Any stories about the 6.5x55?

M

Montefeltro

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Barrie, On
Would like to hear stories about the 6.5x55. Good or bad. I have a old 1915 carl gustaf m96 that I punch paper and ring steel with, but I am considering a modern 6.5x55 for hunting whitetail, black bear and the odd trouble coyote. Pics are a bonus.
 
6.5x55 was a calibre I avoided until this last year for no particular reason. Now it is among my top three favourite calibres (up there with the 7x57 and 30-06). It does everything very well and is very easy to reload for. Laser flat shooting. There's a reason why it is still a favourite among many "in the know" after all these years.

Danish M69
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I have shot moose, bear, coyotes and countless deer with one. My favourite cartridge of all time. As far as ammo costs go, it costs no more to reload than any other centre fire hunting cartridge.
 
For bigger game 42gr/IMR 4350 or N204 and a 156-160 gr bullet will drill through two moose and a fire hydrant. Everything else a stiff dose of RE#22 and a 140gr partition or 130gr Scirroco2 ...........mice to moose......Harold
 
I used to be a dyed in the wool 308 kind of guy but since I acquired my last rifle, a Tikka T3 and a Swede M96 before that, I am now a converted 6.5X55 guy. It seems to do everything I need doing with a rifle very well with low muzzle blast and minimum recoil.

I believe it to be one of the most efficient cartridges out there which is remarkable given its age. The Swedes got it right the first time.
 
Yeah my first cartridge used to be the 7mm 08 back in the 80's.
I believe the Swedish did have it right as well all these years. Better ballistics with the high coefficient.
Too bad there is not a better selection of readily available non barrel burning cartridges in 6.5 mm around. The 6.5 by 65 R would be perfect.
 
Mangosteen said:
.Too bad there is not a better selection of readily available non barrel burning cartridges in 6.5 mm around. The 6.5 by 65 R would be perfect.
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How many more do you want. 6.5 x 50 jap, 6.5 carcaco, 6.5x54 Mannlicher, creedmore, .260, 6.5x55, 6x57, 6.5x284, 6.506 a square, 6.5 rem mag, 264 win mag, Nosler 26,
6x57 Rimmed, 6.5 x61, 6.5x 65RWS, and 6.5 x68 RWS, pretty sure there is rimmed versions of the RWS euro rounds as well.
I think we have plenty of choices, now if we can just get brass for sum of them,
I have a X2 .260 and a .264, so have moderate and magnum covered.:d
 
southernman said:
How many more do you want. 6.5 x 50 jap, 6.5 carcaco, 6.5x54 Mannlicher, creedmore, .260, 6.5x55, 6x57, 6.5x284, 6.506 a square, 6.5 rem mag, 264 win mag, Nosler 26,
6x57 Rimmed, 6.5 x61, 6.5x 65RWS, and 6.5 x68 RWS, pretty sure there is rimmed versions of the RWS euro rounds as well.
I think we have plenty of choices, now if we can just get brass for sum of them,
I have a X2 .260 and a .264, so have moderate and magnum covered.:d
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You missed my all time favourite , the 256 Newton which is essentially a 6.5-06.
Mine although not a Newton rifle was done up for me by Bill Leeper on a '51 Mod. 70 Winchester and is an outstanding shooter, so much so that I put my pet 6.5X55 up for sale after a couple range trips.
My biggest regret is that I no longer live in Pronghorn country, on the other hand a Sheep hunt with my Newton deserves serious consideration..
 
I have had some good and bad experience with the 6.5x55, its a great, low recoiling cartridge that can kill most North American game. Make sure you have a quality bullet, i had some bad experience with the 140gr serria spbt. At about 260 yards away I shot a buck that was a chest-shoulder shot, upon impact the bullet deflected against the shoulder and did not penetrate at all, needed to shot again to get it done. The next year I shot at a large buck trotting away around 60 yards, the bullet impacted the shoulder and the buck dropped and got back up and ran off. My hunting partner and I placed a couple shots on it once we caught up to it to finish it off. Upon skinning we found that the 6.5 serria bullet exploded on impact and did not even penetrate. In saying that, the batch of bullets I had most likely had poor quality control . Using the interlock or partition would be a better choice IMO.
 
southernman said:
How many more do you want. 6.5 x 50 jap, 6.5 carcaco, 6.5x54 Mannlicher, creedmore, .260, 6.5x55, 6x57, 6.5x284, 6.506 a square, 6.5 rem mag, 264 win mag, Nosler 26,
6x57 Rimmed, 6.5 x61, 6.5x 65RWS, and 6.5 x68 RWS, pretty sure there is rimmed versions of the RWS euro rounds as well.
I think we have plenty of choices, now if we can just get brass for sum of them,
I have a X2 .260 and a .264, so have moderate and magnum covered.:d
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Plus several improved versions of these if this wasn't enough.
 
How fast are you guys pushing 140s out of your swedes? I've got a modern one and settled at 2507 fps because that's where the accuracy was. I'm at 46.0 grains of h4831sc and the listed max is 47. Can someone tell me if there's modern max loads out there?
 
sask31 said:
How fast are you guys pushing 140s out of your swedes? I've got a modern one and settled at 2507 fps because that's where the accuracy was. I'm at 46.0 grains of h4831sc and the listed max is 47. Can someone tell me if there's modern max loads out there?
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Have you checked out "Reloader's Nest" for load data?
 
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