This is a double post. I also posted it in European Hunting.

Just interested in seeing how popular or common the 6.5 x 57 is out there among other hunters.

I love the 6.5 bore and think that the 57 mm case is ideal for anything below 8 mm or 338 caliber in a light weight hunting rig.

For those that do shoot it in Europe:

What brand of rifles do you see it in?

What type of actions are they most popular in?

What type of bullet weights do you commonly see used the most?

What type of game is considered the upper limits on their use?

Would really enjoy your prospective.

Once upon a time it was much common in the USA, post WW2. Japanese Arisakas bought back from the Pacific War, were chambered in a 6.5 x 50 ( European designation). Since Brass was hard to come by and not necessarily easy to convert for a lot of guys from 30/06 brass or whatever, the bore was opened up to accept the 257 Roberts case, which is a necked down 7 x 57 to 25 bore, which was very popular in the USA until the 243 and 244 Remington came out.

Thanks for your prospectives.

Has definitely lost popularity in Germany. Many half-educated German hunters think that the cartridge is inherently inaccurate because of long freebore. This may be true, and may be not, it really depends upon the individual weapon and the load.

The 6,5 x 57 is hardly ever used in new guns here; people prefer the .30-06, the .308, the 8x57 IS (again), and in the 6,5mm range, the 6,5 x 55 and the 6,5 x 65 RWS. In France, the cartridge may still have some followers, due to legal reasons.

The old and nowadys extinct Portuguese 6,5 x 58 P is a better cartridge than the 6,5 x 57 IMHO, and indeed very accurate with its long round nose bullets. RWS loaded it for the civilian market at least up into the 1940s.

Carcano

[ 06-05-2003, 19:30: Message edited by: carcano91 ]

I have a gunsmith buddy that's very fond of the 6.5x57, but I think he's an exception to the rule. Most Americans prefer the 6.5-06 or 264 Winchester Magnum. I have several friends that use a 264 WM and use it almost exclusively for deer sized game.

Don,

I like the 6.5 x 57, or the necked up Roberts based on bullet selection and little recoil of the round. Mine is very accurate also, but it is a custom barrel. I have also seen a few people call it the 6.5 Roberts.

I like it because of efficiency. The larger cases don't get hardly any more velocity if at all, yet use a lot more powder. More powder is what leads to throat erosion and that is why the 264 is considered such a barrel burner.

It might on average gain 150fps over the 57mm case, but the trajectory difference is minimal, especially when the range gets longer.

Appreciate the comeback tho.

I saw several while stationed in Germany. Some consider it a near ideal caliber although much of its former popularity has decreased due to the increased use of the 6.5x55 which is very close in ballistic performance. It'll do nicely for anything we have in North America unless you encounter a big grizzley. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal