6.5x55 cost effectiveness

[bluemike807]

Looking to get a 6.5x55 rifle for yote hunting in SW Ontario and also for general purpose hunting out of province.

How cost effective is it as a round? How much can I expect to pay per round retail, and whats the estimated cost per round for reloading?

Cheers

 

[Jimbobob08]

I dont reload yet so can't help with that part.

Local for me is remington $1.25/round and federal $1/round. Peterdobson sells premium ammo at $2.15/round. Thats all 140grain too btw.

 

[mmattockx]

I dont reload yet so can't help with that part.

Local for me is remington $1.25/round and federal $1/round. Peterdobson sells premium ammo at $2.15/round. Thats all 140grain too btw.

Those are great prices for your ammo. In Calgary I found only Winchester or Federal 140gr. ammo, both around $31/box of 20.

I just reloaded my first batch of 6.5x55 and it worked out to around $0.70/round using new Winchester brass (assuming 8 firings to discard), RL-22 powder, CCI primers and Hornady 140gr. SST bullets.

Mark

 

[Northman999]

It's not super cost effective, especially for coyotes.

I shoot 95gr VMAX for yotes/wolves in mine and they are the most expensive caliber of VMAX's there are - more than the .308 dia. Generally speaking 6.5x55 cost as much, or slightly more, to shoot than .308.

Reloaded, you're looking at about $0.81 per round. Factory is about $1.35, round. As far as I know, you can only get 140gr factory ammo - a little heavy for coyotes!

 

[Northman999]

I just reloaded my first batch of 6.5x55 and it worked out to around $0.70/round using new Winchester brass (assuming 8 firings to discard), RL-22 powder, CCI primers and Hornady 140gr. SST bullets.

Mark

That's exactly what I shoot for bigger game in my 6.5's. I must be paying more than you for supplies though - my price is at least a dime per round higher.

 

[mmattockx]

That's exactly what I shoot for bigger game in my 6.5's. I must be paying more than you for supplies though - my price is at least a dime per round higher.

Here's my break down:

140gr. Hornady SST bullets - $36/100
CCI 200 Primers - $26/1000 (on sale at Russell's before they closed)
RL-22 powder - $37/lb, calculated at 46.0gr/rnd
Winchester brass - $30/50, 8 loads to discard

That works out to:

$0.36 + $0.026 + $0.243 + $0.075 = $0.704/rnd

The SST's are cheap, but I also bought a box of 140gr. Sierra Game Kings for $37/100, so they aren't much more.

Mark

 

[bearhunter]

mm, redo your math. knock about 24 cents/loaded round off your cost. Your primers cost is actually about .026 cents per round.

Your loaded costs are under 50cents each. If you buy your components in bulk, you can cut the costs by as much as 20% more.

The 6.5x55 is an extremely good choice as an all around rifle. Good choice. With the 95grain V max or A max and a good accurate rifle, it will easily take coyotes cleanly and reliably, out past 400m as long as we do our part right. I use a powder, called H414 SL10. It is a ball powder that used to be sold by Higginson Powders. It is slightly slower than W760 and was one of the early powders Winchester loaded their commercial cartridges with. I won't go any further as it isn't available to the public anymore.

W760 or H414 with magnum primers are good combinations with just about any bullet weight for the 6.5x55. For the heavier bullets, over 140gr, H4831 is another good powder.

 

[Jimbobob08]

Trade ex has 6.5 prvi 139gr spbt bullets for $27.00/100, and priv unfired brass for $60/100.

 

[Pathfinder]

I believe the Privi (PPU) brass is made by Norma....not 100% sure. Nice brass though.

 

[mmattockx]

mm, redo your math. knock about 24 cents/loaded round off your cost. Your primers cost is actually about .026 cents per round.

I don't think so. The primers are $26.00/1000, or 2.6 cents per. That is the $0.026 I show, you have just slipped a couple of decimals on your calcs. I wish i was loading for less than $0.50/rnd that would be fantastic!

Mark

 

[NSRA Member]

Handloading Cost Calculator

Put your component costs here and all your questions will be answered by the magic box. . .

http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp

 

[cement head]

6x5x55

I have owned two diffrent rifles in 6x5x55 caliber and it;s a very nice shooting round with little recoil . and I also reloaded for it but have sold both . I just went to a 270 ruger for the same purpose you are looking to use that 6x5 for in ontario. ammo is easier to get also .