I'm planning to get a European style kipplauf stalking rifle in 6.5x57R.

I've noticed that even though apparently very popular in Europe, most U.S. ammo mail order businesses don't seem to carry this caliber.

Where is the best place - quality ammo at good prices - to order 6.5x57R in the U.S.?

What brands/loads do you recommend for each of the following:
Texas whitetails
Texas mule deer
Texas wild hogs

Brazos Jack

Br-Jk,

I wish you all the best with your endevour - it sounds cool! Although I prefer the really, long, heavy 120-140 gr. bullets in this cartridge; RWS ammo is about as good as it gets.

I'm sitting in The Fatherland - have three Buddies, one with a Bockbuchsflinte (O/U) and the other two who shoot 6.5x57R's in their Drillings. All have asked me to "organize" reloading potential for them.

At the range(s) I've picked up 4 (yes, four) pieces of 6.5x57R brass (RWS) in 18 months and am sitting on one box of Hornady 140 gr. RN bullets ($35.00) waiting to be enlightened. Dies are expensive (you wouldn't recognize the the word in Germany); and nothing much further has materialized; it's not as really a popular cartridge across the Pond as you would imagine, either.

It is though, a great cartridge, especially with heavy for caliber bullets (penetration) - but where it's hiding is "an Amazement" to me?

The 6.5x57R is on my list of future projects! My idea is to chamber a Lee Enfield for it. I will of course, hand load for it - if it ever materializes. (I might just settle for a 6.5/303 but I just happen to like the x57R case for some nostalgic reason).

Check with ChopperGuy, he found some a while back for his Krieghoff.

A friend of mine owns a blaser in this calibre,RWS ammo was pretty expensive so he got some Sellier &Belliot ammo.However the heads did not seem to expand well on Sika deer.
A bit of research and dabbling around led us to pulling the heads and replacing them with Hornady 129gr SST,s.[Thanks for the help there,Cohannon]
Far more accurate than the original load which was poor and greatly improved terminal performance.
RWS,S&B,Blaser and Hirtenberger are probably going to be the only manufacturers of the ammo

quote:

Originally posted by 303Guy:
The 6.5x57R is on my list of future projects! My idea is to chamber a Lee Enfield for it. I will of course, hand load for it - if it ever materializes. (I might just settle for a 6.5/303 but I just happen to like the x57R case for some nostalgic reason).

Gee mate, watch your pressures... I rebarreled my Ruger 77MkII to 6.5 swede with a 1:8 twist, and it's pretty sensitive when I start going much over 'standard' loads...

Like you, I love the SMLE action, but unless you're using a No4, you might be pushing the envelope a bit... but you've just given me an idea... 6.5/303... 25/303 can be dangerous, 270/303 never seemed to be a prob... maybe the 6.5 would sit nicely in the middle...

Damn... now there are two rifles in the thought pipeline... 35/303 and 6.5/303.... I reckon the 6.5 would be a really nice rifle.

quote:

Brazos Jack

I have used my 6.5x57R on prong horn and white tail deer so far.

My load of choice is the 130 grain Swift Sirocco. It has been the best combo of speed and accuracy. Plus it's terminal performance on game is well....TERMINAL!

My reloads in the Krieghoff hubertus single shot rifle are grouping .5 MOA at 200 yards when I do my part.

This was the first bulet I tried in the x57R and it worked so well I have not even experimented with others. It's a hunting round for me so I don't feel the need for other bullets being available for my shooting of this caliber.

quote:

25/303 can be dangerous,

Please tell me more. I am loading 36.6gr AR2208 behind a 100gr Sierra spitzer. So far, pressure signs are, well, not there. The primer is showing a healthy, moderate pressure with rounded edges and a degree of flattening. To me, I am getting close to 'enough' pressure but accuracy sucks so I want to try going up a little - to 37grs. Oh, mine is a 303-25, whatever the difference might be. (I think it is the one with the neck/shoulder in the same place as the 303 Brit but the shoulder/body just slightly further back. I would have opted for a slighty sharper shoulder angle and put the shoulder in the same place as the Brit.)

A 6.5/303 is a cool idea! For me, it is a toss-up between the 6.5/303 and the 6.5x57R.

I wonder why nobody rechambered the 303 Brit for 303x57R? That would have gotten around the 303 Brit ban, wouldn't it?

You really would do better to handload for it. RWS and RUAG are really the only quality makes (S and B are much lower quality) with a max bullet weight of (if memory serves) 127gr.

If you have a K95 you can load to the rimless pressures which means considerably increased performance. A 140gr bullet under a max load of RL22 makes 2,800fps pretty easy.

It is a beautiful cartridge.

Natchezz Supply was carrying RWS brass in the 6.5x57 R. I have one box of loaded 6.5x57R that came to me in a batch of 6.5x57mm, it's S&B ammo.

The 6.5x57mm is a real Texas Whitetail killer!

LLS

The best place to get the ammo is at a local dealer that carries Sellier & Bellot. If they don't have it in stock, they can get if for you if they want to. S&B lists the 6.5X57R with a 131gr Soft Point and a MV of 2543fps.

I just ordered 5 boxes here. I wish I could find Hirtenberger ammo in the USA. It is $17.00/box and a five box order reduces that the $16.00/box.

http://www.sgammo.com/product/...-sellier-bellot-ammo

The shipping was $12.00, also. This is a great buy, IMO.