Any stories about the 6.5x55?

My first rifle ever was Ljungman AB 42 in 6.5x55 and love the cal.
Rifle i got rid off fast,heavy and bulky for hunting...
Now have old husky and love it,never fire it yet....
Had to have it
 
This was my first southern Alberta mule deer buck taken in 2010 with a Tikka Hunter in 6.5X55. Trotting heart shot at ~85 yards; luckily he ran up out of the coulee and went down after a short 100 yard run - heart was mush. I shot the doe he was with first (didn't see him until after I had the doe in my scope) at about 120 yards, double lung - she ran about 200 yards and fell over in the same field. In a moment of weakness I sold the rifle. I've also taken a small button buck, angled front chest shot, at about 100 yards with a Howa in 6.5X55 - he did sort of a back flip and was done on the spot. All one shot kills, using S&B ammunition, with slightly different shot placements. I still have the Howa and it may come with me north this year for moose. Pick up a modern rifle in 6.5X55, find out what ammuntion it likes best, and you won't be disappointed.



Buck-2010.pdf
 

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If my beat up old Krag could talk, it's tales would be sensational, but despite my urging, it remains silent. At some point in the distant future, there are plans to have the ole girl rebarreled, resighted, and restocked, then there will be stories to tell!
 
Had a tikka t3 in 6.5x55. Used 140 grain sierra gamekings over varget with CCI 250 primers. The rifle would put 3 shots just under 3/8 of an inch at 100.
 
358 BLR said:
If you want a good assessment of many of the various 6.5mm bullets that are available and an opinion on their performance capabilities, then
you should take a look at this site/page:

http://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/6.5x55.html
Click to expand...

From your link ... this made me source out some 120gr TSX's to experiment with. VICIOUS :)

"Every once in a while, during the course of testing for this knowledge base, a cartridge and bullet combination come together in such a way as to produce unique results. This is certainly the case with the Swede and 120 grain Barnes TSX/XCL bullets. These 120 grain bullets have a long bearing surface, ideal for the fast twist rate of the Swede, producing optimum accuracy. The fast twist rate and fairly high muzzle velocity of the Swede combined with the blender blade style Barnes produce a result that, to be blunt, is best described as vicious."
 
Oh the ol' swede. I just love this calibre, so much so that I own three rifles chambered in this classic configuration. I have taken one Rocky Mountain Goat, three Elk, two Black Bears, several Coyotes and numerous deer ( both Whitetail and Mule deer). I haven't taken a moose with it yet but I have full intentions to do so. A 6x6 BC bull elk fell to a single shot at over 260 yards and my goat never twitched after it was shot at the edge of a ledge at nearly 200 yards. A 140g partition took care of the Elk and a 120g ballistic tip decimated the goat. Last fall I took a very big mature cow elk here in Saskatchewan at 330 yards with a 130g accubond and the round passed clean through the shoulders. She jumped the fence and only made it a couple dozen yards before going down.

Used within its reasonable limits, with quality bullets, the swede is an extremely underrated and capable cartridge and I cannot wait for the chance to pursue a large Prairie Moose with it.

Mossy
 
deerfarmer said:
From your link ... this made me source out some 120gr TSX's to experiment with. VICIOUS :)

"Every once in a while, during the course of testing for this knowledge base, a cartridge and bullet combination come together in such a way as to produce unique results. This is certainly the case with the Swede and 120 grain Barnes TSX/XCL bullets. These 120 grain bullets have a long bearing surface, ideal for the fast twist rate of the Swede, producing optimum accuracy. The fast twist rate and fairly high muzzle velocity of the Swede combined with the blender blade style Barnes produce a result that, to be blunt, is best described as vicious."
Click to expand...

Yah, the guy doesn't pull any punches: if he thinks something is garbage he says so, likewise, if something is worthy of praise he gives it.
All in all, a rather refreshing approach to product reviews.
I'm also interested in the 120 grain Barnes TSX/XCL and the 140 gr. Nosler Partitions and the...
 
eastwest said:
This was my first southern Alberta mule deer buck taken in 2010 with a Tikka Hunter in 6.5X55. Trotting heart shot at ~85 yards; luckily he ran up out of the coulee and went down after a short 100 yard run - heart was mush. I shot the doe he was with first (didn't see him until after I had the doe in my scope) at about 120 yards, double lung - she ran about 200 yards and fell over in the same field. In a moment of weakness I sold the rifle. I've also taken a small button buck, angled front chest shot, at about 100 yards with a Howa in 6.5X55 - he did sort of a back flip and was done on the spot. All one shot kills, using S&B ammunition, with slightly different shot placements. I still have the Howa and it may come with me north this year for moose. Pick up a modern rifle in 6.5X55, find out what ammuntion it likes best, and you won't be disappointed.



View attachment 29906
Click to expand...

How do you like the Howa? I gave one a pretty serious look a while back, but some of the reviews I read found that they were very picky on what ammo the liked and I ended up passing on it.
 
I have a 260, longest shot was 457 yards on a coyote, shooting 120 ttsx passed through deer at 300 and my red stag at 250, heart shot and passed through offside shoulder, I was surprised

will be using it for moose this year
 
I did a ladder load test on my M96. 46 grains of IMR 4350 and a 129 grain SST made .8" groups. Not sure of the speed. Very little recoil. I'll get it out this fall to test on mule deer and white tails.
 
I killed two moose with my 6.5x55 one shot each. In typical moose fashion they walked a feet and fell over and died quickly. The range on the first one was only a few hundred feet the second was a bit closer. The point is at those distances the bullets completely passed through each of them. I can't remember what the ammo was but it was likely 160 grain because back in the early nineties I almost always shot heavyweight for caliber stuff.
These days I wouldn't hesitate to use Barnes lightweight tsx bullets in the 6.5 for moose but I must say I haven't tried them in that caliber.
 
49 grains RL22 it a dangerous load and shows flatned
primers ok at cold tempature hot days create to much pressure ok , but 48 is safe for modern load
with 4831 sc in my rifle ......

start re low and work up looking for pressure sign
test in heat and old weather
 
I have a Tikka T3 Hunter in 6.5x55 and love it. Its my most accurate rifle when shooting Norma ammo.
For hunting you cant go wrong with Norma 156 gr Oryx. Shot one Moose, a couple Bears and a couple Deer and never recovered one bullet and all dropped within 30-40 meters. Great round
 
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