6.5x55 Action

[Hoosier]

Can a .308 length action be use to re-barrel and chamber for 6.5 x 55mm? 4
Respectfully

 

[SBS]

Not if it's a true short action. The Swede is just too long and most popular bullets are long also. Now, if you are going to shoot it single shot, such as in target shooting, it will work being single feed as you can eject empty cases. Rem. 40X's are all short actions and they were made in 7 Rem. Mag. and .300 Win. Mag. (as well as .25-06 and .30-06) single shots and worked perfectly for LR rifle shooting. If you needed to pull a loaded round, you simply pulled the whole bolt out with the full round.

 

[2506]

6.5x55 needs a longer action than the standard short action. If you want 6.5x55 performance from a short action go 260 Rem or 6.5 CM.

 

[Hoosier]

Thank you Gentlemen. I suspected the cartridge would be to long, especially with 142MKs.
Repectfully,

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Definitely too long for a 308 short action. But a 260 Ackley will give similar performance and fit in the mag. The 6.5 Creedmoor is no slouch either. If willing to go down to 6mm, might consider the 6XC or 6mm Creedmoor. Can seat 105gr or 108gr Berger VLDs out as far as you want with those rounds in an ex-308 short action. Great 1K paper punchers too. But the 260AI and 6.5 CM will work equally as well, just have a little more recoil

 

[jonbearman]

You could make it a single shot and if you have to unload a cartridge you would have to pull the bolt.

 

[DogBuster]

Built a 6.5x55 on SA Savage Target action....works fine...

Solid bottom s/shot.....OAL is 2.950" with 142 SMK's

Do not carry to hunt with....its 18#.......... ;D

 

[dannyjbiggs]

Can a .308 length action be use to re-barrel and chamber for 6.5 x 55mm? 4
Respectfully

:-[ :-[ :-[ All that's been said, I should keep my mouth shut, but : I have a 6.5x55 in a post-64 Winchester Model 70 short action that seems to cycle okay!!! 8)

Danny Biggs

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Can a .308 length action be use to re-barrel and chamber for 6.5 x 55mm? 4
Respectfully

:-[ :-[ :-[ All that's been said, I should keep my mouth shut, but : I have a 6.5x55 in a post-64 Winchester Model 70 short action that seems to cycle okay!!! 8)

Danny Biggs

Must be a longer short action then. What weight bullets are you using? I bought a Sako A7 in 308 Win for a project rifle and was planning on making some sort of 6mm round with it. I have a 6.5x55 Swede I built on a SS Howa 1500 action for my son and thought of necking some of that brass down to 6mm. When I put the brass in the Sako 308 magazine and held up a 105gr Berger Hybrid bullet next to it where I figured it should be seated, I quickly found that there wasn't enough room. So a 6.5x55 with 142gr SMK's would be even longer. I even tried one of my 6mm Remington cases in the magazine thinking that I might build another one of those and it was just too long for the 105gr berger in that mag. After some more hummin around, I finally decided on the 6XC. Gives good performance and more than enough seating room for any 6mm bullet.

On another note. The Howa 1500 was originally a 270 Win when I bought it for the project. Found out that the 6.5x55 case rim is actually a little bigger than a standard .478" case. The bolt face has to be opened up just a bit if you want the bolt to close reliably and without any extra effort. Really like the 6.5x55 round though. Very accurate and plenty of power for hunting with very manageable recoil.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Can a .308 length action be use to re-barrel and chamber for 6.5 x 55mm? 4
Respectfully

:-[ :-[ :-[ All that's been said, I should keep my mouth shut, but : I have a 6.5x55 in a post-64 Winchester Model 70 short action that seems to cycle okay!!! 8)

Danny Biggs

Did some searching on the internet and it appears that all the Winchester model 70 offerings in 6.5x55 Swede were on a long action. Maybe that's why your rifle cycles so well? Perhaps I'm wrong, but all I can find on the Model70 in 6.5x55 is a long action...Though in much of the reading, many folks often thought the Model 70 to be a little shorter than most long actions. I don't think any manufacturer produced the 6.5x55 in a short action because it is often chambered with a really deep throat for extra heavy 160gr hunting bullet seating capability. Essentially, the 6.5x55 Swede is to European hunters what the 30-06 is to American hunters.

 

[dannyjbiggs]

Nope, it's a Model 70 short action left over from my over-the-course years. (I do have pre-64 and a post-64 long actions to compare it to.) This particular short action has previously been chambered in .308, 7mm-.08, and 6.5/.308 (.260 Rem) for OTC competition. In 6.5x55, I've used only SMK 123's and 107's for non-competitive target shooting.

Danny Biggs

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Nope, it's a Model 70 short action left over from my over-the-course years. (I do have pre-64 and a post-64 long actions to compare it to.) This particular short action has previously been chambered in .308, 7mm-.08, and 6.5/.308 (.260 Rem) for OTC competition. In 6.5x55, I've used only SMK 123's and 107's for non-competitive target shooting.

Danny Biggs

Oh ok. Interesting. I did some more reading and it appears they did offer their featherweight model 70 in a short action, though according to some folks, the model 70 has a longer bolt throw than most other short actions. Must have a little bigger magazine too. Good to know. Out of curiosity, do you think your model 70 is long enough to handle 142 SMK's or 140gr Berger VLD's? Just wondering. Thanks for the info

 

[dannyjbiggs]

Nope, it's a Model 70 short action left over from my over-the-course years. (I do have pre-64 and a post-64 long actions to compare it to.) This particular short action has previously been chambered in .308, 7mm-.08, and 6.5/.308 (.260 Rem) for OTC competition. In 6.5x55, I've used only SMK 123's and 107's for non-competitive target shooting.

Danny Biggs

Oh ok. Interesting. I did some more reading and it appears they did offer their featherweight model 70 in a short action, though according to some folks, the model 70 has a longer bolt throw than most other short actions. Must have a little bigger magazine too. Good to know. Out of curiosity, do you think your model 70 is long enough to handle 142 SMK's or 140gr Berger VLD's? Just wondering. Thanks for the info

No. That would not be a good combination at all, unless you would just want to shoot single-shot as someone suggested. The bullet would have to be set too far into the case neck otherwise.

I believe this was a featherweight action? I purchased it at a time when one could buy just a Model 70 "barreled action", proof fired, and then have his way with it! I think that it came with an 18 inch 30-.06 light contour barrel installed? I had my gunsmith yank it and install a 26 inch .308 OTC barrel in 1990. It was the smoothest and fastest cycling bolt action I've ever owned. I was just screwing around in the late '90's when I had the gunsmith switch is from 6.5-.08 to 6.5x55, in order to shoot small bullets very fast at some local club prone 200-yard matches.

Dan

 

[swed6.5]

I have used the savage target actions and never had any problems. Also if using domestic brass such as rem, it is the same base bolt head diameter.

 

[DogBuster]

Yes....forgot to mention even with standard 308 bolt face..

Lapua & Norma 6.5x55 brass works great !

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Yes....forgot to mention even with standard 308 bolt face..

Lapua & Norma 6.5x55 brass works great !

I use Lapua brass in my 6.5x55 and had to open the face up on that Howa 1500 action. Maybe its just the Howa design on the bolt face though, not sure. Be something to watch out for anyhow

 

[wboggs]

I have a 6.5x55 built on a push feed M 70 action originally chambered with a 22-250 barrel. It works fine with a new 6.5 barrel and feeds flawlessly from the magazine with 160 gr. Woodleigh bullets seated long. In addition, it is accurate.
Bill

 

[Hopkins]

Was hand priming some Winchester 6.5 x 55 and forgot to change the shell holder in the K&M from a .308 she'll holder this morning. Noticed the number on the shell holder and tried a Lapua 6.5x55, no go.

 

[ptf18]

I think the Lapua 6.5x55 brass is dimensionally correct (Swedish) were as the "american " brass is based on the 30-06 case head size (.473"????)

If I remember correctly the Sammi headspace dimension is "shorter" than the Swedish dimension.... by alot.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Not sure, but perhaps some rifle makes may have oversized standard bolt faces for whatever reason that allow the 6.5x55 brass to work without opening the face.

I do know that the rim diameter of the 6.5x55 Swede is .480", while your standard 308 Win or 30-06 type cases have a rim diameter of only .473". So if the 6.5x55 is able to work in a standard bolt face action with no modification, it is probably just barely fitting in the face with little to no room to spare.

However, a claw extractor type bolt like the model 70 may be an exception as the face of the bolt does not completely encompass the rim like a push feed action such as the Rem 700 or my HOWA 1500.