not likely.
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The local Canadian tire took over the gun shops here .. The Canadian tire has more ammo and stuff than the last two gun stores ever had.
Three gun stores in total went out of business around here when the Canadian tire put in a sporting section that would put the sporting good stores to shame
 
Do they have what you are looking for? The McLoed Trail CT in Calgary is the only one I have ever seen with a proper shooting section.
 
The belleville Canadian tire is like a walmart Superstore . They sell four wheelers and tree stands and the ammo section is very large ..
And of course locked up but yuo can see every cartridge they have because it is a glass counter style out in the open versus asking the guy to look and see if they have a certain shell locked up behind the counter
 
kamlooky said:
I'd pick a blonde Swede over a Bob or Rob or Bobert.
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I have had both and still have a 257 bob, so I would go with the 257 bob. If I still had both I wouldn't be able to decide. I would have to choose both.
 
I can see some overtime in my future now .. .should have both here by Saturday... The swede on Friday and the 257 on Saturday.
The swede is two hours east;; and 257 is a hour and half west;;; so some miles to put on too ..
The 257 was spoken for as the another guy inquired about if first ....Then I was next in line ... but other the guy could not come up with the money... I will know shortly if that was a blessing or not .
 
I've never owned or shot a .257 Roberts but I do own an M 96 Carl Gustaf Mauser manufactured in 1896 chambered in 6.5 x 55 Swedish. It has the long 29.5" 1 in 9" twist barrel with a Hogue synthetic stock and a Timney trigger, topped off with Nikon glass. I can tell you from experience that this rifle is a tack driver and has negligible recoil to boot. The availability of bullets goes all the way from 75 to 160 grain. As mentioned in a previous post, the long heavy for caliber 6.5 mm bullets have a very high ballistic coefficient and sectional density. In practical terms, this means that they maintain velocity and penetrate big game with authority. As a famous gun writer once said, "the 6.5 Swede and dear/black bear sized critters go together like stink and manure".
 
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