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6.5 X 55 Swede potential ?
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I have a couple of questions regarding the 6.5 x 55 Swede. As I read the reloading manuals it appears, to me, that the data they have in them is slow for this cartridge. What is the realistic performance potential for the 6.5 X 55 Swede in a modern action like a Remington 700, with good brass like Lapua, and a 26 inch barrel? Also how accurate is it compared to say a 6.5 X .284? What is barrel life in this cartridge?
 
Posts: 36 | Registered: 04 May 2005Reply With Quote
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Data in the manuals is mostly for the M96 Mauser, not modern rifles. You can easily approach and even slightly surpass .260 Remington data in modern guns without pushing things.

Barrel life is similar to .308 or .30-06. Accuracy is usually excellent, but will depend on several of the usual factors other than the cartridge.
 
Posts: 56 | Registered: 13 January 2004Reply With Quote
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I have both a 6.5-284 and a 6.5 swede.
For the 6.5-284 I use 54.0. grs IMR 4350 with a 120 Nosler and for the Swede I use 51.0 grs of RL-19 with 120 nosler. They are both extremely accurate. One of these days I will invest in a Chronograph. Both rifle have Pac-Nor barrels one is built on a 98 turk mauser the other on 98 FN mauser.

John


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Posts: 2501 | Location: Wasilla, Alaska | Registered: 31 May 2004Reply With Quote
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What Scott said. I can easily get 2750-2800 fps with 140 gr bullets, 2900 with 130 gr bullets, and 3000 fps with 120 gr bullets with encountering pressure signs.

My son took 8 head of plains game in Zimbabwe this past July with his 6.5X55 shooting 140 gr Swift A-Frames at 2775 fps. All were one shot kills except the Zebra which required a finisher as the first shot was a bit too far back.

I love the cartridge. Light recoil, usually accurate in most guns, deadly effective on most light and medium big game. In Europe this caliber is VERY popular (like our 30-06) and regularly used on game up to and including european elk(moose).

Geronimo
 
Posts: 816 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 14 April 2004Reply With Quote
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Sorry typo. Should read "without encountering pressure signs."

Geronimo
 
Posts: 816 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 14 April 2004Reply With Quote
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You should be able to get 2850 with a 140 gr within reasonable pressures. I have always felt that this weight bullet was best for the 6.5x55 as it has a high SD and BC.
 
Posts: 7636 | Registered: 10 October 2002Reply With Quote
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I like the 6.5 Swede as well as the next guy, but I don't think I'd stretch it to 2850 fps, regardless of the presence or absence or pressure signs. Traditional pressure signs start at around 70,000, IIRC, and that's more than I want, so a lack of them doesn't really tell me what I need to know.

The problem, of course, is the absence of printed literature as a recipe at the high end. The Ramshot interactive guide is the best I've found, and it shows the 140g Nosler Partition at 2778 fps at a pressure of 58708. Working with a good, accurate chrony, personally, I'd take it to 2800 fps, and then stop there.

Jaywalker
 
Posts: 1006 | Location: Texas | Registered: 30 December 2003Reply With Quote
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From an old Norma booklet. 6.5x55 ,139 gr powder 204 - 2788 fps at 47,100 psi,, powder 205 2946 at 49,630.
 
Posts: 7636 | Registered: 10 October 2002Reply With Quote
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You're right the Swede data is low--it's specked for military rifles that are not as strong as modern actions. I get a safe 2750 out of my 260 (handgun) using 120 Barnes X. I have no doubt that you can safely get 2800 to 2900 in a modern action 6.5X 55 with 140 gr bullets and a 24" barrel.
 
Posts: 168 | Location: No. Minnesota | Registered: 10 January 2004Reply With Quote
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2900's is easy with 140gr pills in modern rifles without pressure signs. At least from what I have seen.


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Posts: 1496 | Location: behind the crosshairs | Registered: 01 August 2002Reply With Quote
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I have a Remington 700 Classic in 6.5x55 and it shoots very well. I have some problems with the Sierra 140 & 142 bullets, but that's because of the 1 in 9" twist. I'd rather have a 1 in 8" twist but didn't know that when I purchased the rifle. It's a strong action that can be load up higher than what you see in the reloading mauals. With a Sierra 85gr. HP I get 3200fps., with a Lapua 108gr. HP it'll give me 2900. The 120gr. Sierra HPMatch and Nosler 120gr Bal.Tip will go 2800, Lapua 123gr. Scenar goes at 2800 and the Hornady 129gr. PSP is also 2800fps. Then it slows down a bit. Lapua 139gr. Scenar is 2550fps and the Sierra 160gr.PSP has a velocity of 2400fps. Thius is quite the accurate rifle. I'm very pleased with it. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal


Cal Sibley
 
Posts: 1866 | Location: Montreal, Canada | Registered: 01 May 2003Reply With Quote
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I wouldn't hesitate to push any load shown for the .260 Rem up about 100'/sec with the swede in a modern action.

It's just a fine a cartridge as the 7 X 57 and the 8 X 57...a little handloading works wonders in them.


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Posts: 28849 | Location: western Nebraska | Registered: 27 May 2003Reply With Quote
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I worked up a nice load using plain-jane 140 Hornady SPs and RL22 for my 6.5 Swede. The load is slightly below Alliant's published max load (no pressure signs) and it produces tight cloverleaf groups out of my CZ550 FS.

While the gun is quite strong and it probably can easily handle reasonable over-book-max loads, I see no reason for me to redline it when it groups extremely well with a milder load. No condemnation intended.


BH1

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Posts: 707 | Location: Nebraska | Registered: 23 December 2001Reply With Quote
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Cal, I had a classic.

I am PRETTY sure they have an 8 twist, or mine did. The 260's all have 9, except an early run of Model 7's that were recalled, funny as they likely had 8's as they shoud have, but Rem wanted them 9. It does not stabilize the 140's.
 
Posts: 2898 | Registered: 25 September 2005Reply With Quote
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CZ uses a 1 in 8.6" twist and will allow you to achieve the higher velocities a little easier. The faster twist barrels will stabilize the longer bullets until you push them harder and if you want the higher velocities a slower twist will require higher velocity for better stabilization. The older rifles work best with the lower data, but with load data for modern bolt rifles like the CZ-550, performance is slightly better than the .260 Remington and accuracy is best obtained with the higher pressure/velocity loads. Ramshot has three powders suitable for reloading the 6.5 X 55mm. I believe Magnum has been mentioned and Big Game is about the same speed as H-380. They have a new ball powder called Hunter that is not temperature sensitive and will rival extruded powders in that regard. I think it is a breakthrough for a ball powder that has a burnrate next to R-19/N-204 and slightly slower than the various 4350s. At 950 grams per liter it is also very dense and meters exceptionally. Wink
CZ-550 American


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Posts: 483 | Location: Central Texas | Registered: 18 July 2005Reply With Quote
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The reason the load data for the 6,5x55 for the swedish mauser are low is because these rifles are not as strong as MauserM98 and modern firearms. Just like MichiganScott says.

The name of the modern cartrigde in loadbooks is simply the official name of the old union cartrigde: 6,5x55
If the name 6,5x55 swedish mauser or 6,5x55 norwegian krag is used it implys a lower pressure standard and you should not pay any attention to them.

If you find load data marked "6,5x55 Scan" then you know this is the 6,5x55 in its modern load pressures.

All the confusion around the 6,5x55 would be resolved if people would stop using the name "6,5x55 swede" when they were in fact talking about the modern 6,5x55 (the performance of the 6,5x55 has just like the 30-06 steadily increased througout the years, except the 30-06 has not been loaded especially for certain rifles like the 6,5x55 has: Krag-Jørgensen and Mauser M96)
 
Posts: 91 | Location: Norway | Registered: 03 March 2005Reply With Quote
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Tordenskiold,
Thank you very much for the enlightenment. These two calibers (6.5x55 and 30-06) are my all time favorites. I doubt that one needs to look elsewhere for the vast majority of their non dangerous hunting needs. I have twenty-odd rifles in eight different calibers, yet I find myself most frequently going back to one of these calibers when it comes to taking game. They just plain work, and they work without the recoil, muzzle blast, or weight of some of the more highly touted mega mags

Geronimo
 
Posts: 816 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 14 April 2004Reply With Quote
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I have a 6.5x55mm in a modern action that is a pleasure to shoot. It is accurate and recoil is mild. But for my money, I like my .256 Newton (6.5-06) much better and plan on having a new one built up as my next rifle project.


Don Stewart
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Posts: 238 | Location: Memphis on the mighty Mississippi | Registered: 19 December 2002Reply With Quote
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I use my 6.5x55 as a loaner, rainy day rifle and fun shooter. The load that always works out to maybe 200 yards is the 140 grain Hornady pushed to 2450 fps. Deer and hogs join ancesters quickly when hit well with this load.


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