6.5x55 the little overachiever.

[BigUglyMan]

6.5x55 is dead in the water

Well that's what you do when you're trying to hype up a new cartridge that doesn't really do anything new or exciting.

 

[huntingfamily]

Howa, CZ, Zastava, Ruger, Sauer, to name a couple, plus every other European gun maker offers 6.5x55 chambering.

Tikka & Sako included

 

[The Kurgan]

Tikka & Sako included

All the good ones.

 

[The Kurgan]

6.5x55 is far from dead. 6.5CM just piggybacked on its resurgence. If you have an intermediate or full length action, 6.5x55 is certainly the better option.

 

[todbartell]

6.5x55 is far from dead. 6.5CM just piggybacked on its resurgence. I

 

[freire]

6.5x55 is far from dead indeed.
When you have European rifle makers including Blaser, CZ, Sauer & Sohn, Steyr, and Mauser Jagdwaffen GmbH offer sporting rifles chambered for this cartridge, as does the Finnish arms manufacturer SAKO/Tikka, and Japanese manufacturer Howa, this does not sound dead to me.
Besides the .22 long rifle what other caliber was used in the olympics biathlon? can't recall any other, sooooooo in my opinion 6.5CM has a long way to go.
Just my .2 cents.

 

[Brutus]

A friend recently clobbered a large black bear on his rural property just west of Cold Lake. Said to be about 400 pounds maybe a bit more.
I fully expected to hear he used the 300 Win Mag he inherited as it was his father's moose rifle.
I was quite wrong. He killed it quite dead using a 6.5 Swede using a single 120 something grain NP handload.
One to the chest. Done like dinner.

 

[fade2black]

Well I own a Howa 6.5x55, bought it in the last couple years from Prophet River, so they make them, if they discontinued it was recently.

Weatherby started making a few every year after the Howa was discontinued. Currently in stock at 2 Canadian retailers that I know of.

 

[fade2black]

6.5x55 is dead in the water

I recently switched from the 6.5x55 Swede to the CM and even I have to admit I know the CM will wear in time like the WSMs, SAUMs, 6.5 Rem Mag, STW, etc.

 

[CatfishSteve]

The 6.5x55 has been quietly killing moose in Europe since the 1890's. It's still going strong. Like the 7x57 it's a very efficient and versatile catridge. Plenty of killing power without much recoil. The swede made its name with the long 160 grain bullet. Providing lots of penetration on large bodied animals. There are plenty of modern quality bullets to extend its range and usefulness. It has gained a lot of popularity in North America since huge quantities of great Mauser 96 and 98 surplus rifles have been imported. Major gun makers here have chambered it in modern bolt actions also. A great classic cartridge imo. What do you guys think?

I believe you mean the M96 and M94

 

[todbartell]

I recently switched from the 6.5x55 Swede to the CM and even I have to admit I know the CM will wear in time like the WSMs, SAUMs, 6.5 Rem Mag, STW, etc.

The US Military never adopted any of those chamberings

 

[The Kurgan]

Deleted.

 

[Hunter7]

A couple of years ago I picked up a sporterized M96 Swedish 6.5x55 at a gun show, bore looked very good, was already drilled and tapped for scope bases. Got it for $160. I put a Leupold Marksman 3-9x40 scope on it and am amazed how well this 80 year old military rifle can shoot. It will average 1 moa with 140 grn. factory ammo. Have not experimented a whole lot with hand loads yet but this year using the Hornady 143 grn. Eld-X, took a nice 5x5 whitetail at 170 yards, through the heart and both lungs, buck went less than ten yards. Very impressed with the rifle and the 6.5x 55 cartridge. I may just have to retire my custom 7mm REM. Mag.

 

[Gatehouse]

The US Military never adopted any of those chamberings

The Creed is quickly becoming the New 30-06

 

[hawk-i]

A couple of years ago I picked up a sporterized M96 Swedish 6.5x55 at a gun show, bore looked very good, was already drilled and tapped for scope bases. Got it for $160. I put a Leupold Marksman 3-9x40 scope on it and am amazed how well this 80 year old military rifle can shoot. It will average 1 moa with 140 grn. factory ammo. Have not experimented a whole lot with hand loads yet but this year using the Hornady 143 grn. Eld-X, took a nice 5x5 whitetail at 170 yards, through the heart and both lungs, buck went less than ten yards. Very impressed with the rifle and the 6.5x 55 cartridge. I may just have to retire my custom 7mm REM. Mag.

The x55 is a great round but a multitude of chamberings would have had the exact same results you describe ..and that's why one should have one of each in their possession

 

[huntingfamily]

The creed is the wanna be swede.

 

[Hitzy]

The creed is the wanna be swede.

Partly...all the touting of a long enough throat to seat bullets far enough that they don't impede on powder capacity for example, Swede has always been chambered like this.
This is how far out you can seat a 140 Berger VLD in the Swede for example.

 

[chuck nelson]

That’s hilarious.

 

[Hitzy]

That’s hilarious.

Doesn't it look kind of familiar to today's target cartridges? It was also shorter and fatter then it's counterparts of the day...hmm, so what's different other then the CM "fits in a short action and has a 5 degree sharper shoulder"? Quality factory ammo has been available for the Swede for decades as well.
Huge benefits of the CM? Huge advantage when comparing bolt actions? Not seeing it personally.

 

[hawk-i]

The 6.5 PRC does better in a long action as well...