I am thinking about buying a new Tikka T3 in 6.5x55 as I have read some decent articles on the potential of this round in a new rifle (vs. relic.) I would like to hear your opinions/experiences with this round, how it compares to other 6.5mm cartridges, as well as your recommendations on powder and bullet weights. Thanks a bunch! Mule Skinner

Great deer round for shots out to 350 yards or so, maybe further in the right hands. Best bullet weights for deer are 120-140 grains. I have a 260 Rem, which is ballistic wise is near identical. Low recoil and muzzle blast, easy to reload for. Best powders for 120+ gr. bullets will be 4350's, RL19, 4831's, and RL22.

It's a lovely round. It has very high sectional density, and a reputation for killing more effectively than its paper ballistics would indicate. Without any excess stress, my Swedish M96 gives me 2800 fps with 140 grain bullets. A modern action, with higher pressure, and a shorter barrel, should give comparable results.

As stated, the recoil is low enough to make this an extremely pleasant round to shoot.

I've owned a 6.5X54 two 6.5 Carcanos, 4ea. 6.5x55s 1ea. 6.5 Arasaka which later became a 6.5x.284 back in 1966. The 6.5X.284 was the most spectacular killer ( fast twist 30" barrel).All killed mule deer well when used within there limitations. The 6.5X55 easily overshadowed its smaller cousins by extending the range and delivering more energy. All the rifles except the 6.5X.284 could use standard constructed bullets of the time (50s and 60s)and gave good performance. The only bullets that would not fly apart in the 6.5X.284 was the Whitworth and Barnes bullets( same construction) and the 160 grainers of Hornady and Norma.
All that having been said; If you take into consideration ease of handleing, recoil, range capability,deliverable energy, ability to handle long heavy bullets and world wide track record the 6.5X55 is almost impossible to beat. Maybe the 7mmX57?? roger

I have a Sako L691 chambered in 6.5X55 that I couldn't be happier with. It's a mild-mannered cartridge that is fun to shoot, easy to reload, and performs well on game. Mine likes long bullets (typical I think given the usual faster twists and long throats of 6.5X55 rifles). I've had real good luck with 140 grain Barnes XLCs and RL19. For a plinker load, I've found 129 grain Hornadys over IMR4831 to be fairly accurate. For a good general purpose round, I think you'd be hard pressed to beat something like the 6.5X55.

Thanks for the info so far Y'all. I am surprised I haven't heard anything from our brothers overseas on this cartridge as it is much more popular in Europe than it is in the US. Let's here from you guys.

I hunt with a Winchester Model 70 Classic Featherweight in 6.5X55. It has become my favorite whitetail deer rifle/cartridge combo. I use Nosler 125 grain Partitions over a suitable charge of RL19. The accuracy is excellent and the field performance is outstanding. You won't go wrong with the little Swede.

excellent choice. by far my favorite whitetail chambering. i hunt with a sporterized m-96 (no, i didn't do it; already mismatched; already on the way to sporterization). it's scoped and blued and honed, etc., in a chopped military stock right now, but i'm working on a boyd's that will become its walnut handle after deer season.

Great cartridge and great choice of bullet weights. The swede replaced the .243 as my antelope gun long ago. Its all you need for ante-goats and you dont need to take a back seat if a big muley suddenly appears either. And you dont have to have the stock surgically removed from your shoulder everytime you touch it off. There are a lot of swede-a-holics out there...its a sign of intelligence.


swede

I use it in Australia for pigs and donkeys. I love it. I havn't recovered any bullets from any pigs even the big ones so it has great penetration, mild recoil. I have used 120/129gr bullets but I'm going to settle on 140gr for all my hunting. I'll be working up a load for 140gr Tiapans this dry and would also like to try the new 140gr woodleigh.

My CF silhouette rifle is a swede 6.5x55 and very reliable for knocking down two dimention beasties (when I hit them) with pills from 120 grains. I dont know how the Rem 260 will stand up over time as the wildcat 6.5/308 didn't handle heavy pills any better than the 243.

Absolutely yes, using 140grs premium choice bullets this is one of my favourite calibers.
In Italy I have a less wide range of powders, and for this reason I use Vithavuori N160, 46grs with 140grs bullets and 49/50grs for 120grs bullets.
bye

The 6.5 Swede has an expansion ratio mid-way between the 270 Win and the '06, but uses faster twist rates to launch bullets in the 270s weight range and the '06s sectional density range.

All this at velocities and trajectories matching the 270 except with 15 to 20% less powder. Pressures in US ammo for the Swede are held down out of respect for the limitations of some older military rifles, but the handloader can correct this easily with many, many powders that also work well in the '06 and 270.

The famed 270 win with 130 gr bullets at 3000 fps has little on the Swede launching 120 gr bullets at the same velocity. In fact, the 120 gr 6.5 has the same sectional density and BC than the 130 gr 270 (.245 vs .242).

For bigger game at closer ranges, the Swede launches 160 gr RNs at 2600 fps, just as the '06 does with 220 grainers...yet they too have the same sectional densities and penetration characteristics (.320 vs .331).

As a varmint rifle, it is better than either the 270 or 30-06, yet it will take a hunter up through moose and elk.

Mule Skinner, I'm a recent convert to this cartridge, having just had a heavy target rifle built on a 1917 Enfield action with a stainless Gaillard barrel. Let me say for the record, however, that I am IMPRESSED!

I've found that 47.5 grains of H4831SC gives astonishing accuracy (about 1/4 m.o.a. 5-shot groups) with either 142-grain Sierras or 140-grain Hornady AMaxes. I've tried that same charge with 140-grain hunting bullets from Speer and Hornady and gotten groups on paper that are almost that good.

If I were going to hunt really big game like elk or moose with this cartridge, I'd load it with either a 140-grain Partition or the new Barnes Triple Shock and be ready for anything. Lighter bullets would be appropriate if you were only after deer-sized game.

The first time I fired this rifle was when a friend let me try his Swedish Mauser carbine. I was frankly dismayed at how light the recoil was. It felt like a .243 to me. I remember I was shooting that ancient rifle with military surplus ammo and the original iron sights. The first 5-shot group I fired was about an inch at 100 yards, and three of the holes were touching, if I recall. It was an instant love affair, to say the least!

This would be the first cartridge I would recommend to someone who might be introducting a youngster or a smaller shooter to big game hunting. It's a real winner.

The little svedee is an exellent allrounder and is popular up here in Iceland for raindeer, artic fox and seal hunting!

It's a real winner.

Ben
Iceland