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BigV

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Just inherited an old Mauser from my uncle. I had never heard of this caliber. Would it be close to a .270? Good for deer and bear?
 
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it is quite simillar to the .260

it is a good calliber for most things, can be loaded hotter than some.
very nice for groundhog right up to dear. Wouldn't reccomend it for bear though.
 
The 6.5x55 Swede is considered a very underrated cartidge. It is commonly used for Moose in Europe.
100 to 150 grain bullets are available in .264 cal and the 140's are known for thier good sectional density and high ballistic coefficient in this caliber.
I think it would be a an acceptable big game cartridge for Bears in a pinch.
 
BIGREDD said:
The 6.5x55 Swede is considered a very underrated cartidge. It is commonly used for Moose in Europe.
100 to 150 grain bullets are available in .264 cal and the 140's are known for thier good sectional density and high ballistic coefficient in this caliber.
I think it would be a an acceptable big game cartridge for Bears in a pinch.
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What BR said. x2.
I never tried the 160 grainers, but some day......
 
I agree. the 6.5x55 can take most game you will want to hunt in canada short of grizz.i reloaded a lot and it has a lot of untapped potential. Winchester thought it was soo good the made the 264 Win Mag to soupe it up to a higher speed. long bullets, going fast that are very accurate adds up to a great shooting cartridge.
 
NCressman said:
it is quite simillar to the .260

it is a good calliber for most things, can be loaded hotter than some.
very nice for groundhog right up to dear. Wouldn't reccomend it for bear though.
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Similar to?:confused:
It inspired the 260 Rem!!:rolleyes:
I've never hunted black bear but as BigRedd said, the Europeans have used them on EVERYTHING.
The Finns even used them on polar bear in the early 1900s....I think few people have the cajonés for that though!:eek:
And some were using the old Krag Jorgenson rifles chambered to it which have much lower pressure limit than any Mauser and loads were subsquently weaker.
Makes you think, eh?!:(
In many ways they were the Scandinavian everyman cartridge, like the 303 was in Commonwealth countries and 30-06 was in the States.
For some reason, in the same way that a 270 with a 130gn bullet has almost a magical ability about it, 6.5mm bullets have arguably the most effective real world penetrating powers in the whole range of small bore cals.
The heavier the bullet gets, the more amazingly they penetrate.
I wouldn't push my luck but providing you practice and use a good bullet like the Nosler Partition or Barnes Triple Shock moose and elk are quite reasonable.
The 6.5x55 is your shoulder's friend too and as such making a good shot is much easier than with a 30-06.
Stated simply it's a giant killer, like it's cousin the 7x57.
Have a play with it....you'll fall in love.
I shot my mate's scoped & restocked 6.5x55 M96 and it is a joy to use......amazing mild on the shoulder even without a recoil pad.
I'm already planning to have a torrid affair with it. :p
 
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With my brothers 6.5-55 i have shot deer,moose and blackbear.The same thing applies that ihave always said do not over shoot its range.
 
eltorro said:
I never tried the 160 grainers, but some day......
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While I don't shoot a 6.5x55, I do have a .264Mag. I wouldn't hesitate to use it on moose with the 160gr Hornady RN.

The 160 in a 6.5 would be perfect for the same use. On the right is a Remington 120gr, perfect for deer!

6.jpg
 
kombi1976 said:
Similar to?:confused:
It inspired the 260 Rem!!:rolleyes:
I've never hunted black bear but as BigRedd said, the Europeans have used them on EVERYTHING.
The Finns even used them on polar bear in the early 1900s....I think few people have the cajonés for that though!:eek:
:p
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If I could get a polar bear tag on the condition that I used a 6.5X55 rifle, I would have no hesitation what so ever. The Swede is a great round, as are the various other 6.5's of similar powder capacity. The Swede can push a 160 gr. Hornady at 2600 (A-Square manual) providing good performance on moose and bear, and a 120 gr. slug at 2900 would be a flat shooting load for mountain or plains game.
 
I have hunted with 6.5x55 swedes for years and taken several black bear and over 20 deer with it.They are accurate and low recoil-meaning you shoot better.No animal went further then 20 or 30 yards,either.I top mine with a 4x leopold and the combination works well.Funny how some calibers simply don't achieve popularity-except for those who shoot them.My bubba'd swede [yes I did it myself -and no apologies]is very well made,nice piece of walnut and carries and shoots well.I believe I read somewhere that ballisticly, after 100 yards,it virtually parallels a 270.
 
The most accurate gun in my battery. Will shoot handloaded 140 and 160 grain bullets, almost to the same points of impact at 100 yards and more.
 
My buddy's wife shoots a 6.5X55 Model 96 and has no qualms about decking our big moose and mountainn caribou with it. She used a 308 for a while, but went back to her 6.5 and 140 gr partitions. :D

Ted
 
BigV said:
Just inherited an old Mauser from my uncle. I had never heard of this caliber. Would it be close to a .270? Good for deer and bear?
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Just to add ammunition (as it were) to the above posts, here is the comment from ChuckHawks.com

6.5mm calibers have been popular with various of the world's militaries, including Japan (6.5x50), Sweden (6.5x55), Norway (6.5x55), Italy (6.5x52), Greece (6.5x54), and no doubt others. Most of these have also been successfully used as sporting cartridges, and the most successful of all in that role has been the 6.5x55.

The 6.5x55 seems to be one of those well balanced cartridges that is "just right." It does an excellent job without muss or fuss, much like the 7x57 Mauser. Powerful enough to do pretty much whatever can be done with its bullet diameter, yet mild enough so that almost everyone can shoot it well. It has an excellent reputation as a game cartridge, better than its paper ballistics would suggest.

The 6.5x55 was developed by a joint Swedish/Norwegian commission in Christiania (later renamed Oslo) in 1893. It was officially adopted as the military caliber of the United Kingdom of Sweden and Norway in 1894. (At the time Sweden and Norway were one country.) It became a popular sporting rifle cartridge in Scandinavia, and then all over Europe, where it is often referred to as the 6.5x55 SE, the "SE" standing for Sweden. It is famous as a superbly accurate cartridge and has been widely used in Europe for target shooting, including Olympic free rifle competition.

The cartridge remained little known in the U.S. until the late 1950's, when surplus 6.5x55 military rifles became available to American shooters in good numbers. In 2003 Blaser, CZ, Dakota, Ruger, Sako, Sauer, Tikka, and Winchester are all offering fine bolt action sporting rifles in 6.5x55 to the North American market. RCBS reports that the 6.5x55 ranks among the top 30 calibers in reloading die sales. The cartridge has finally come of age in the U.S., where it is known as the "6.5mm Swede" or the "6.5x55mm Swedish Mauser."

The 6.5x55 uses regular 6.5mm (.264") bullets in a bottle necked, rimless case with a 25 degree shoulder. It has an unusual head size which is slightly larger in diameter (.476") than the standard 7x57 Mauser or .30-06 case (.473"). The rim of the 6.5x55 is also slightly thicker (.059") than a standard 7x57 Mauser or .30-06 case (.049"). The twist in Mauser military 6.5x55 barrels is a fast 1 turn in 7.5" to stabilize the very long 160 grain bullets. Most civilian 6.5x55 barrels use a 1 turn in 8 inch twist, which will still stabilize the 160 grain bullet, and is slightly better for 120 grain bullets.

The typical bullet weights are 87-100 grain, 120 grain, 125 grain, 129-130 grain, 140 grain, 150-156 grain, and 160 grain. The 87-100 grain spitzer bullets are varmint bullets, the flat shooting 120 grain spitzer bullets are generally intended for the smaller deer and antelope species, the 125-130 grain spitzer bullets are excellent for all-around hunting, the 140 grain spitzer bullets combine the weight, SD, and BC for larger game at fairly long range, and the 150+ grain bullets are usually designed for large animals at medium range.

If these bullet weights seem a little light for their intended applications, note their SD relative to popular bullet weights in better known calibers. For instance, the .26 caliber 120 grain bullet has a SD of .247, almost identical to the 165 grain .30 caliber bullet. The 125 grain .26 bullet has a SD of .256, identical to that of a 170 grain .30 bullet. The 129 grain .26 bullet has a SD of .264, nearly identical to that of a 180 grain .303 bullet. The long 140 grain .26 bullet has an outstanding SD of .287, which is essentially the same as a 190 grain .30 match bullet. The 160 grain .26 bullet has a SD of .328, about like a 220 grain .30 bullet.

U.S. specifications limit the MAP of the 6.5x55 to 45,000 cup. Federal, Remington, Speer, and Winchester each offer the 6.5x55 with a 140 grain spitzer bullet at a muzzle velocity (MV) of 2,550 fps and a muzzle energy (ME) 2,020 ft. lbs. At 200 yards the numbers are 2164 fps and 1456 ft. lbs. (Remington figures).

With the standard American 140 grain factory load zeroed at 200 yards, the trajectory is as follows: +2.4 in. at 100 yards, +2.1 in at 150 yards, 0 at 200 yards, -3.9 in at 250 yards, -9.8 in. at 300 yards. As you can see, with this load the 6.5x55 is a good 250 yard big game rifle.

Somewhat hotter U.S. hunting loads for the 6.5x55 are offered by Federal and Hornady. Federal has a 140 grain Hi-Shok bullet at a MV of 2600 fps and ME of 2100 ft. lbs. Hornady has two 6.5x55 offerings in their Light Magnum line, a 129 grain Spire Point bullet at a MV of 2770 fps with ME of 2197 ft. lbs., and a 140 grain Spire Point bullet at a MV of 2740 fps and ME of 2333 ft. lbs. If the 129 grain bullet were zeroed to take advantage of its maximum point blank range (+/- 3") it would hit 2.7" high at 100 yards, 1.7" high at 200 yards, 3" low at 275 yards, and 5.5" low at 300 yards.

European loads for the 6.5x55 tend to be hotter than the standard U.S. loads. Sellier & Bellot of the Czech Republic load their 140 grain soft point spitzer bullet for the 6.5x55 SE at a MV of 2645 fps. Sako of Finland offers a wider range of loads, including a 100 grain FMJ spitzer bullet at 2,625 fps, a 139 grain match bullet at 2,790 fps, and a 156 grain round nose bullet at 2,625 fps. Norma of Sweden loads their 139 grain Vulkan bullet to a MV of 2854 fps and ME of 2515 ft. lbs. They offer several loads with 156 grain bullets, the fastest of these being the Vulkan bullet at a MV of 2644 fps and ME of 2422 ft. lbs. These loads are typical of the performance European hunters expect from the 6.5x55.

The reloader with a modern bolt action rifle can do very well with the 6.5x55. The Speer Reloading Manual No. 13 shows that their 120 grain spitzer bullet (BC .433) can be driven to a MV of 2650 fps with 45.0 grains of IMR 4831 powder, and 2886 fps with 49.0 grains of the same powder. Their 140 grain spitzer (BC .496) can be driven to a MV of 2449 fps by 44.0 grains of RL22 powder, and 2671 fps by 48.0 grains of RL22. Speer recommends the 120 grain bullet for antelope and the smaller deer, and the 140 grain bullet for large deer and black bear. The good old boys at Speer tested these loads in a Ruger M77 rifle with a 22" barrel, and used Federal cases and CCI 200 primers.

The Hornady Handbook, Sixth Edition shows that their sleek 129 grain Spire Point and SST bullets can be driven to a MV of 2700 fps by all eight powders listed. Examples would be 42.4 grains of IMR 4350, 45.5 grains of H450, 42.1 grains of Win. 760, or 45.4 grains of RL-22. These loads used Hornady brass and Winchester WLR primers, and were chronographed in a Model 1896 Mauser with an 29" barrel.

The fifth edition of the Nosler Reloading Guide lists loads for their excellent 125 grain Partition bullet in front of 41.5 grains of IMR 4350 powder at a MV of 2592 fps, and 45.5 grains of 4350 at a MV of 2910 fps. IMR 4350 was the most accurate powder tested with the 125 grain bullet. Norma cases and Remington primers were fired in a 23" barrel to develop these loads.

At present I am loading the 140 grain Sierra GameKing SBT bullet at a MV of 2650 fps in front of 44.7 grains of RE-22 powder for use in both my Swedish Mauser Model 1896 and my Winchester Model 70 rifles. See the Sierra Edition V reloading manual for details.

The 6.5x55 is an extremely accurate, very capable hunting cartridge. Its mild recoil makes it a pleasure to shoot at the range or in the field and insures that the average hunter and recreational shooter can take full advantage of its capabilities.

High performance factory loads and handloads make the 6.5x55 suitable for all of the world's thin-skinned big game in the hands of a skilled marksman. Trond Borge Ottersen of Norway, who helped me with some of the historical information in this article, assures me that Norwegians were very active in the arctic around the turn of the 20th Century. They were especially active in whaling and hunting. As a result of this many polar bears have been taken with the 6.5X55. Put one of those deadly 6.5mm bullets into a vital spot and you will indeed "bring home the bacon" with the 6.5x55.
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:) Stuart
 
I am a great fan of the 6.5x55, and have owned quite a number of them over the years. At present, I own only one, a 700 Classic, but am having a second one built on a 721 action. I have shot Umpteen deer, several Black Bears, three or four moose and a couple of elk with this chambering. I cannot remember taking a second shot at any of them, since none went over 75 feet after the shot. I have used 125 Partitions for deer and 140 Partitions for everything else. In the 24" barrel of my Remington, I get very close to 3000 with the 125 and around 2800 with the 140. This shoots flat and will penetrate like crazy. I have yet to recover a bullet from a deer, and I have one from an elk, and one from a moose in my collection . [both 140 Partitions]
The 6.5's as a groups are not "miraculous" killers over and above other bullet diameters, but their good sectional density and high rotational speeds make them pretty effective. Regards, Eagleye.
 
moderate capacity 6.5s are one of the best cartridges for deer hunting, out to 300 yards

140s @ 2600 fps work wonders
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''one of the best deerhunting cartidges ,out to 300 yards''which pretty well says ''one of the best deer cartridges''because I venture 99% of all deer killed[maybe not shot at] were shot at ranges well under 300 MEASURED]yards....[a measured yard is considerably longer[ about double actually] than just a ''yard'']
 
Years ago I bought a 6.5 Swede to see how it measured up to my 264 win mag - and it was no slouch. What others have said here, try it and you will fall in love with it. The Europeans have known for years that the 6.5 mm bullet is one of the most ballistically stable projectiles around.

As above - 140 gr nosler partition at 2600 fps. In my 264, however, 140 gr nosler partition at 3200 fps.
 
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