6.5 Swede Resurgence?

[nakneker]

Yup! Husqvarna M38. Bought my first for $400, second for $450. Worth every penny!

I’ve had several Huskys over the year, all sporters that came a long later in the 60s and have had very good luck with them. Accurate rifles and a beautiful action. I see the M38s come up now and again, maybe I’ll find one someday.

 

[KMart]

Yup! Husqvarna M38. Bought my first for $400, second for $450. Worth every penny!

Mine is a 1941Husqvarna with a Wilson #3 barrel. The stock is an old Bishop that I picked up off a 50"s/60's type build. It will give 1/2 " groups with Berger 130 VLDH and RE-16 at 2800 FPS
May be going to Barksdale this weekend. I think I need a few days around the campfire sipping whiskey and eating steaks. Have plenty of exotics there but I may be too lazy to shoot them.

 

[joshb]

Here’s my first and only load work up for mine. 100 yards. Not bad for an 80? year old gun!

 

[koger]

One powder you dont want to overlook is IMR 3031, I run max loads by the Sierra Manual, and did load work up over 2 years, with 20 different powders, nothing could come close to 3031 in velocity and accuracy. This data is safe in the older 96 Mausers, what I shot for over 30 years. VV will beat it in velocity but not accuracy in the new load data. Pm me if you have any questions.

 

[NV_Dmax]

My first custom chambered rifle was a 6.5x55 Swede. If you haven’t tried RL22 in your Swede I would recommend giving it a try. Absolutely fantastic cartridge.

 

[David Milisock]

I know a few that lived with the 6.5x55 for some time.
Everyone is now shooting some form of the .284 Win.
It may be me but it seems the 6.5 bullet has dropped
off in popularity as of late. Going thru another cycle
I guess.....

Let's hope for a resurgence of 6.5MM calibers and I see the 6.5x55 as the top of the ladder for field work. The old Mauser 96 is pressure tested at 65,000 PSI and mine has 2 loads it likes a Hornady 129 and a Hornady 140. I found the 140 too heavy for deer, hitting one at near 300 yards and breaking the far shoulder on the way out. Basically I use the 129 unless I can get somewhere where the 6.5MM is allowed for elk.

For bolt rifles the case capacity of the 6.5x55 is great and in my opinion served best with a 26" bore. I like the 260 Remington too but in my opinion it requires a custom rifle as most have magazines too short for heavy projectiles and decent velocity from the case but you can use 22" or 24" bores. I still the 6.5x55 has better utility in the field.

I see other 6.5 magnum calibers as specialty cartridges with limited use, in my opinion.

The AR 15 platform has the Grendel and the AR10 the 260 Remington but I have no experience with either.

 

[DGP4]

I have a 96 swede sporter that was rebarreled in .308. It's a lovely gun sitting in a very comfortable Fajen stock and shoots very accurately. I am now thinking of rebarreling it in the original 6.5X55 caliber when the time comes. Does anyone have a recommendation on what would be a good barrel maker to use when I make the change?

 

[koger]

I would heartily recommend a Criterion by Krieger. This is their button rifled brand, and I have several of them in different calibers, each and every one is a tack driver. You can get the threaded in several different configurations for about $320 shipped to you from Northland shooter supply. You could get one short chambered, spin it on, then rent a reamer and a few turns of the handle and you are good to go. I have one of their 26" varmint barrels in 6.5x55 Match that is unbelievably accurate..

 

[dc.fireman]

I have a 96 swede sporter that was rebarreled in .308. It's a lovely gun sitting in a very comfortable Fajen stock and shoots very accurately. I am now thinking of rebarreling it in the original 6.5X55 caliber when the time comes. Does anyone have a recommendation on what would be a good barrel maker to use when I make the change?

Lothar-Walther USA

 

[BlueWater]

It seems that these folks are looking at the swede because they like the idea of the 6.5 CR, but want a little more punch ...

Makes a lot of sense. Get turned on to the 6.5/.264 caliber, then imagine what it can do if "taken out for a spin."

The 6.5 Swede has been around a long time and has a decent history of performance and accuracy.

If I weren't so averse to recoil, myself, I might have considered the 6.5x55 on the current target rifle. Had I been acquiring a hunting-capable rifle, I might well have done it for the added "punch" that the x55 could give.

 

[WayneShaw]

Lothar-Walther USA

Uh, no.

 

[FNSafari]

Over here in the UK, we have a much greater and historically longer interest in 6.5mm, largely thanks to the 6.5X55mm. I got my first one some 25-30 years ago, a mint secondhand Parker-Hale M81 Classic. The M81 Classic is reckoned by many to be the best of the long run of 20th century P-H sporting rifles, and the 6.5X55 was one of its best chamberings for both UK deer species and general shooting.

Surplus Swedish Mauser military rifles aside (which are likely still our number one choice for Historic Arms competition shooting), there has long been significant use of the 6.5X55 in our deerstalking, and if anything interest and use have increased in recent years. The advent of the Creedmoor has sharpened that interest a bit, but neither increased nor diminished its use to any great extent. Factory ammunition is very widely available for the 6.5X55 here and this has been a significant factor in its popularity. The big loser has been 260 Remington, especially as factory ammo had become both scarce and expensive even before the Creedmoor arrived. 7mm-08 is probably overall another loser despite having a small base of ardent fans.

The other factor in all this here is the 6.5X47 Lapua which has carved a niche for itself as a multi-role number among those who handload. Most British deer species are on the small side and the 6.5X47L is more than adequate for them. The Creedmoor plus the steady move to compulsory use of non-lead bullets in field shooting may weaken its position however.

I hope not. Because copper or GM bullets have to be longer for a given weight it stands that I might want to reduce the weight of my 6.5 bullet in the SM from say 140 to 129 or lighter. These bullets depend on velocity to mushroom sufficiently to work well so its probably a good idea to downsize on weight to maximize velocity. I don't think its going to be an issue to anyone who thinks it through.

 

[dc.fireman]

Uh, no.

No explanation?

I've used one of their air rifle barrels, and one on an AR-15 with good success.

They are currently one of the only companies offering a drop-in replacement for the CG-63 Swedish Mauser target rifles.

 

[Flycaster1977]

I hope not. Because copper or GM bullets have to be longer for a given weight it stands that I might want to reduce the weight of my 6.5 bullet in the SM from say 140 to 129 or lighter. These bullets depend on velocity to mushroom sufficiently to work well so its probably a good idea to downsize on weight to maximize velocity. I don't think its going to be an issue to anyone who thinks it through.

I shoot the 120 barnes ttsx for this very reason.

 

[FNSafari]

My wife used a 6.5SM and a Hornady 120 gr GMX to take a nice deer last fall. Range was relatively close and the bullet worked just fine. The load chrono'ed about 2600 fps...trying to keep recoil down a bit for her.

 

[Laurie]

I hope not. Because copper or GM bullets have to be longer for a given weight it stands that I might want to reduce the weight of my 6.5 bullet in the SM from say 140 to 129 or lighter. These bullets depend on velocity to mushroom sufficiently to work well so its probably a good idea to downsize on weight to maximize velocity. I don't think its going to be an issue to anyone who thinks it through.

I was referring to the smaller 6.5X47L's position in UK deerstalking, not that of the 6.5X55mm SE. The latter is in a strong place as and when copper bullets become near compulsory because of its allowed COAL and long chamber throats. The 6.5X47 may see over-deep bullet seating in its short case reducing its powder capacity even more. (The .260 Rem suffers yet again too in such a scenario.)

 

[FNSafari]

I was referring to the smaller 6.5X47L's position in UK deerstalking, not that of the 6.5X55mm SE. The latter is in a strong place as and when copper bullets become near compulsory because of its allowed COAL and long chamber throats. The 6.5X47 may see over-deep bullet seating in its short case reducing its powder capacity even more. (The .260 Rem suffers yet again too in such a scenario.)

Ok.