Most of my deer hunting now is done with a 6.5 X 55 in a M-98 Mauser.....I use 120 Northforks and so far it's taken three bucks with three shots.....what's not to like?

I'd use it for elk too but have a .30-06 for that so I use it!

The 6.5 X 55 just might be the optimum deer rifle cartridge

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
The 6.5 X 55 just might be the optimum deer rifle cartridge

you might just be right. it's got to be one of the top candidtes for sure. even though it's been around a long time and there are so many rounds to choose from, if you get to know the 6.5x55, you find out it is way more than it's numbers say.
it's been well established that the 57 mm. case is about ideal for the 7 bore, it only stands to reason that the 55mm. case would be "right" for the 6.5 bore. although just a slight bit different in design than the 57 case,so small you might as well say that the 55 is a proportinally smaller version of the 57 case to ballance volume to the smaller 6.5 bore

Seafire, love the laminated stock. I had PacNor rebarrel a classic fwt from 7-08 to 358 Win. The walnut stock is in great shape and I picked a new factory spare, but if you see a SA laminated one, please give me a yell.

I have two sako AV 6.5s that I cherish. I will be sending one off to be either Duracoated or coated with NP3 for Alaska. Thanks, Lou

quote:

Originally posted by merlinron:

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
The 6.5 X 55 just might be the optimum deer rifle cartridge

you might just be right. it's got to be one of the top candidtes for sure. even though it's been around a long time and there are so many rounds to choose from, if you get to know the 6.5x55, you find out it is way more than it's numbers say.
it's been well established that the 57 mm. case is about ideal for the 7 bore, it only stands to reason that the 55mm. case would be "right" for the 6.5 bore. although just a slight bit different in design than the 57 case,so small you might as well say that the 55 is a proportinally smaller version of the 57 case to ballance volume to the smaller 6.5 bore

I agree!!!

Seafire, Seafire, love the laminated stock. I had PacNor rebarrel a classic fwt from 7-08 to 358 Win. The walnut stock is in great shape and I picked a new factory spare, but if you see a SA laminated one, please give me a yell.

I have two Sako AV 6.5s that I cherish. I will be sending one off to be either Duracoated or coated with NP3 for Alaska. Thanks, Lou

quote:

So if it is a push feed, just use Remington Brass and you will experience no problems with case extraction...

Hey J...

Thanks buddy!

I know you mentioned this at one time when I was planning to first do this rebarrel a while back on my Savage 111 30-06 and I couldn't quite remember between the two brass mfgs.....

Thanks for posting as I was planning on giving you a call after the holidays!

BTW, I haven't forgotten about the pics from Africa, and I just got my laptop back from DELL last night...

Happy Holidays!

That's a fine build you did there!

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
Most of my deer hunting now is done with a 6.5 X 55 in a M-98 Mauser.....I use 120 Northforks and so far it's taken three bucks with three shots.....what's not to like?

I'd use it for elk too but have a .30-06 for that so I use it!

The 6.5 X 55 just might be the optimum deer rifle cartridge

Hey buddy!

Just my sentiments as well and hence the rebarrel...

quote:

... just a slight bit different in design than the 57 case, so small you might as well say that the 55 is a proportinally smaller version of the 57 case to ballance volume to the smaller 6.5 bore

I was under the impression that the 57 and 55 case had the same volume, measured to the base of the neck? (The 55 case is fatter).

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
The 6.5 X 55 just might be the optimum deer rifle cartridge

For some time now I have been unable to decide between the 6.5x55 and the 7x57, ergo I have both.

quote:

Originally posted by 303Guy:

quote:

... just a slight bit different in design than the 57 case, so small you might as well say that the 55 is a proportinally smaller version of the 57 case to ballance volume to the smaller 6.5 bore

I was under the impression that the 57 and 55 case had the same volume, measured to the base of the neck? (The 55 case is fatter).

303guy - I believe with many makes of brass you are correct....especially if you are talking correct European dimension brass rather than the cheap approach taken by American ammo factories.

However, doubt it matters all that much. The military 6.5s from 50 m/m to 57 m/m all perform splendidly on deer, sheep, moose, caribou, goats, elk, mouflan, chamois, african antelope, prong-horn antelope, thar, etc. So do their civilian counterparts. There comes a time, as I know you have long understood, when it is one hell of a lot more important how good a shooter & hunter one is than whether this cartridge or that holds one more grain of powder than the other...or even 5 more grains.

I admire Vapodog's choices, because it is obvious he is a good enough man out there in those Nebraska fields that he is a classic example of the old-timer who would do capital-well with a .303 British, a 30-40 Krag, or anything else that came to hand. Having had a background which forced him to learn to do the job properly, regardless the firearm, his opinions are always of value to me, as are yours....your's because you obviously both think and try things out for yourself.

Best wishes to both of you this coming holiday season.

wow, the good ol' six-and-a-half has found a home all the way to Hawaii...
they never would have foreseen that, when that group got together in 1892

i wish you all the best with you new cartridge, treat her good, will you
i don't have anything to say that hasn't already been said.

i really want one for myself, but here where i live its kind of 'neither fish nor fowl'.
although it has some popularity for top hunting.(shooting forestbirds when they're sitting in the treetops).
so maybe i'll get one...

quote:

Originally posted by Steffen-9.3:
wow, the good ol' six-and-a-half has found a home all the way to Hawaii...
they never would have foreseen that, when that group got together in 1892

i wish you all the best with you new cartridge, treat her good, will you
i don't have anything to say that hasn't already been said.

i really want one for myself, but here where i live its kind of 'neither fish nor fowl'.
although it has some popularity for top hunting.(shooting forestbirds when they're sitting in the treetops).
so maybe i'll get one...

I aim to make them proud...

Thank you for your kind words, Alberta Canuck. It is good to be in the 'presence' of such experienced and knowledgeable folks as yourself!

quote:

However, doubt it matters all that much.

That's referring to performance. I have said this before - there was a time when I thought the 303 Brit was too fast with 150gr bullets for closer shots due to the excessive damage it did! So I switched to 180's. (That is still my choice for game).

I must say, the idea of a 6.5x55 is very appealing to me! Do keep us posted on your 6.5, Late-Bloomer. (In my early days, I used to look through my Speer reloading manual trying to figure out the 'optimum' cartridge for me and the balance of the 6.5 always seemed so ideal! I am angling towards a happy compromise – a 6.5x57 Rimmed, built on a Lee Enfield No.4! I have the action. I have located some brass. Next comes the barrel and that has to be new or at least mint.)

Good Shooting!

quote:

Originally posted by 303Guy:
Thank you for your kind words, Alberta Canuck. It is good to be in the 'presence' of such experienced and knowledgeable folks as yourself!

quote:

However, doubt it matters all that much.

That's referring to performance. I have said this before - there was a time when I thought the 303 Brit was too fast with 150gr bullets for closer shots due to the excessive damage it did! So I switched to 180's. (That is still my choice for game).

I must say, the idea of a 6.5x55 is very appealing to me! Do keep us posted on your 6.5, Late-Bloomer. (In my early days, I used to look through my Speer reloading manual trying to figure out the 'optimum' cartridge for me and the balance of the 6.5 always seemed so ideal! I am angling towards a happy compromise – a 6.5x57 Rimmed, built on a Lee Enfield No.4! I have the action. I have located some brass. Next comes the barrel and that has to be new or at least mint.)

Good Shooting!

Will do my brother...will do...

303 Guy,

you speak of building a rimmed 6.5 x 57 on an Enfield Mk4 action...

some other food for thought... in one of my old Ackley Books he catalogs a 25 Krag, the old 30/40 Krag necked down to 25 caliber...

I load for one and have compared 303 brass to 30/40 Krag brass and they are pretty darn close...

well since the 30/40 Krag and the 303 are so close... and the difference between 25 caliber ( 257) and 6.5 ( 264) is only 7/1000th....

check around and see if you can just neck down your plentiful 303 brass in KiwiLand, to 6.5 bore.. and have a 6.5/303...

I am sure that some shops can make the dies for it, if it is not a semi standardized wildcat down under there...

I have seen some Thompson Center guys shooting 6.5/30.30s up this way, which might be another option.... not quite the zip of the Krag or 303 potentially... but will still be a 200 yd performer, and recoil has got to be close to zilch...so low even some fancy pants from Sydney could handle it...

quote:

.... check around and see if you can just neck down your plentiful 303 brass in KiwiLand, to 6.5 bore.. and have a 6.5/303...

That was my first intention - that or the 257 Roberts Rimmed. I thought of the 6.5 BRM (6.5/30-30 Imp, basically). Then I acquired a 303-25 (250 Savage ballistically - another cartridge I like) and since I have this liking for a 6.5 Swede, the 7x57, the rimmed 303 Brit and the rifle that fires it, I thought of bringing them together. The 6.5-303 is by far the more 'logical' choice but you know how it is with logic .... this is not about logic! Still, it is early days and I could well end up doing as you suggest. The 6.5-303 would be no sloutch! (It would be similar to the 6.5 Carcano or Manlicher). Other crazy options are 45-70, 41-65, 41-303, 22-303 and so on. But that Swede appeals! The truth is, I don't need another rifle. I am already well covered. I still like 30-30 based cartridges but have to make a choice. And low recoil appeals!

quote:

Originally posted by 303Guy:
[QUOTE].... The 6.5-303 would be no sloutch! (It would be similar to the 6.5 Carcano or Manlicher).

Interestingly enough, 45 years ago I use to make my Carcano brass from 30-40 cases by Machineing them into rimless cases.

Having this in mind you can see how you might be able to use 6.5x54 or 6.5x52 Carcano reamers and dies for your rimmed version. Neat situation roger

There is much fun to be had!

I have come up with a die making solution for myself - the body with a neat bore followed by the rest of the die in stages, pressed in to the body. That way, I do not have to change angles in the same bore. I have a similar idea for creating a chamber.

The first animal I killed with this cartridge was a large-bodied mule deer in the mountains of central Utah. He was broadside and I shot him through the shoulders - it shattered both shoulders and made a mess of everything in between, and I recovered it just under the hide on the other side. I was using a 140 grain Federal soft point factory load (not a premium bullet either - just a plain soft point) that is advertised at 2550 fps. I was using it in a Steyr Forester. I have seen many deer hit in the shoulder with other calibers that were bigger and faster, but that long 140 grain bullet at moderate velocity did more damage internally than any other I have ever seen on a mule deer.

Perhaps better phrased . What's the Down Side of a 6.5 mm ?.

I like my Swedes mild recoil accurate bang thud dead

I also have considered getting a 6.5 Grendel . I wouldn't use one for Grizzly but

then I don't hunt them either !.

quote:

Originally posted by 303Guy:

quote:

.... check around and see if you can just neck down your plentiful 303 brass in KiwiLand, to 6.5 bore.. and have a 6.5/303...

That was my first intention - that or the 257 Roberts Rimmed. I thought of the 6.5 BRM (6.5/30-30 Imp, basically). Then I acquired a 303-25 (250 Savage ballistically - another cartridge I like) and since I have this liking for a 6.5 Swede, the 7x57, the rimmed 303 Brit and the rifle that fires it, I thought of bringing them together. The 6.5-303 is by far the more 'logical' choice but you know how it is with logic .... this is not about logic! Still, it is early days and I could well end up doing as you suggest. The 6.5-303 would be no sloutch! (It would be similar to the 6.5 Carcano or Manlicher). Other crazy options are 45-70, 41-65, 41-303, 22-303 and so on. But that Swede appeals! The truth is, I don't need another rifle. I am already well covered. I still like 30-30 based cartridges but have to make a choice. And low recoil appeals!

.303 Guy -

Notice that one of the classic 6.5s of all time is the 6.5 Mannlicher, in both rimmed and rimless cases. I have a couple of the rimmed ones right now, and I make my brass from...........TA DA...........both .30-40 Krag AND .303 Brit brass, whichever comes most cheaply to hand when the urge or need moves me.

The only thing is, I have to shorten the cases a wee tad either before or after necking the brass down.

The rimmed 6.5 Mannlicher is just a skosh less powerful than the 6.5x55, sooooo....if you want the full power of the 6.5x55, just leave the cases full length and cut your chamber accordingly.

Will work great in either a SS or a short or long magazine model of Lee Enfield.

Best wishes, from AC

P.S.: And, as Roger suggested trying, I use 6.5x54 M/S rimless dies for FL sizing my rimmed brass. Always have. The rimmed and rimless cases are the same except for the extraction-enabling portion, which doesn't go into the die anyway.

Thanks for that AC.

Now to justify it! There must be a good reason why I need it. Mmmm.... I'll think of something! Let's see .... the 303 for cast bullets .... the 303-25 for goat and smaller ... the hornet for hares and rabits .... That's it! I need the 6.5 for deer!

quote:

Originally posted by 303Guy:
Now to justify it! There must be a good reason why I need it. Mmmm.... I'll think of something! Let's see .... the 303 for cast bullets .... the 303-25 for goat and smaller ... the hornet for hares and rabits .... That's it! I need the 6.5 for deer!

Aw, c'mon now! Tres Bon justification: .....you DO hunt Thar don't you? Das lederhosen, der Double Brown Bitter, und eine 6.5x.303 Brit Mannlicher-style Karibiner. The perfect picture of a Tyrolean classical hunter roaming the New Zealand Alps of South Island. (You don't have to find or shoot the Thar, just hunt it!!)

But don't forget to drink the Bitter!! I'd give my soul for another pint of that. Best bloody brew in the world on a hot mountainside except for maybe some Guiness, made from Dublin sewage and thick enough to re-tread tyres with a paint brush.

quote:

... und eine 6.5x.303 Brit Mannlicher-style Karibiner.

Mmmm... that sounds perfect! Mmmm.... yes! I like that idea. A neat little light-weight Karibiner in 6.5x303 Brit-Mannlicher - I could live with that!