260 vs the Swede

billyc

billyc

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Well i just learnt I'll be having shoulder surgery to repair a couple of tears. The week before I just sold my 7mm/08(was gonna give a 7wsm a try but not after the surgery). If all goes well I should be able to shoot in November. So I'm back looking for a nice light kicker and have narrowed it down to these 2. Decided to get a Tikka but can't really decide between these 2 calibers. Can any one tell me why they choose the one over the other. I reload so factory ammo availability means nothing.
Thanks
 
Given that they are the same caliber, with not so different ballistics, there isn't a great deal of difference. I personally chose the 260, because it can be chambered in a short action.
 
I did a little bit of research last night on this very subject. Best I could come up with is this:

6.5x55 has about a 2 grain advantage in case capacity, but is generally loaded a few thousand PSI lower than the 260 Rem. I see no reason why one couldn't load the 6.5x55 to 260 rem pressures in a modern rifle, but there is very little load data available in that regard. Do so at your own risk.

The swede handles heavier bullets better than the 260 as the 260 requires seating the larger bullets deeper into the case reducing capacity more than on the swede.

6.5x55 is long action, 260 rem is short.

Find either one in a rifle you like and buy it, ballistically (sp?) they are pretty much the same.

260 rem is chambered by:

Savage in 6 different models, ranging from the 5.5lb model 11 lightweight hunter to a 10+ pound target model

Remington model 7 synthetic, Tikka T3, Sako, Kimber, Cooper

6.5x55 is available in Tikka T3, Cooper, Kimber?, CZ550, maybe others, Sako?

Personally I'm on the lookout for a 257 Roberts, 260 Rem, or 6.5x55 swede for my next purchase.
 
It's kinda like when you're buying a coffee and you have a choice of either white sugar, or brown sugar; the flavor of each is a little different, but in the end they're both really Sweet. ;)
 
Tikka T3's are all long action receviers.....go with the 6.5x55, it'll fill the recevier better and it can be a tad faster than the 260,...assuming you reload....I'm familiar with two T3's in 6.5 Swede,....both are more accurate than a lot of heavy barrel "target/varmint" rifles.
 
if your looking for a lightweight rifle , go with 260 ( my prefernece is the new savage lightweight or a older remington titanium action )

if you don't mid a few extra ounces of weight and plan to handload , go with the 6.5x55
 
I think, last time I checked, at Trade X, a couple of higher end 6.5x55's still on the list.
Five brown ones and some change$
I own a 6.5X55 in a Mauser 98 action.
It really makes me feel good at the range.
Sorry for the down time.
Have you considered shooting with the other wing????
Good luck with your surgery.
Regards.
Looky.
 
I have a T3 in 260 and love it, but if you reload why not utilize the long action and get the 6.5x55. That being said buy the one you can find! And put a limb saver on it for your shoulder!
 
Thanks for the responses. I have seen that the 6.5x55 is loaded real light due to older guns being chambered in it. So i assume if you carefully work up your loads you can match or beat the 260. Anyone have any experience with this?
I can shoot off the bench with my left arm but theres no way I could do it offhand. But I'm gonna practice more and see if it comes around in case my shoulder isn't good to go.
 
Great choice no matter which one ya choose!...But I Don't think you could ever go wrong with a 6.5x55 IMHO!! Nice and light recoil...if you want it to be...orrrr....beef it up to take moose and elk. All them Swedes over there can't be wrong for all that time.;)
I have an old Husqvarna....6.5x55 ..model 96...was bubba'd pretty bad when I got it...hex bolts for action screws :confused:....couple of offset holes in the receiver:eek: Figured what the heck...try a few boxes of factory stuff..see what it likes..
Man, what a great gun to shoot. :dancingbanana: verrry accurate gun ta boot. Handloaded 120's, 140's and the bigol 160 RN's will cloverleaf @ 100 yds..then again so will blue box federal 140's :D Hardly no recoil with the120's.

Decided to keep it and fix it up! Waiting to get it reblued...got it down so that it's almost finished being polished....floor plate's been hinged, bolt's been bent, low swing safety put on...bedded it ...don't look so bad now that the "bubba look" is gone ;) My wife and my 12 yr old daughter like to shoot it at the range whenever we take it. Think I'm gonna hang on to it for a spell. My daughter's getting her PAL, Hunters Ed and Minors permit next month...then LOOKOUT...:p...C'mon Dad...when we goin deer huntin? ...I'd love to see her get to use it on one when she gets of age:D
 
Fracture said:
I did a little bit of research last night on this very subject. Best I could come up with is this:

6.5x55 has about a 2 grain advantage in case capacity, but is generally loaded a few thousand PSI lower than the 260 Rem. I see no reason why one couldn't load the 6.5x55 to 260 rem pressures in a modern rifle, but there is very little load data available in that regard. Do so at your own risk.

The swede handles heavier bullets better than the 260 as the 260 requires seating the larger bullets deeper into the case reducing capacity more than on the swede.

6.5x55 is long action, 260 rem is short.

Find either one in a rifle you like and buy it, ballistically (sp?) they are pretty much the same.

260 rem is chambered by:

Savage in 6 different models, ranging from the 5.5lb model 11 lightweight hunter to a 10+ pound target model

Remington model 7 synthetic, Tikka T3, Sako, Kimber, Cooper

6.5x55 is available in Tikka T3, Cooper, Kimber?, CZ550, maybe others, Sako?

Personally I'm on the lookout for a 257 Roberts, 260 Rem, or 6.5x55 swede for my next purchase.
Click to expand...

6.5x55 is long action, 260 rem is short.

no exactly : the original 6,5x55 and 7x57 were more mid actions if you look the case size you ll see that.
and i prefer the swedish especially in the Tikka same length action whatever the caliber.
 
Rembo said:
Tikka T3's are all long action receviers.....go with the 6.5x55, it'll fill the recevier better and it can be a tad faster than the 260,...assuming you reload....I'm familiar with two T3's in 6.5 Swede,....both are more accurate than a lot of heavy barrel "target/varmint" rifles.
Click to expand...

I have a T3 Hunter in 6.5x55 that is great, I load it to 260 rem velocities given it's a modern action. The rifle is stupid accurate, is lightweight and looks pretty good.

Winner all the way round.

I've had two 700 Mountain Rifles that were both chambered in 260, the first was an LSS that was great, stupid accurate(although not quite as good as the Tikka but very close), the second was a walnut blued model that shot a bit more than MOA.

I load 129 gr Hornady's in the swede, ran 125 gr partitions in the 260's. both killed deer like nobodies business, the LSS also shot a decent moose with a 130 gr TSX.

Either one are great, the 260 is hardr to find, very few are chambered today.

Here is a couple of targets from the swede.

tikka025.jpg

tikka023.jpg

tikka021.jpg


I settled on the second one, these were developed at SAAMI lengths with no tweaking OAL at all, WW brass, 129 gr hornady spirepoints, fed 210m primers.
 
billyc said:
Thanks for the responses. I have seen that the 6.5x55 is loaded real light due to older guns being chambered in it. So i assume if you carefully work up your loads you can match or beat the 260. Anyone have any experience with this?
I can shoot off the bench with my left arm but theres no way I could do it offhand. But I'm gonna practice more and see if it comes around in case my shoulder isn't good to go.
Click to expand...

if you choose Nosler, Norma or Sb they re not on the light side and if you reload choose the lapua case and you ll see the light.
 
billyc said:
Thanks for the responses. I have seen that the 6.5x55 is loaded real light due to older guns being chambered in it. So i assume if you carefully work up your loads you can match or beat the 260. Anyone have any experience with this?
I can shoot off the bench with my left arm but theres no way I could do it offhand. But I'm gonna practice more and see if it comes around in case my shoulder isn't good to go.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I did. I checked with John Barsness of Handloader magazine on the 24hourcampfire and he said no problem, he had done it with multiple newer Swede's.

Good Luck with the shoulder.
 
martinbns said:
I have a T3 Hunter in 6.5x55 that is great, I load it to 260 rem velocities given it's a modern action. The rifle is stupid accurate, is lightweight and looks pretty good.

Winner all the way round.

I've had two 700 Mountain Rifles that were both chambered in 260, the first was an LSS that was great, stupid accurate(although not quite as good as the Tikka but very close), the second was a walnut blued model that shot a bit more than MOA.

I load 129 gr Hornady's in the swede, ran 125 gr partitions in the 260's. both killed deer like nobodies business, the LSS also shot a decent moose with a 130 gr TSX.

Either one are great, the 260 is hardr to find, very few are chambered today.

Here is a couple of targets from the swede.

tikka025.jpg

tikka023.jpg

tikka021.jpg


I settled on the second one, these were developed at SAAMI lengths with no tweaking OAL at all, WW brass, 129 gr hornady spirepoints, fed 210m primers.
Click to expand...

Martin are you using 260 rem datas or the specific SE ones ?
 
By looking fast i would say that the 6.5 Creedmoor is a tad faster than both of them, dont even have all my reloading components in an just order a scope not quite ready to shoot the Creedmoor... JP.
 
if your looking for a lightweight rifle , go with 260 ( my prefernece is the new savage lightweight or a older remington titanium action )

I picked up a sako 75 finnlite last year for a very good price in 260 REM.

This gun is 11/16 of a pound lighter than a 75 in 6.5 x 55
So is mine a med action? Is the 6.5 a long action?
Perhaps sombody here knows the answer.

I never would have got the gun if it was in the 6.5. Sombody else would have got there 1st. Perhaps an small advantage of the unloved 260?

I load the sako 260 to over 2900 fps with a TTSX bullet.
It would work fine on a lung shot into an elk at 250 yards.

I like the tikka T3 also. Own 2 of them.

There are lots of sako 75's on gunbroker.
Check this for example... Are those sako mounts too?
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=241490781
 
Pay more attention to finding a rifle you like and about getting it to fit you, and worry less about which round its chambered for. Because I like CRF bolt guns I'd be more likely to end up with a 6.5X55, but if you prefer round actions, the .260 might be your only choice.
 
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