Is the 6.5 x 55 Swede a do it all cartridge

Thanks, MiG25. That's very interesting and informative. It would seem to bear directly on whether the 6.5x55 is sufficient for moose, and it would appear to be (if that were ever in doubt). It would be even better if cartridges, rather than calibers, were analyzed. For the 6.5 caliber, we can be pretty certain that the vast majority of these would be 6.5x55. For the 7.62, most would probably be 30-06, but a fair number could be lesser (in power) 30-calibers like the 308 Win. or other 30-caliber cartridges--30-40 Krag (with a number of Krag–Jørgensen rifles still in use in Scandinavia), 303 Brit., even 30-30. I'd love to see a 6.5x55 vs 30-06 comparison on number of shots on moose.

norway and sweden will be more now the 30-06 while finland will be more on the 308. you might get some numbers in contacting the env dept of those different countries or the global hunting associations.
 
I'd bet 6.5 = 6.5x55 and 7.62 is 95-98% 308 and 30-06, with the remainder being 300 Win Mag 7.62x54R, 30-30 etc.

I've long said all around rifles start with the 6.5x55.
 
I think the refrain we hear a lot on CGN about 6.5 swede being a popular moose chambering in Sweden is like saying the 303 brit is a popular Canadian moose caliber. Technically true but other options are likely more popular.

For what it's worth a Swedish friend told me that 30-06 is the " old man caliber"

You have to wonder why the Swedes felt the need for the 9.3x62 and judging by the number of used rifle imports, many of them did. Swedish moose aren't all that big, there are very few bears, and the 9.3x62 was designed for German farmers in Africa as basically a Lion (i.e. varmint) caliber.
 
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You have to wonder why the Swedes felt the need for the 9.3x62 and judging by the number of used rifle imports, many of them did. Swedish moose aren't all that big, there are very few bears, and the 9.3x62 was designed for German farmers as basically an African Lion (i.e. varmint) caliber.

Heck, people still shoot moose with em here despite every other option too :) Dunno how to say "gunnut" in Swedish but...

Maybe they anchor the bigger ones better.
 
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You have to wonder why the Swedes felt the need for the 9.3x62 and judging by the number of used rifle imports, many of them did. Swedish moose aren't all that big, there are very few bears, and the 9.3x62 was designed for German farmers as basically an African Lion (i.e. varmint) caliber.

Supposedly Finland had a law that Moose rifles had to be over 8mm, as a roadblock to using all the ex military rifles floating around. Sweden may have been the same at some point (the 8x54?). It's also my understanding that the 9.3x57 was the most common, while 9.3x62 was scarce in factory chambered rifles.
 
Unfortunately there's a lack of good powerful 6.5X55 factory ammo available because of the Mauser/Krag Jorgensen military rifle legacy. This is where the 6.5 CM really shines. In this respect the 6.5X55 is really at a disadvantage here in North America, primarily being a handloaders caliber.

So while there is a bonus in having such a long distinguished track record there is also a disadvantage.

I've also noticed there is a gap in available factory match rounds which is too bad as it does do very well for extended range match competition.
 
You have to wonder why the Swedes felt the need for the 9.3x62

I'm sure some of it has to do with driven hunting and a desire to put down running animals right there to keep dogs safe. Potential for shots to be slightly off, shoulder shots, early 20th century bullet construction etc.
 
Supposedly Finland had a law that Moose rifles had to be over 8mm, as a roadblock to using all the ex military rifles floating around. Sweden may have been the same at some point (the 8x54?). It's also my understanding that the 9.3x57 was the most common, while 9.3x62 was scarce in factory chambered rifles.

well you have been wrongly informed for finland ....

Weapon requirements:

R3= bw > 3,2 g, E100 > 800 J, mufflon,roe deer, wolf
R4= bw > 6 g, E100 > 2000 J/bw > 8 g, E100 >
1700 J, wild boar, fallow, reindeer, white tailed deer
R5 = bw > 9 g, E100 > 2700 J/bw = 10 g, E100 >
2000 J moose, bear

308 win is the caliber in finland.
 
I'm sure some of it has to do with driven hunting and a desire to put down running animals right there to keep dogs safe. Potential for shots to be slightly off, shoulder shots, early 20th century bullet construction etc.

well i can tell you there where we hunted you want to have the 9.3s which i used with sucess but it is harder to gain the test with a 9.3 for some than the 6.5.
 
well you have been wrongly informed for finland ....

Weapon requirements:

R3= bw > 3,2 g, E100 > 800 J, mufflon,roe deer, wolf
R4= bw > 6 g, E100 > 2000 J/bw > 8 g, E100 >
1700 J, wild boar, fallow, reindeer, white tailed deer
R5 = bw > 9 g, E100 > 2700 J/bw = 10 g, E100 >
2000 J moose, bear

308 win is the caliber in finland.

Had is past tense. According to this it was from 1933 to 1962.

http://www.guns.connect.fi/gow/QA14.html
 
some caliber rules for scandinavia, finland, iceland and greenland

Iceland
Reindeer .243 100 gr 6,48 grams cal 8mm max.
(6 mm 100 grains 1300ft/lbs at 200 m)

Greenland
polar bear mini caliber .222, in 2006 attempt for non resident hunting but failed because of international pressure 30-06 (7.62x63mm)
muskox, reindeer mini caliber .222

sweden 2006 no more lead bullet
moose, red deer, wild boar, bear
10g E100m 2000J m /1475 ft/lbs
9g-10g 2700j E100 m /1992 ft/lbs
roe deer 3,2gr 800j E200m /590 ft/lbs

norway 100m
red deer, wild boar, reindeer, fallow deer. moose, bear, muskox, mufflon, wolf
9g-10g = 2700j /1992 ft/lbs
10g 2200J /1623 ft/lbs
roe deer lynx 3,2 g 980j /590 ft/lbs

Svalbard/sptizberg
protection against polar bear
E100 2700j .308 win or 30-06 mini rifle caliber 177 grains 11.5 g
or 12 ga shotgun with rifled slug no energy requirement

Finland E100m

moose, bear

9g-10g = 2700 j /1992 ft/lbs

10g /154 grains 2000J /1475 ft/lbs

sika deer, whitetail deer,wild boar, reindeer, fallow deer, red deer. moufflon

6g-8g 2000j /1475 ft/lbs

8g 123 grains 1700j /1254 ft/lbs

roe deer wolf lynx 3,2 g 800j /590 ft/lbs
 
Forestry practices in Scandinavian countries are quite different than here

They have wised up in Sweden from bitter experience. In the late 70's I worked for a large forestry company here in NB. A forester was visiting from Sweden to see how we did things. He told me if we didn't change our practices we would be in the same mess as Sweden was in the 1970's. No one here listened and we have a forest monoculture, low quality wood and damage to wildlife habitat.
 
They have wised up in Sweden from bitter experience. In the late 70's I worked for a large forestry company here in NB. A forester was visiting from Sweden to see how we did things. He told me if we didn't change our practices we would be in the same mess as Sweden was in the 1970's. No one here listened and we have a forest monoculture, low quality wood and damage to wildlife habitat.

Sounds a bit like Germany too, from what our head of nat resources told me. After all the mistakes we're learning from them now.
 
some caliber rules for scandinavia, finland, iceland and greenland

Iceland
Reindeer .243 100 gr 6,48 grams cal 8mm max.
(6 mm 100 grains 1300ft/lbs at 200 m)

Greenland
polar bear mini caliber .222, in 2006 attempt for non resident hunting but failed because of international pressure 30-06 (7.62x63mm)
muskox, reindeer mini caliber .222

sweden 2006 no more lead bullet
moose, red deer, wild boar, bear
10g E100m 2000J m /1475 ft/lbs
9g-10g 2700j E100 m /1992 ft/lbs
roe deer 3,2gr 800j E200m /590 ft/lbs

norway 100m
red deer, wild boar, reindeer, fallow deer. moose, bear, muskox, mufflon, wolf
9g-10g = 2700j /1992 ft/lbs
10g 2200J /1623 ft/lbs
roe deer lynx 3,2 g 980j /590 ft/lbs

Svalbard/sptizberg
protection against polar bear
E100 2700j .308 win or 30-06 mini rifle caliber 177 grains 11.5 g
or 12 ga shotgun with rifled slug no energy requirement

Finland E100m

moose, bear

9g-10g = 2700 j /1992 ft/lbs

10g /154 grains 2000J /1475 ft/lbs

sika deer, whitetail deer,wild boar, reindeer, fallow deer, red deer. moufflon

6g-8g 2000j /1475 ft/lbs

8g 123 grains 1700j /1254 ft/lbs

roe deer wolf lynx 3,2 g 800j /590 ft/lbs

Sweden have similar rules.

Only rifles can be used for certain game, including moose, red deer and bear. For ammunition the following requirements apply.
Bullets which weigh at least 10 grams (154 grains) must have an impact energy of at least 2.000 joules at 100 metres from the muzzle.
Bullets, which weigh between 9 and 10 grams (139-154 grains) must have an impact energy of at least 2.700 joules 100 metres from the muzzle.
Such ammunition is classified as Class 1.


https://jagareforbundet.se/jakt/juridik/

The most common calibers in use now are the .30's (30-06 Sprgfd and .308 Win being much ahead)

And from the statistics, Jaktjournalen conducted some surveys in the '90 and in 2016, and here's what cme to light;

"One thing is certain, if we compare both the 90s survey and last year's survey, it appears that the 30-06 is the most popular caliber. In the 90s, 6.5×55 was the second most common, now there has been a change as we have moved towards larger calibers. The second most common moose caliber today is the 9.3×62, it's actually almost as popular as the 30-06."

As for the 6.5X55 being or not a moose caliber, as far as it's within the rules and that the hunter feels confident with it, it's ok to use it and it can't be worse than the minimum legal caliber for moose here which is the .243 Win, but I personally would prefer a .30 cal (and even better a 9.3). But if I only had one rifle in 6.5X55, I'd use it for sure.
 
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