Just coming into possession of a new Rem 700 short action. Got thinking this evening. It seems that the Rem 700 short action opening is long enough to clear empty 6.5x55 brass. With a Wyatt's 3.06" long mag box it wouldn't hinder the seating depth any significant amount.

Would/could this really work in a Rem 700 short action? Not saying i'm going to do it. Just food for thought for a future project.

Running equal pressues, bullets, powder as the 260 Rem, would the Swede out run the 260 Rem in a short action?

Alan

Having both..

In a Rem Short action, you would be happier in the long run with the 260 Rem....

Seafire, would the 6.5x55 fit in a short action with say store bought or milsup ammo? What about magazine length?

Gunny, FWIW, thank you for your service.

GSSP wrote: "
Running equal pressues, bullets, powder as the 260 Rem, would the Swede out run the 260 Rem in a short action?"

Probably...and in theory it should...but the 2 are so close in performance anyway that individual differences peculiar to each firearm would make more of a difference than anything else.

Like the .257 Roberts, the Swede's potential can be best realized via a long action setup. Seating out those long 140 grainers not only opens up more space for slow-burning powders such as Re-22 but also can lower pressures.

For a short action, I'd stick to the .260.

Ok, you guys are full of knowledge, experince and I truly appreciate your sharing it with me. I'm still hoping for an answer to my question. Can it work? Will it work? Will the velocities be faster, slower, equal? The x55 case is only .165" longer. With the Wyatt 3" box seating out to length should be no problem.

Seafire,
Have you indeed chambered a 6.5x55 in a short action? Has anyone and what was the outcome? The way your answer is worded I'm not sure if you have actually done it.

Stellbeeman, that's Sergeant First Class which is Army. I'm not a Gunny, that's USMC.

Alan

I don't know of any body who makes a 6.5 X 55 on a short action. Sako, Tikka Steyr, CZ all use a long action. A short action would take away from what makes the Swede better than the 260, the ability to use those long heavy bullets. I would guess that it would work, but would be limited by COL. To me the 260 is the best option for a short action.

+1 for the 260 in the short action. My Sako 6.5x55 is on a long action and it needs it when I use the long 156 and 160 grainers. Lou

It can work with alot of expensive action work. But a long action will always work better.

Alan, I pondered the very question in the past, and noticed Charlie Sisk I think building some. You have to watch your throating. It's doable but likely your ltd. to shorter light bullets unless you stuff the longer heavier bullets way down into the case.

On the plus side you get Lapua, but your OAL and throating NORMALLY can be a problem, that said, IIRC my CURRENT load features a 130 NAB at none other than 3.05 OAL and I believe it was around the same for 96 mausers and 700 Classic I owned in the past, running 120 and 140 CLs then.

IF you get the longer mag box, then it might work out better than most might imagine. Maybe others can chime in how long their loads OAL are in their 6.5x55s. A Swede w/120/130 TSX and 130 NAB, and 125 PT will do alot of killing, but you won't have maybe the LONG 160s sticking out as far if you want the nostalgia.

Your call but if your decision is the brass quality, a 6.5x47 will run real close in hunting length bbls (22-24) with the bullets up to 130gr. Food for thought. I don't think its a horrible idea, esp. if you change the box, but it's not ideal either, for that round. I am sure it would work for you, just not sure if it would make you as happy, or more than a 260, 6.5 Creed, or 47L.

Good luck either way.

Now, here's a message from Sweden

You'll want a long action for a 6,5x55.

This years deer load for my Sako AV in 6.5 X 55 is Nosler 130g Accubonds COL not touching the lands is 3.150 45.5g RL-19 Lapua brass. Under 1" for 5 at 100 yards. I would doubt this load would fit in a short action. I have some original Barnes 165g bullets about the longest bullets I have ever seen, 1.370 for the bullets alone. These fit just fine in the LA Sako AV.

i would look at the creedmoore for a short action.I like the longer neck and it will fit well in a short action even with 142 bullets.

quote:

Originally posted by GSSP:
Ok, you guys are full of knowledge, experince and I truly appreciate your sharing it with me. I'm still hoping for an answer to my question. Can it work? Will it work? Will the velocities be faster, slower, equal? The x55 case is only .165" longer. With the Wyatt 3" box seating out to length should be no problem.

Seafire,
Have you indeed chambered a 6.5x55 in a short action? Has anyone and what was the outcome? The way your answer is worded I'm not sure if you have actually done it.

Stellbeeman, that's Sergeant First Class which is Army. I'm not a Gunny, that's USMC.

Alan

Alan,

sorry I haven't been back in here on this..

I haven't built a 6.5 x 55 on a short action...because I looked into it and ended up putting the barrel on a long action...

the actions I was comparing were a short action and long action Model 70s...

I guess the answer is exactly the same one I would give for the 6mm Rem...I looked at building one on a short action...but went with a Model 700 long action... in the short action, the bullet had to be seated too deep in the case, and in the end, only gave me 243 velocity while adding to having a very tight quarters in the magazine well...and also would jam on cycling when I slammed a round into the chamber too quickly....

now back to the 6.5 x 55 in a short action..would it be a faster MV than say a 260? I doubt it....

I own both the 260s and the 6.5 x 55 each in multiple rifles.... and I also handload all my ammo..
for the 260, I use Winchester cases necked down from either 7/08 or 308 ( range brass)...for the Swede, I use Win and Rem cases...on curiosity I took the cases of each and filled them to the brim with H 380 powder... along with the 6.5 x 57 which I shoot and use necked up 257 Roberts brass by Winchester...

the 260 formed brass held exactly ONE grain less of H 380, than did the cases in 6.5 x55 and 6.5 x 57...

so the capacity of all three is pretty much even...me not considering the one grain of max capacity being significant....especially since that is going to be hampered with the longer cartridges in a short action...

If you want more powder in a short action..then I'd consider the 6.5 x 284.. however getting to play with one of those also ( owned by a friend).. that rifle, my 260 Rem VLS and a chronograph showed me that the 6.5 x 284 didn't have any significant increase in velocity potential than the 260 had...but the 6.5 x 284 had a significant percentage increase in powder capacity to reach those velocities... which in the long run would have ran into faster throat erosions on the barrel...

I also got to compare the 6.5 x 55 in a long action, the 6.5 x 57 and the 6.5/06 and 6.5 06 AI..all in long actions..

what the chronograph and the load bench told me was that in a short action, the most efficient cartridge was the 260..if you needed a hair more velocity, the AI version might yield it....but I wouldn't build it...

in a long action, both the 6.5 x 55 and the 6.5 x 57 would equal the velocity potential of the larger 6.5/06 AI and 6.5/06..using a lot less powder in the long run..

what I found was the difference being the choice of the bullet taking up space in the case ( as in the 06 version) of taking up magazine space instead of infringing on the powder capacity of the case...

interesting also, I found that in identical rifles...the 6.5/06 gave higher velocity with all bullet weights from 100 to 140 grains, than the Ackley version did... ( wouldn't have thought that..but that is what the chrony consistently said...

with those results I never even bothered testing out the 264 Win Mag...

so in the long run..I'd suggest the 260 or 260AI in the short action... you won't lose any velocity potential..especially if you do like I did and throat it out to fit magazine length ammo...

the 284 case will give you more case capacity..but that will contribute to throat erosion moreso than velocity increase...

if you want the Swede..find a long action to build it on...

also if it is a push feed action, I recommend using Rem Brass over any other...most pushfeeds are set up for a 308 sized bolt face ( .473) and correct Swede dimensions are a little larger...my Model 70 will often not eject Win Brass... but it never misses a beat on Rem Brass...because Rem incorrectly uses a 473 bolt face dimension on their brass...but it sure is push feed action friendly...

quote:

Originally posted by stillbeeman:
Seafire, would the 6.5x55 fit in a short action with say store bought or milsup ammo? What about magazine length?

Beeman...

I looked at building a 6.5 x 55 on both a Rem 700 short action and a Model 70 short action...

the Model 70 I had, contained a long magazine than the Rem...commercial American Ammo has the bullet seated way deep in the case...

handloaded ammo,that duplicated mil surplus dimensions typically had 140 or 144 grain bullets..

neither were short action friendly in my book..

it could be throated out and also have one of Kevin Wyatt's lengthened magazine box fit in it..but it struck me as trying to put 5 lbs of sand in a 3 lb bag...

I'm breaking this down into 3 posts, so I wouldn't have one long hard to read post on the subject...

for what it is worth...I had an extra 260 Rem heavy barrel I bought as a take off from a local gunshop...I was also rebarreling a long action Model 700 to a 6mm Rem...

so while the barrel was being waited for, I put the 260 Rem barrel on the long action..and had it throated out to allow bullets being barely seated in the case...especially the long 140 and 142 bullets...

that and the chrony at the range also showed that on a long action...even a 260 Rem can have a significant increase in velocity potential if the long bullets are not seated so deep into the powder dept...like 150 to 200 fps faster with the 120 Nosler Ballistic Tips..140 and 142 Sierra match..and 140 grain Rem Corelokts and 140 grain Amaxes...while not showing any increase in pressure signs..

same thing worked out on the Model 70 Swede...which has a 27 inch barrel...the Model 70 6.5 x 57, which has a 28 inch barrel..

The 260 in a short action will average 2950 on the top end with a 120 grain match bullet or ballistic tip...

however,with several powders tested the Swede and the 6.5 x 57, would hit 3250 fps with 120 grain Match or Ballistic Tips...this was without any additional pressure signs...
this is with the bullets seated to magazine length in a long action..

seated to the same depth and shot in a Swedish Mauser with the factory 29 inch barrel..the same velocity was observed...

one powder actually hit 3300 fps in each rifle with the 120 grain bullets...

remember, this are rifles on a long action, with a bullet seated to magazine length..with 27, 28 and 29 inch barrels....

however after saying all of this, Sierras tech line told me that the best accuracy of 107 and 120 grain match bullets was in the 2800 to 2900 fps MV range....my testing confirmed that statement...

so one has to weigh out their desires...max velocity potential or max accuracy potential...
if your quest is accuracy... then it brings us right back full circle to the most logical choice is the 260 on a short action...

quote:

Originally posted by azvarmint:
i would look at the creedmoore for a short action.I like the longer neck and it will fit well in a short action even with 142 bullets.

( Current 6.5's-- X54, X55, X57, X53R, 256 N, .264, Creedmoor; Sold- X52, X58, X65R, X68, RemMag, Ack Krag, 260.)

quote:

Originally posted by smithrjd:
This years deer load for my Sako AV in 6.5 X 55 is Nosler 130g Accubonds COL not touching the lands is 3.150 45.5g RL-19 Lapua brass. Under 1" for 5 at 100 yards. I would doubt this load would fit in a short action. I have some original Barnes 165g bullets about the longest bullets I have ever seen, 1.370 for the bullets alone. These fit just fine in the LA Sako AV.

Sounds like a good candidate for my VZ500 large ring Intermediate length 98 action.

The magazine length is 3.235".

There are short actions modified to the 6,5x55 Norwegian readily available, like Hansens model 703: http://www.magnumhansen.com/laaskasser.htm

GSSP,

quickest way is to put a 140 or 160 loaded Swede next to a 270...

You'll soon see why it works better in a long action.