A friend has an old M-96 in 6.5X55 and after shooting it once I was awestruck! I can see the glamour and allure of this fine caliber. I am now on a search...a search to find a rifle in this caliber.

I started looking and it appears that only CZ, Sako, and Tikka offer this caliber in a 2009 catalog. I did some research and both my local store and distributor, while they can obtain these brands, state that they do not carry this caliber and that I was outta luck. I did not find anything in this caliber by Kimber, Remington, or Winchester in a 2009 offering. So more research revealed that Sako only offers the Finnlight in the US and I believe CZ offers it.

So what is a new 6.5X55 convert to do? I REALIZE the Sako is one wonderful rifle, but is there other alternatives? Or am I just missing the boat and not finding what I am looking for?
Am I left with only one alternative and have a rifle built or buy a used rifle and have it rebarreled?

you may have to do some looking but remmy, winchester and ruger all have made 6.5x55s in short runs. right at the moment all are available on gunbroker

I picked up a Remington Model 700 Classic in 6.5x55 about 10 years back. It quickly became my favorite deer and pronghorn rifle. You may need to shop around for one, but it would be my recommendation.

Accurate, well made, low recoil, easy to carry and a joy to reload for. However, despite trying a bunch of different loads, the most accurate load I've ever found for mine is the factory Sellior & Belloit loaded with 131 gr soft points. And I got a huge supply of them on sale a couple years ago for less than $9.00 a box. So, I'm good to go for a long long time with this rifle.

Look for a used Model 70 Featherweight. They are great. I have had two of them. I get stupid once in a while and sell some things I should keep.

It's a shame you've got problems locating a Tikka T3 over there (never thought I'd ever say that... we're the ones who usually have problems getting stuff in the peoples undemocratic republic of the UK!). Truely superb rifles combined with a calibre that is a joy to reload for, even crap bullets group well with this rifle/cal combo.

Sabatti 90, Antonio Zoli 1900,(copy of Husqvarna 1900) and Zastava M70.
Sauer, Blaser and other expensive euro makers also make 6.5's if you have a high budget.

Tikka T3s in 6.5x55 are available currently in the USA are the Hunter....walnut/blue steel or SS/synthetic....great value in an accurate/well made rifle....

I agree with a previous poster...look for a Remington 700 Classic in 6.5x55.
Peter.

Tikka over the Rem 700 for me.....

here's one of my T3 6.5s in SS/walnut.....

Thats interesting. I must have missed the Tikka T-3 6.5X55 offering on the Beretta website while researching. Just gonna have to go to my local FFL and see if they can order directly somehow.

You can buy a rifle chambered for the 30-06, or any of the 30-06 family of cartrigdes, and change the barrel to one in 6,5x55 Norwegian. A simple re-barreling is all it takes.

I started up with a 6,5x55 Norwegian, went on to other cartrigdes, but now I`m back to the good old 6,5

In Norway, this old union cartrigde is still the standard for high-power rifle competition and used for long range shooting out to 1200 meters (1300 yards).

quote:

Originally posted by Tordenskiold:
or any of the 30-06 family of cartrigdes, and change the barrel to one in 6,5x55 Norwegian. A simple re-barreling is all it takes.

Have and have had several military 6.5x55s that I've sporterized. The one most resently aquired was a mod 200 Stevens .270 barrel replaced by a Shaw 6.5x55 barrel. The Shaw barrel may not be thought of as top of the line but it does do MOA.
The Mod. 200 barrel swaping is easy ( most times ), once you have the reasonably priced tooling. roger

I wanna make sure I get this correct. A basic rifle in any of the 30-06, 270 and all I need to do is rebarrel it? Will feeding issues become a problem or bolt face be an issue? ANy issues that anyone knows of other than a simple rebarrel?

I am researching all avenues. I've learned all too often the hard way by leaping before I look. None of the middlemen, jobbers, wholesalers in the area who carry the Tikka or CZ line will discuss singly ordering one of these. I think it will either be an online site that I buy from, someone off of AR, or have one rebarreled. When it comes time in the next few months to get one I wanna be ready.

All you need to do is to rebarrel it. I have had this done twice.

As to feeding issues, you will probably experience slicker feeding with the 6,5x55 because of its more distinct cone-shape.

Renegade, contact Allan. He usually has some Model 1600 Husqvarna rifles. I have a 1962 6.5x55 hunter from him. I could not be more pleased. JP

http://www.allans-armory.com/aa.php

Yep same here a Husky 1640 in 6.5x55 scoped and loaded weighs in under 7lbs, look for a classic the huskys are a small ring 98 mauser action just brilliant

Jeff

quote:

Originally posted by RenegadeRN:
I wanna make sure I get this correct. A basic rifle in any of the 30-06, 270 and all I need to do is rebarrel it? Will feeding issues become a problem or bolt face be an issue? ANy issues that anyone knows of other than a simple rebarrel?

I am researching all avenues. I've learned all too often the hard way by leaping before I look. None of the middlemen, jobbers, wholesalers in the area who carry the Tikka or CZ line will discuss singly ordering one of these. I think it will either be an online site that I buy from, someone off of AR, or have one rebarreled. When it comes time in the next few months to get one I wanna be ready.

I went this route, when I wanted to have exactly what I wanted... so I rebarreled a Model 70...

it was a push feed model..

if you go this route, the only problem I can foresee you having is like what I experienced..

Win brass will not always extract, with the push feed...Win uses the case head dimensions of the Swede as it is supposed to be..

a claw extractor such as a Ruger or Model 70 Classic presents no problems..

but a quick solution for the push feed extracting problems is to use Remington 6.5 x 55 brass...

its case head is evidently the same as the 06 ( 473) BOLT face..

its just as good and as strong as Win's brass in the Swede is..and will extract just fine..

feeding, as said by Tordenskiold, will present ZERO problems...

quote:

Originally posted by seafire/B17G:

quote:

Originally posted by RenegadeRN:
I wanna make sure I get this correct. A basic rifle in any of the 30-06, 270 and all I need to do is rebarrel it? Will feeding issues become a problem or bolt face be an issue? ANy issues that anyone knows of other than a simple rebarrel?

I am researching all avenues. I've learned all too often the hard way by leaping before I look. None of the middlemen, jobbers, wholesalers in the area who carry the Tikka or CZ line will discuss singly ordering one of these. I think it will either be an online site that I buy from, someone off of AR, or have one rebarreled. When it comes time in the next few months to get one I wanna be ready.

I went this route, when I wanted to have exactly what I wanted... so I rebarreled a Model 70...

it was a push feed model..

if you go this route, the only problem I can foresee you having is like what I experienced..

Win brass will not always extract, with the push feed...Win uses the case head dimensions of the Swede as it is supposed to be..

a claw extractor such as a Ruger or Model 70 Classic presents no problems..

but a quick solution for the push feed extracting problems is to use Remington 6.5 x 55 brass...

its case head is evidently the same as the 06 ( 473) BOLT face..

its just as good and as strong as Win's brass in the Swede is..and will extract just fine..

feeding, as said by Tordenskiold, will present ZERO problems...

That is where the problem lies w/ American made ammo. The case head of true 6.5x55 is .480, while most American manufacturers use re-sized .30-06 cases with a .473 case head. On the other side using American ammo in a true 6.5x55 results in decreased accuracy and some extraction issues as the case is no longer supported correctly.

I too had a push feed M70 in 6,5x55 Norwegian, it ejected all ammo briskly, but then again I did not feed it any 6,5x55 US (it should be considered a separate cartrigde since it is made outside of the original blueprint of the 6,5x55 and downloaded).

The bolt heads made for the 6,5x55 by the major riflemakers I know of are the same x57 casehead dimensions as used for the 8x57, 30-06 and other similar cartrigdes. Example: The Blaser R93 uses the same bolt head for all standard cartrigdes, even for those not exactly .473 - like the 6,5x55 or the 9,3x62.

I have 2 6,5x55
Carl Gustav
http://forums.accuratereloadin...=810106135#810106135
and Sauer 202 very accurate, 20mm group on 200 meters

http://forums.accuratereloadin...941014611#3941014611