Is this a smart move with this action?

IMO.....NO

AI is way overrated in almost every crcumstance.

The standard 6.5 X 55 can shoot a 120 grain bullet over 3,100'/sec as is in a competent action!

The AI gives little more!

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IMO.....NO

+1

At equal pressure you gain very little velocity from an AI. I speak from experience I have more AI or Gibbs type rifles than I have factory. Get a good rifle, good brass load to around 63,000 and you are good to go.

no

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Originally posted by ramrod340:

quote:

IMO.....NO

+1

At equal pressure you gain very little velocity from an AI. I speak from experience I have more AI or Gibbs type rifles than I have factory. Get a good rifle, good brass load to around 63,000 and you are good to go.

So by get a new rifle you mean get rid of the midland? I see they are not very well thought of here. I actually wish I would have researched them more before I bought it.

I do also have a Zastava Mauser action (H&R licensed) I need to do something with. So what I am getting from this is if you load the 6.5x55 to it's full potential the AI is only a marginal increase. Is that right?

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So what I am getting from this is if you load the 6.5x55 to it's full potential the AI is only a marginal increase. Is that right?

Yup....that's right and IMO the Parker Hale you have will do the job for you. It will give you almost 100% of what you would have gotten had you rechambered it to AI

I'll go against the grain here, the 6.5 Swede is a fairly tapered case, you'll get a much bigger case capacity gain from this design of case then say, a 308. FWIW - dan

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So by get a new rifle you mean get rid of the midland?

Nope, the Parker Hale should be fine. I had missed your rifle type in your title. I had the older Mausers in mind with that statement.

I agree due to its taper the 6.5x55 case taken to an AI will give you about 7% capacity. I've found at equal pressure about 1% velocity for 4 % capacity gain. So if you can get 3000 with the parent that is only a 50-60 fps gain. A 6.5x06 case is right at 15% larger and you gain about 130-140fps gain or around 4%.

If you want an AI by all means go for it. But be realistic in your expectations. I started in AIs and my own case because I believed the gains that I had heard about. Then I got pressure and velocity equipment. Now I just do them because I love to be different.