The Accurate Reloading Forums
(6.5)x55 case

This topic can be found at:
https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/2511043/m/46610475

16 March 2002, 12:43
<LiMe>
(6.5)x55 case
Hello!

does anybody know about some wildcats based om the x55 case? Have heard about wildcats on almost every possible case, but none at the x55 case! can somebody help me with my problem?

best regards, Peter

16 March 2002, 13:55
John Y Cannuck
There is an improved version, by Ackley, but even he didn't think it was worthwile. The cartridge is pretty well ballanced to begin with.
16 March 2002, 14:11
<LiMe>
john,

becuse i haven�t heard anything about it, i thougt it was that way... Alot of people use the 6.5x55 on all of our swedish animals, thats includes bear, moose, all kind of deers an so on! a very popular round here in sweden!

Have seen some cases that have been necked down to 6mm, and have had a 40degree sholder... but it is not comond, have just heard about it once, and that was from a benchrest guy.

BRG peter

16 March 2002, 16:10
<Martindog>
I may be completely OTL, but I believe there is a derivative called a 6.5 SKAN. I think it's a 6.5 Swede with the shoulder moved a bit forward. I'm GUESSING its genesis was old miltary rifles with excessive headspace -- clean up the chamber with the new reamer, and bingo a new cartrdige.

Forster sells headspace guages for both cartridges and the SKAN version has a slightly longer dimension.

Now, given that this beast exists, how much better is it? I recall reading a couple of years ago an article by John Barsness on wildcats, and after analyzing various cartridges, he came to the conclusion that velocity increases (given same bbl length and same pressure) are around 1/4th the percentage increase in case capacity. So, if you increase case capacity by 10%, velocity will increase 2.5%. For a 2700fps cartridge, that works out to about 63fps potential, and that assumes the SKAN version allows 10% increase in case capacity.

Bottomline: Don't kid yourself and think you'll make big gains. If you need more velocity/power, pick a standard cartridge. JM2C.

Martindog

16 March 2002, 17:14
matt salm
I load for the 6.5X55 with a hornady die set that says 6.5 Scandinavian on the label. I assumed it was the same! I have had no troubles with bumping the shoulder to resize in my chambers (Win 70 Fthwt and 2 swedes). Should I be looking for another die set???

------------------
Shoot straight, shoot often.
Matt

16 March 2002, 20:00
<Martindog>
Matt Salm,

You're OK with your Hornady die set for the 6.5 Swede/Swedish Mauser/Scandanavian. The cartridge I was talking about was the 6.5mm SKAN which is different.

Maybe someone else can chime in and confirm and/or set the record straight on the SKAN round.

Martindog

17 March 2002, 02:34
Pedestal
Quoting from P. O. Ackley, in his "Handbook" Vol 1:
"A great deal of work has been done by Dr. E. L. Arch of Wenatchee, WA with the 6.5x55 Swedish cartridge. He has experimented in great length with an "improved" version...from 6mm to 30caliber."

He lists a number of these with loads in Vol 1...

17 March 2002, 04:38
dan belisle
Pedestal is correct, there are 6mm,6.5,270,7mm,30, etc versions of the "Arch" case. Which is basically an improved 6.5 x 55 case. They show some pretty impressive ballistics out of this version, but like most of the data in Ackley's book, I would take that with a grain of salt. Not to say P.O. was not truthful, but most of the other contributers to his data base didn't have access to pressure testing equipment ("load until action blows up, back off two grains")or chronographs (an "estimated velocity of"). However, with that caveat out of the way, I think that this is a very interesting cartridge. One of the other gents who posts on here has mentioned a 'smith down Texas way who sort of specialises in an imroved version of this case (BJ something, I can't find my notes). some cases do very much better with improved versions than others (250 Savage, 257 Roberts) so it really depends on how much case capacity you gain. FWIW - Dan
17 March 2002, 09:39
Leo M
To continue, does that mean there is a 6.5X55 Ackley Impproved? Does anybody make a reamer and dies?
17 March 2002, 12:07
<Scott H>
There are two AI type improved chambers (that I know of...)

1) 6.5 X 55 BJ Ackley Improved. This was developed by Bob Jourdan. It gives a full 10% capacity increase.

2) The generic 6.5 X 55 AI.

Dave Manson makes reamers for both. Shawnie Tools has the generic reamer.

I think Hornady and Forster sell dies.
HTH,
Scott

18 March 2002, 09:59
<Mats>
quote:
Originally posted by Pedestal:
"A great deal of work has been done by Dr. E. L. Arch of Wenatchee, WA with the 6.5x55 Swedish cartridge. He has experimented in great length with an "improved" version...from 6mm to 30caliber."

And noted GS George Vais has a few wildcats on it too. The 6 mm LiMe mentioned might have been the 6 mm L.U.R.H. - basically just a 6 BR reamer run deep and cases formed to fit. I know our buddy Stefan K. has a shortened (51 mm IIRC) 6.5 too (along with a L.U.R.H.).

-- Mats

17 March 2002, 22:04
<Mats>
quote:
Originally posted by Martindog:
I'm GUESSING its genesis was old miltary rifles with excessive headspace -- clean up the chamber with the new reamer, and bingo a new cartrdige.

Nope. It'd not supposed to be loaded in the old ones, but in the new ones: The Sauer rifle used by Scandinavian target shooters.

The SKAN is loaded hotter than a normal x55.

FWIW, I've never seen an old military or new commercial 6.5x55 that would not swallow 6.5 SKAN ammo.

-- Mats

18 March 2002, 00:56
carcano91
quote:
Originally posted by LiMe:
does anybody know about some wildcats based om the x55 case? Have heard about wildcats on almost every possible case, but none at the x55 case!

Of course :-)
I own a 8 x 54 Krag-Jorgensen (8 x 54 Svensk omborrad Mauser), and then there is the 7 x 54 Finnish. Both are "semi-wildcats" in that they were once factory loaded.
A true wildcat is the Norvegian 6 x 55 (made by Tor Treider). The 9,3 x 55 has been speculated about in the Vapenjournalens Ladebok, so I suppose somebody has necked it up in the meantime, in a long dreary midsummer night :-).

The formerly named 8 x 54 is quite accurate. Its performance is about akin to the 8 x 57 JR or the 8 x 56 MS. I had mine loaded by DKT. Old Norma factory ammo can occasionally be found.

Regards,
Carcano

18 March 2002, 05:05
<Martindog>
Mats,

Thanks for the clarification. Just curious, how popular is the SKAN round over in Europe and do you have any idea how it compares to the .260 Remington (By the way, has the .260 rem caught on in Europe yet)? What kind of velocites are achievable with 140 grain match bullets and how long are the barrels you're using?

Thanx,

Martindog

18 March 2002, 05:56
<Mats>
quote:
Originally posted by Martindog:
Just curious, how popular is the SKAN round over in Europe and do you have any idea how it compares to the .260 Remington...

The SKAN is chambered in the Sauer rifles only, therefore it is per se not common outside the target shooting scene.

It, of course, runs eights around the .260 velocitywise and accuracy is very good. It takes a few grains more powder then the .308-based cartridge.

-- Mats

18 March 2002, 11:05
<LiMe>
nice to se such responce on my cuestion! As i understood, there would be alot of wildcats... The thing is just that never had heard about them!

thanks for all the replies!

regards, Peter

20 March 2002, 14:51
Bobby Tomek
There's an improved version of the 6.5x55 known as the Durham. Mike Bellm has reamers for this one (www.bellmtcs.com). If you e-mail him, please be patient; his wife has been seriously ill, and he's been spending lots of time at the hospital.

But as is, the 6.5x55 is one of the BEST medium game rounds ever devised. Those long, slender bullets have high SDs/BCs and hold up extremely well while affording excellent penetration, even with "standard" bullets. All of my 6.5x55s prefer Re-22 and provide the best balance of velocity and accuracy with this propellant with bullets ranging from 95-140 grains.

[This message has been edited by Bobby Tomek (edited 03-20-2002).]

21 March 2002, 09:31
<Mads>
A Danish gunsmith makes a .224x55. he claims that it easely compares with the .22-250 imp!

Personatly I don't see any use for such a round, but..... gun nuts like us can do anything!

Regard

Mads

20 March 2002, 23:13
carcano91
quote:
Originally posted by Martindog:
do you have any idea how it compares to the .260 Remington (By the way, has the .260 rem caught on in Europe yet)?

In my eyes, the .260 Rem - formerly a wildcat as 6,5-.308, I believe - is a candidate for the prize of the most superfluous factory cartridge ever (close second would be the 8mm Rem Mag). But to each his own toy :-)

Carcano

21 March 2002, 02:55
<Martindog>
Carcano,

Now don't hold anything back. Sugar coating will get you nowhere. Tell us how you really feel.

Martindog