What velocity are 6.5x55 swede users getting in modern rifles like the cz 550 with 100 gr & 120 gr bullets ??

I assume you can get some better figures than with the old M96 ??

Wonderfull. This is a great cartridge capable of much more than it has been known for. With good brass and a good chamber, it can almost do everything a 6.5/284 can do.

I have owned an m96 in the past but am thinking of a cz 550 in 6.5x55 with scope to fill the gap between my 22/250 & 30/06 and be a "heavier" fox/spotlighting rifle. I feel with 100 gr Nos Bt's it would make a great long range fox round.

I've had 3, a winchester-22" barrel, a ruger-22" barrel and a custom made one on a win. action-22" barrel. With a 129gr Hornady SST, loaded 2gr above book max, the best I could do was 2675 fps. With a 120gr pro-hunter 2800fps. After working with the 6.5x55 for 5 years I give up. The .270win is MUCH easier to load for, I'm not big on loading above book numbers. If your worried about velocity just get a .270, with it theres no problem getting 3000fps out of a 130gr bullet. I sold all the 6.5x55s we had my wife now shoots a .270win and I shoot a 30-06. Some times different isn't better, its just different.

I was just at the range yesterday with my Tweede. 29" surplus barrel. I've worked up a load of 47.1 gr IMR4831 with Hornady 140 gr AMax bullets. No signs of pressure and 3000 fps. Its an accurate load too.

I've also made a Tweede sporter out of the same Swede barrels turned-down and shortened to 22.5". I'm just starting to work up loads with AA4350 - I've gone up to 45 gr with the Remington bulk 140 gr soft points - 2650 fps and no signs of pressure or much recoil so far.

With a strong modern action and very patient and careful load work-up I agree that the 6.5 x 55 is right on the heels of the 6.5 x 284. I don't know why anyone bothered to develop the 270

I love the caliber. My milsurp 29" Swede is wonderfully accurate, and gives me 2800 fps with 140 grain book loads.

Right now, I'm building a modern strength 6.5x55 with a 24" barrel. It will have a strain gauge, so I can read my own pressures, and develop "adult" loads for it. Until that's done, I don't know what's possible.

Just a little back of the napkin noodling (DO NOT go out and try this without instrumentation!): The SAAMI spec for the milsurp action is 46,000 CUP, which is about 51,800 PSI. In this size case, you get ROUGHLY 2,000 PSI and 50+ fps for each grain of powder. If you add 4 grains, you're still below the 270/308 spec, and you should pick up 200+ fps.

Running the MV numbers, you only get about 20 fps for each inch of barrel length from 24 to 29". So, in my case, you drop 100 fps, or maybe a little more, as you shorten the barrel to 24".

My milsurp Swede pleasantly gives me 2800 fps with a 140 grain pill and book loads. So MAYBE I'll be able to safely get 2800 + 200 - 100 = 2900 fps in my new, shorter, higher pressure rig. And MAYBE there will be some 3100 fps 100 grain muzzle velocities. When I get some test results, I'll post them.

Hodgdon's book points out that if you have a 6.5x55, you don't need a 257 Roberts, a 243, a 6mm Rem, or a 25-06. You might also add 260 Rem. It wonderfully covers a whole lot of the middle ground. With my new addition, my main hunting guns are 223, 6.5x55, and 30-06.

PC,

Try IMR 4064 in the Swede with a 100 grain bullet. Work up, but I know that YOU know that. Look at starting at 40 grains or so. I use 43.5 grains in a 260 and get 3350 fps out of it consistently in a 22 inch barrel Ruger. A Rem VLS in 260 gives me 3450 with a 26 inch barrel.

In the Swede I have that is a Winchester Model 70 with a rebarrel on it, that is 27 inch long, I have hit 3500 fps with that rifle with no pressure signs using 4064, using the Nosler BT 100 grainers. Powder charge was over the 43.5 load used in the 260.

Cheers and Good shooting
Seafire

I use what was once a M96 with a 29" barrel. I did a a considerable amount of work to it, including turning the barrel down to featherweight dimensions and 22.5" Using Barnes 120 gr XLC's I get right at 3000 fps.

Thanks for the help thus far folks.....the .264 calibre splits the diff between a .22 cal & .30 cal pretty well, thats why I am leaning that way.

Does the 30/06 case necked to 6.5mm have anything to offer ??

Comparing things:
6.5/06 should be the ballistic twin of the 264WIN MAG. Sierra's #3 says 3000fps is their top limit with 140gr bullets using a 24" barrel in 264MAG. They also say 3000fps is their top limit using a 26" barrel in 270 WIN.

Hodgdon's #26 has 47gr IMR4381 at their max load with 140gr bullets in the Swede. 47.1gr would hardly be a large overload.

46K CUP to 55.2K CUP is an approximate 20% increase in pressure(modern action?). It would take approximately a 10% increase in powder to give this approximate 20% pressure increase. This should also yield about a 10% increase in velocity. Of course this is all hypothetical, but with a high intensity loading of 4381 going from 47gr to 51.7gr Will this amount of powder go into the 6.5X55 case? If all my info and yours add up we have a 6.5X55 case pushing a 140gr bullet at approx 3300fps. This far surpasses the 264WIN stats. Something is amiss. What is wrong with this story?

My answer may not be completely accurate, but here's what I think is going on.

55.2 KCUP is probably a little hotter than you'd want to go. It corresponds to about 65.6 KPSI.

I think that the best you can expect from a 24" tube in 6.5x55 is probably closer to 2900 fps with a 140 grain bullet.

Even the 308 case is a little overbore for the 6.5. The 6.5x55 holds about 4 grains more powder than the 260. As you go up in case capacity from there, the additional powder buys you very little, perhaps another 1-200 fps or so, maybe a bit more, at a cost of 70+ grains of powder in the case (more than the '06 will hold). So that would be consistent with the 3163 fps Hodgdon shows for 76 grains of H870, and 140 grains out front.

I'm not a big fan of extremely overbore cartridges. Loads become more finicky, barrel life goes down dramatically, and dance just isn't worth the candle. If I get to missing the recoil, I can always put a 2x6 up against my shoulder and have my strapping son smack it with a hammer.

The original question was a 6.5 x 55 with a 100 grain Nosler Ballistic tip.

That was the info put forth.

I have no clue on how you equate that to a 6.5 Swede doing 3300 with a 140 grain bullet.

I really feel that the 6.5x55 with the 100 gr bullet could be a versatile varmiter...and in a cz 550 with a 4.5-14 Leupold you would have a dual purpose rig, maybe the 120 gr Nos BT might be a better choice.

I have a Remington Classic in 6.5x55, and it's a real sweetheart, quite accurate. I push a Sierra 85gr HP along at 3200fps, Lapua 108gr. Scenar at 2900fps, Sierra 120gr HPBT Match at 2875, Hornady 129gr. SP at 2815fps. I don't load at maximum levels although some of these may be pretty close. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

PC,

After shooting a lot of 120 grainers and the 100's, for varminting I would go with the 100 grainers.

Don't overlook Sierra's 100 grain HP or Hodgdon's 100 grain SP.

I have taken several deer with the 100 grain Sierra HP and can attest to their effectiveness on deer sized animals. ( 75 to 110 lb Blacktails).

Cheers and good shooting
seafire

I have a 700 Classic 6.5x55 with a 24" tube. It makes 2850 with the 140, 3000 with the 120/125's and 3200 with the 100 grainers. This cartridge prefers slow burning powders in my experience, and all these velocities are achieved with powders slower than IMR4350. I have taken several deer with the 125 Partition @ 3000 and it is a sweetheart. Comment on the mention of the 264 Win Mag, claiming 3000 FPS with 140's????? I have owned several of these over the years and in a 24" barrel, If you can't get 3150+, you have a "slow" barrel. My present 700 with a 26" 1-9 twist makes 3300+ with the 140 Partition. My 6.5/06 and my 6.5-284 both come really close to 3000 with 140's and around 3200 with 120's.
Regards, Eagleye.

Seafire the 100gr bullet would be the one I choose, seeing as I own a 30/06, if it needs more than 100 gr it probably needs 180 grains !!

Just to touch on a few things that have not been discussed yet...like accuracy, throat dimensions and twist rate. What sets the 6.5X55 apart is that it is designed to shoot heavy, long bullets with good SD and BC, and hence the European versions have 1 in 7 to 1 in 8.5 inch twist rates. These long bullets take the rifle well into the Elk category for hunting and match grade bullets from 140 to 150 grs have legendary accuracy potential. This of course has implications for the throat dimensions, and the ability to seat to the lands with lighter bullets. Still, some modern bullet designs are quite long for their weight, such as the Nosler Ballistic tips, and they still shoot well at the light end of the scale.

However, if you really don't need to shoot 6.5s that weigh more than 120 grains, the 260 is probably a better bet, as it has a 1 in 9 twist rate and shorter throat. I think Rugers are 1 in 8.

Both rounds will make 3000 fps with 120s and 3300 fps with 100 grainers. But if you want to shoot something sizable way out there, the 6.5X55 is the way to go.

Interesting take sabot,

I wonder if like other rounds at long range the 140 gr bullets actually hit harder than the 100 gr variety ??

Husqvarna M96 Sporter
* Win. 270
* Very good bore,
* blue worn near muzzle
* finish about 85%

(K1028) $400.00


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The 270Win is 65,000 psi SAAMI and 84,500 to 91,000 psi proof loads.

Those Swedes must think allot more of the 96 action than is often inferred.

The steel available in Sweden in the early 1900's was some of the best available. As I understand it, the ore had enough manganese in it that it made a very tough alloy. But I don't think it is quite as good as today's chrome moly recipe. So, even with the same dimensions, I think a modern small ring is a bit stronger than with the old steel.

OTH, I've often wondered just how underrated the old Swedes are. I treat mine gently, because it is a marvelous old rifle, and I want it to last a long time. But I suspect the old girl probably has more spunk that we give her credit for.