I have a Swede action I am planning to rebarrel. It is a M94 that bubba had his way with. The 17.7 inch barrel is handy but I would like to get the most out of what the 6.5x55 has to offer. I don't want to go to a 26 inch tube but have no problem with 24 if it will give me something noticeable over 22 or even a handier 20 inch barrel.

I should add the rifle will be for hunting in woods and some rough terrain. 300 yard shots max (clear cuts and right aways) most likely 100-200. Not sure what weight barrel I want yet either. Looking for experianced advice.

I have no experience with short barreled Swedes, I go the other direction. That said, the Swedes did go from the 29" M96 to the 24" M38, so I have to figure that 24 will work alright for that round. My belief is that twist is more important for the 6.5, and in that I find that 1 in 8 works well, as it lets you stabilize the heavier bullets well without sacrificing the lighter ones. The 140gr pills will reach quite well at the distances you mention.

Eric

With today's medium speed powders you can get most everything you want out of the Swede with a 22" barrel. My son used one in Zim last year with a 22" barrel and killed 7 species of plains game, up to and including Zebra and Wildebeast, all one shot kills. Load used was 49 grs.RL 22, Fed 210 primers, 140 gr. Swift A-Frames. This load gives 2775 fps. and outstanding accuracy in his gun. Longest shot was 265 paces, no problem.

Geronimo

quote:

Originally posted by Geronomo:
With today's medium speed powders you can get most everything you want out of the Swede with a 22" barrel. My son used one in Zim last year with a 22" barrel and killed 7 species of plains game, up to and including Zebra and Wildebeast, all one shot kills. Load used was 49 grs.RL 22, Fed 210 primers, 140 gr. Swift A-Frames. This load gives 2775 fps. and outstanding accuracy in his gun. Longest shot was 265 paces, no problem.

Geronimo

Wow, I wonder what kind of pressure that load is generating? Alliant lists a maximum for the 140 gr Speer at 48.1 gr of R-22 for 2700 fps. My 22" barrel Howa is lucky to get 2500 fps with the 140 gr Hornady, no matter what powder I use. Guess I need to load up some Reloder 22 and give it one more go. I stopped at 46.5 gr when I tried it before, got 2517 fps. I guess I quit too sooon...

I like the 22" barrel on my 6.5x55, but I like that length on all my rifles, too. I like the balance that gives on the factory M70 FWT better than the tiny increment of fps that a longer barrel would yield.

Jaywalker

Go with the 24" barrel as it balances out just right with the slower powders and heavier bullets in the 6.5x55. Yuo can always take a couple inches off later if it is to long for you but you can't add a couple inches if you get a barrel to short for you. I use 49 gr of H4831SC under the 140 gr Hornady SP out of my sporter M38 with the military 23.75" barrel. Velocity is 2740 fps and it shoots 5 shots into 1 MOA. No pressure signs at all.

Larry Gibson

Having owned 3 m96's, one cut to 24, one to 21, other left 29, and 260's at 23", 20", and 18.5, I would go 23-24 if building a swede.

I would be content with a 22 factory, but a 23 or 24 would pick up a little velocity, be quieter and might steady better.

Normally I like 21-22", but the Swede is small in bore/expansion ratio and has long higher friction bullets and fast twists often.

DO use a 7.5-8" twist if you want flexibility and shoot over 129gr bullets. This is more important than length, as a 9 twist will not often cut the mustard with 140's, unless you are pushing them out of a magnum or similar case.

DO use a 7.5-8" twist if you want flexibility and shoot over 129gr bullets. This is more important than length, as a 9 twist will not often cut the mustard with 140's, unless you are pushing them out of a magnum or similar case.

Crap I was getting the barrel from ER Shaw and they only do a 9 twist.

2ndtimer, most reloading manuals publish very conservative loads due to the large number of 100 year old milsurp rifles in use. If you are loading for a modern weapon, getting these velocities is no big deal and doesn't require any really hot loads.

When I look up loads in a manual, I pay attention to the maximum listed velocity for a given powder. For mostly legal reasons, these books list a very conservative load to acheive that velocity. You will never get there using the number of grains listed. Therefore, when I approach the max listed velocity, I am assuming that I am also approaching or at the maximum load. I generally follow this approach unless of course pressure signs prompt me to stop earlier in load development. One other suggestion is to refer to the Lee manual which actually lists the pressures at the starting and maximum loads.

Geronimo

well I went long and fast with 25 inches and 1:7.5" twist.

333

I remember seeing your 'parts kit' for that rifle, do you have a 'finished rifle' and photos yet? Love to see when you do.

Jacobite, I would say a 120-129 will work fine in the 9, but would recommend AGAINST a 9 twist if you are sure you want to shoot 140-160 bullets.

At one time you could find M96 barrels only, that were as new, perhaps new, check with milsurp gun distributors i.e. century arms I believe, they did sell them once. Cheap, could be cut down from 29, or if a m38-they may have been around 24" as is, and they all fit the same action IIRC. You are building on a m94 right? Same action IIRC as the 96 and 38 re: barrel threads etc.

If you CAN get an older barrel, some will be pristine, or possible new unfired, AND they are IIRC a Cut Rifled 4 groove, 7.5-7.7 twist which will shoot anything you stuff in the 6.5.

That would be the most economical route for a good all around barrel. Those barrels were amazing in accuracy for the day in my opinion.

I have 3 Swedish Mauser Chamberings..

one with 22 inch barrel, one with 26 inch barrel and one with the factory 29 inch barrel...

The difference in performance between the 29 and 22 inch barrels in the field, have been zero in my experiences...some velocity loss I am sure, but not enough to worry about in field conditions..

either is a 300 yd performer..

FWIW, the vel difference between the 18" short barrel and the 29" long barrel is about 300fps for a given load. Swede mil surp ammo should have a speed close to 2600fps in the long barrel, 2300fps in the short barrel, and with a 24" barrel you'd probably get around 2450fps. If you get speeds much faster than as listed, I'd say that you are overspeed and overpressure. For 300yds or less put whatever barrel you want on your rig.
Geronomo and 2ndtimer, ?conservative load manuals, medium speed powders, and doesn't require really hot loads? The swede action is stout and can be pushed(maybe it should not be pushed, some may say) like when I load 140 grainers over 44(~2775fps) or 46(~2890fps) grains of H4350.
The conservative Hodgdon's manual says 45 gr of H4350 will give only about 2700fps, wrong in my case. YMMV
Comparing apples to oranges Hodgdon shows a 264 WIN MAG with a 24" tube getting 2900 to 3000fps in their load offerings. Yea, I know that some people can and do push their 264 mags faster. Just be aware and careful/safe when chasing dragons. best-o-luck

Thanks for all the input guys. I think I will go with the 24 inch barrel. Like lonniemike said I can always have it cut down. 120-129 grain bullets will be fine for my needs so I should be o.k. with the 9 twist. Now all I have to do is decide what contor before Friday. I think I will go with a medium sporter. Skinny barrels look to flimsy to me. So much for this being a mountain rifle huh?

I think you will be fine, even if pushed a 120x or 125 partition can down game larger than deer should you choose, but in PA, it looks like deer and perhaps black bear are in your area.

I prefer a stiff sporter-med. sporter on most rifles, preferring at least .650 muzzle dia. up to .700, after that they can get heavy for toting all day.

My old '96 swede was I believe .675 or right at it at 21", and the 24 may have been the same, they have one or two 'steps' in the barrel. I liked that weight in the barrel very much, did not heat fast, was accurate, and steadied well while still being 'portable'

Good luck, sure you will be happy, give us a range report when you get it together.

I have sporterized about 70 Swedish 6.5 Mausers. I have tried all the lengths from the original 29 inches to 17 inches. Over the chronograph on average the 24 inch barrels do about the best.

23" works quite well for me.

Might be putting the 6.5x55 project on hold. Thinking I want to build the .257 AI first. Man it was bad enough when I had one project now I have two. I was starting to lean away from the .257 AI and just do the 6.5 and another .308 but I know I will not be happy till I have the .257, I have to make up my mind fast as I am taking an action in Friday and ordering the work done. Think I will leave the Swede the way it is for now.

quote:

333

I remember seeing your 'parts kit' for that rifle, do you have a 'finished rifle' and photos yet? Love to see when you do.

The rifle is still with Jim Dubell at Delta Gun Shop and I have not heard from him in about 3 months, but I trust it is coming along. It will go to Gostomski for a stock after that.

My Sako AV has a 23" barrel and I like the way it handles. Lou

thanks 333, looking forward to seeing photos, and targets!

As a lot of the others have also stated, I would be more concerned with a fast enough twist rate and balance over velocity loss concerns with a shorter barrel on your to be built rifle.

I am a handgun hunter, shooting a 6.5 MiniDreadnaught, which is a 220 Swift case with minimum body taper and a 60 degree shoulder, that is not far from a 6.5 x 55 in case capacity. The barrel was 15 inches before it was cut to install a muzzle break. Over all barrel length is still 15" but actual barrel length is 13 inches. 50.0 Gr of VV N560 gives me 2,530 fps with Nosler's 140 Gr Partition bullet out of this short barrel. A max charge would be 52.0 grains and would yield another 100 or so fps but I got my best accuracy (less than an inch) at the lower charge weight. The N560 did better for me than H4350 did with the 140s. Although 4350 was definitely better with the lighter weight bullets in my barrel, both velocity and accuracy wise. I haven't tried any R-22 as of yet, so I don't know how it would do in my barrel.

But if I can get 2,500 fps out of a 13" barrel with a less than max powder charge and 140 grain bullets, you ought to be able to get satisfactory velocities out of any rifle barrel length you would care to choose. By the way, I could have put my fist in the exit wound that Hornady's 140 Gr SST left in a better than 200 pound buck I shot last fall with my 13 inch barreled handgun. You gotta love those 6.5s...Rusty.

Ok Jacobit,
you are rebarrel yur rifle, choose the right step to correctly manage the 140grs bullets. My 6.5x55 Se rifle is 22" barrelled, and I shoot roe deer well over 300 meters.

I found new mil surplus barrels for the rifle. Same barrel that is on it but new. I plan to buy one. A guy at the club is into Swede rifles and can rebarrel it and head space it for me. Looks like it will stay a 17.7 inch mountain rifle.
Thanks guys. Looks like the comercial 98 mauser action gets to go to ER Shaw in the morning.

I take it you found a new 17.7" barrel? There were longer ones, but the thread for the old mil surp rifles were smaller diameter than a '98 as you must know/learned.

Keep us posted/good luck.

quote:

Originally posted by 6.5BR:
I take it you found a new 17.7" barrel? There were longer ones, but the thread for the old mil surp rifles were smaller diameter than a '98 as you must know/learned.

Keep us posted/good luck.

Yes I have two different rifles. The Swede is now getting a new Swede 17.7 inch barrel just like it has. I have not found new surplus Swede barrels other than the short ones. I took the comercial 98 mauser action to E.R. Shaws this morning.
They are installing a 26 inch #3 varmit contor chrome moly barrel chambered in .257 AI for me.
The will also lap the lugs and also true the reciever and bolt face if they find it necessary.

Well I guess you wanted a different 'flavor' but heck you could have built a 6.5x55 improved, or similar high performance rounds, but if you are talking a Roberts improved, they are high intensity, had a friend who said it about duplicated a 25-06, but not sure what pressures he ran, he did hot rod it and it was fast. It should do well, giving you longer range capability over the short barreled swede if you need it.

Hope they all turn out well for you. I knew a guy who had a 280 AI that shot sub moa, and on a mauser.

Here's some data I shot in 2001. 47 grains of H4831 behind a 140 grain Speer Hot Core. I originally shot this as part of the calibration of a lot of surplus WC852. Same lot of all components in all three rifles, shot over the same chrony on the same day. 70 deg. F at 1,000 feet of elevation:

28 1/2" barrel M96 Swede; Average velocity 2690 fps

24" barrel M38 Swede; average velocity 2538 fps

22" barrel, cut down M96 Swede; average velocity; 2461 fps

BD

My mauser cut down was not performing up to what I expected, but I suspect barrel tolerances affects them all differently, a good barrel on a good modern action --(yeasr ago I pushed my Mauser's, but after cracking the bolt body threads, when the striker bottomed out-from using '06 formed brass-I would not risk hot loads personally-as a blown primer can push that striker back and I wonder possibly if it gave way-thru your head!)can do well at 22-24, but they will pick up speed if you choose a longer barrel, but in a hunting rifle, real world advantages may not be seen at ranges used.

My experience with the Mauser was prior to widespread brass but I would never again reform them, as the brass I used had an OD of .310 on the neck-unturned, specs call for max at .297, so I had CRIMPED loads in essence which made pressure SKYROCKET. I realized AFTER the fact what I had done, as I had to find what could have cost my life! Safety first.....

24" Medium Sporter contour.