Is the 6.5 x 55 Swede a do it all cartridge

[mimile]

Currently going to try my first white tail go this year with 6.5x55. Loaded with 129 hornady interlocks at 2830 fps with imr4350. All the stuff I have seen out there say those interlocks seem to perform well. What say you all ?

Excellent combo. Go ahead with no hesitation.

 

[dan belisle]

I haven't seen any 6.5mm Hornady interlock bullet praised for its performance on game. I'm sure some have had some success with one, but it is definitely not a premium game bullet. I'd go the extra dollars and use a Nosler 130-gr. Accubond or a 125-gr. Nosler Partition if you want to stay in that weight range with your 6.5x55. Weight retention will be better than with the Hornady.

Interlocks have killed a lot of deer. May not get the press, but they work. - dan

 

[Meroh]

Nice home for the 6.5x55. And absolutely, it’s a coyote to moose cartridge. A very good mountain cartridge, too.

Groundhog to moose actually. LOL An 85 grain Sierra HP just makes ground-hogs go away. LOL.

 

[a j cave]

Bullets and, placement is key. Had a nice rifle but when using some European bullets the just pencil hole through deer. I might as well been using FMJ. With Speer bullets no problem.

 

[medvedqc]

The kid has a draw moose tag and will use an old Mauser that’s a favourite of mine. I can’t wait to see the results, he’s seemingly indifferent. Not that I’d wish my gun loonyism on anyone haha. 160 grain woodleigh over compressed H1000. I didn’t strap the magnetospeed on as it’s full stocked but 2” high at 100 is 6” low at 300 yards. I fell like it will take a lot of moose to stop this bullet, had pass throughs on a couple bears.View attachment 702457

^ nice looking cartridge

indeed.

 

[Smokinyotes]

I ranged a whitetail at 475 and dialled the Leupold CDs to 475 yards. The little 130 accubond out of my 6.5x55 did it’s job well.

 

[Joel]

I ranged a whitetail at 475 and dialled the Leupold CDs to 475 yards. The little 130 accubond out of my 6.5x55 did it’s job well.

Nicely done! The bullet might be small but there ain't much about what they do that's little! Good shooting though.

 

[CamparyTon]

Brass, primers, powder, bullets. In my case Rem, Win and Norma brass, Win LR primers, RL22 powder, and 140 gr Nosler bullets. Works well, to date. - dan

Thanks, I had everything figured out save for the projectiles.
Out of curiosity, how many grains of powder do you use?
Also, what are you using the ammo on? I've got an AGB-42 I want to shoot, so I want to make sure it cycles properly.

 

[dan belisle]

Thanks, I had everything figured out save for the projectiles.
Out of curiosity, how many grains of powder do you use?
Also, what are you using the ammo on? I've got an AGB-42 I want to shoot, so I want to make sure it cycles properly.

Don't have my load data beside me, but the charge came out of the Nosler manual if I remember correctly. I've used it on deer, bear, and moose. - dan

 

[Canuck65]

Coyotes to moose ?
Or is that a stretch
Thinking of taking one for a ride it will be a modern version with hand loads
Anyone with experience

In short, yes. Short of the 30-06, it's one of the most versatile chamberings ever. Scandinavian Moose are smaller than ours, but the SD is very high on those 140ish gr bullets, and modern bullets like the Partition are so well built, I wouldn't think twice about using it on Moose here.

If I could only have one rifle it would be a 30-06 or a 6.5 Swede. Lucky me though, I get to have one of each.

 

[HuskyDude]

Still have a few boxes/wedges of these lay'n around.

 

[MilitaryCollectorMark]

Thanks, I had everything figured out save for the projectiles.
Out of curiosity, how many grains of powder do you use?
Also, what are you using the ammo on? I've got an AGB-42 I want to shoot, so I want to make sure it cycles properly.

check out vihtavouri, they have loads for either the older mauser and AGB or modern rifles.
https://www.vihtavuori.com/reloading-data-tool-rifle-handgun-cowboy-action-shooting/#/metrics/1/71/-1/-1/-1

 

[Rob]

Coyotes to moose ?
Or is that a stretch
Thinking of taking one for a ride it will be a modern version with hand loads
Anyone with experience

Like most so-called "do it all" cartridges the 6.5x55 is a bit too big for the small stuff and a bit too small for the big stuff.

It will do in a pinch, just not the best for either extreme.

After all, it was originally designed to shoot people, not animals, big or small.

 

[dgradinaru]

Like most so-called "do it all" cartridges the 6.5x55 is a bit too big for the small stuff and a bit too small for the big stuff.

It will do in a pinch, just not the best for either extreme.

After all, it was originally designed to shoot people, not animals, big or small.

Some will disagree, while yes they were designed for war, alot of design had to do with having to stop common calvary charges of the time. Being able to take down a horse.

 

[Rob]

Some will disagree, while yes they were designed for war, alot of design had to do with having to stop common calvary charges of the time. Being able to take down a horse.

Can you provide a published source for this horse-shooting requirement idea?

 

[dgradinaru]

I'll have to find the source of where I read about it. These cartridges 6.5's, 7x57, 30-06, 7.62x54r, 303, 7.7mm, 8x57 which are considering all-around cartridges were designed in a time where no mechanized armies existed. Infantry, calvary, and artillery in long range battle was the way of battle doctrine. Now if I recall, I remember reading about the M88 patrone (the .318" 8x57) having a set of requirements it had to fulfill. One of them was: it was able to reach out at over 1000m and be able to kill a horse. Makes sense that armies needed something cable of killing horse's as that was one of the life line's for logistics or means of mobile attack for every land army of the time. As tactics and war doctrines changed during and after world war two it became evident that these cartridges were over powered and unnecessary in average modern combat engagement and hence the move towards lighter and smaller cartridges. Ie .30 carbine 7.92x33, 7.62x39, 5.56 and etc. This excludes machine gun tactics.

 

[dan belisle]

Can you provide a published source for this horse-shooting requirement idea?

How do you stop cavalry? Shoot the horse. A military cartridge in the late 19th century would certainly have that as part of its performance requirements. - dan

 

[MiG25]

Flatness of trajectory and penetration of various materials was important.

 

[Joel]

I'll have to find the source of where I read about it. These cartridges 6.5's, 7x57, 30-06, 7.62x54r, 303, 7.7mm, 8x57 which are considering all-around cartridges were designed in a time where no mechanized armies existed. Infantry, calvary, and artillery in long range battle was the way of battle doctrine. Now if I recall, I remember reading about the M88 patrone (the .318" 8x57) having a set of requirements it had to fulfill. One of them was: it was able to reach out at over 1000m and be able to kill a horse. Makes sense that armies needed something cable of killing horse's as that was one of the life line's for logistics or means of mobile attack for every land army of the time. As tactics and war doctrines changed during and after world war two it became evident that these cartridges were over powered and unnecessary in average modern combat engagement and hence the move towards lighter and smaller cartridges. Ie .30 carbine 7.92x33, 7.62x39, 5.56 and etc. This excludes machine gun tactics.

Does make sense given that the odds were just about 100% that in a major war, you'd face cavalry from just about any opponent in the world at that time.

Of all the military cartridges of the day until the intermediates came about, that one, the Japanese 6.5mm etc really seem like the most logical and reasonable of them all.

 

[hobophobe]

Same reason there was 20 inch long bayonets attached to your 5 foot long rifle Easier to bayonet men off of horses.