6.5x55 Swede

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6.5x55 Swede

Post by Cal-ApeR » 03 Aug 2018, 6:21 pm

Give me reasons for and against 6.5x55 Swede.

I have the bug for another rifle that I would use on deer. I want something different and feel the Swede fits the bill. I know there is the Creedmore and yes it's impressive but I am not drawn to it. Sounds like the Swede would last a lifetime with safe loads too. The only downside I see is the cost of brass but it isn't a range rifle so it would likely be a one off cost.

Thoughts?
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by Supaduke » 03 Aug 2018, 6:43 pm

I have two Milsurp Swedes. PPU make factory ammo pretty cheap. Bout $25 a box . Good brass for reloading. Lots of projectiles to choose from, flat shooting, soft on the shoulder, very accurate. What's not to like?
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by JimTom » 03 Aug 2018, 6:50 pm

Not much difference when comparing ballistics mate. Long action vs short action. I don’t think you would go wrong with either one.
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by sungazer » 03 Aug 2018, 6:53 pm

It doesnt tick the 270 or larger box for Sambar which could get you in a bit of trouble. Thats if you are thinking of Victorian deer.
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by Gun-nut » 03 Aug 2018, 8:32 pm

If you want something different for deer hunting, the 6.5x55 paired off with the magnificent swedish mauser would certainly fit the bill. In my opinion the 6.5 swede would make a great deer cartridge (granted you were hunting in NSW, or if in Vic, then smaller deer).
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by Cal-ApeR » 03 Aug 2018, 9:08 pm

Sounds like it's a well loved cartridge.

I must admit I didn't think of Sambar but Victoria is a long way from QLD. The 30-06 will work for that long awaited trip.

I've been looking at the ADI load data, are these loads"safe" loads for the old actions or hotter loads for today's actions? I've read lots about the old surplus rifles needing a much more conservative load and lower pressures.
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by bigrich » 03 Aug 2018, 9:12 pm

Supaduke wrote:I have two Milsurp Swedes. PPU make factory ammo pretty cheap. Bout $25 a box . Good brass for reloading. Lots of projectiles to choose from, flat shooting, soft on the shoulder, very accurate. What's not to like?


+1000
i have a mod 70 winchester as my main "hunter" , seriously accurate with reloading. having said that, i recently traded my m96 carl gustav on a 1941 husqvana. standard full wood m38. was already drilled and tapped with scope mounts. i put a old bushnell trophy 3-9x40 on it. it shot just on a inch at 100 with some sako 139 gr ammo and put five shots around a inch and a qaurter at 100. and thats with a HEAVY standard millitary trigger as well. my old gustav had a tweaked trigger that had a awsome pull/feel to it .that's next on my list. aside from the cost of factory ammo, ya cant go wrong with a good 6.5x55 in a good action. have seen some varmit barreled thumbhole tikkas shoot rediculously good groups at 200 :thumbsup: :drinks: :thumbsup:
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by No1_49er » 03 Aug 2018, 9:15 pm

So what's so special about Sambar?
The Scandinavians still use the 6.5 swede as an entirely capable Moose rifle. Even a hind is bigger than a Sambar stag.
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by marksman » 03 Aug 2018, 9:19 pm

I have one built on a 98 mauser and have shot plenty with it, very good cartridge with 140gr projies
although I think I may have just about shot it out :thumbsdown:
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by Cal-ApeR » 03 Aug 2018, 9:33 pm

Bigrich, that is great for an old rifle. Things may not have had the precision back then but they sure did make things strong and made to last. Very impressive.

I've read that the Swede is commonly used to drop moose. Makes me laugh at our regs on hunting. Some Polly who maybe, just maybe shot a 22lr once has come up with the minimum cartridge size.

Not too many modern makers of rifles for the 6.5x55. I see Sako, tikka, CZ. I also see Sauer s100. I wonder how they go? Not a bad price.
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by No1_49er » 03 Aug 2018, 9:38 pm

They have also been available from Ruger in their No1, and Winchester made a Model 70 Featherweight, one of which I have. No doubt there were other makers.
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by bladeracer » 03 Aug 2018, 11:06 pm

6.5x55mm is a great cartridge.
I had a sporterised M96 and an original M38 Carl Gustav (straight bolt) when I was seventeen.
Now I have an M38 Husqvarna (turned down bolt) that's original but scoped.
All three of mine have been MoA rifles so I tend to think most of the milsurp M96/38 you find are likely to shoot very well.
If I were getting a modern rifle I'd lean toward the Creedmoor just to have the short action. The Swede's are heavy so a modern synthetic rifle in 6.5mm Creedmoor does have some tangible advantages. Nowadays the modern rifles can also be cheaper brand new than a nice milsurp Swede.
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by bigrich » 04 Aug 2018, 6:14 am

Cal-ApeR wrote:Bigrich, that is great for an old rifle. Things may not have had the precision back then but they sure did make things strong and made to last. Very impressive.

I've read that the Swede is commonly used to drop moose. Makes me laugh at our regs on hunting. Some Polly who maybe, just maybe shot a 22lr once has come up with the minimum cartridge size.

Not too many modern makers of rifles for the 6.5x55. I see Sako, tikka, CZ. I also see Sauer s100. I wonder how they go? Not a bad price.


for the money, tikka's are out standing. i have mates who have them , they are qaulity built, with good triggers and very accurate out of the box. if i was looking for a keeper for the rest of my life, a sako barvarian (no sights ) ,would float my boat .out of milsurps, i favour the m38 husqvarna. gustavs are a beutifull built rifle ( i might get another, but my eyes don't deal with open sights too well ), but huskys have the stronger receiver due to better metalurgy at the time they were made.and sights that start at 100 yards instead of 300 on the gustav .plenty of cheap sporters for sale online, just get one with a good barrel . the millitary barrels are very good .a bit of topic, but have seen some awsome old husky commercial sporters for sale lately online. these aren't old millitary actions, but proper sporters. they don't have the stripper clip cut outs in the receivers.i think there is still one on ozguns in 8x57, not even drilled for scope mounts, just flip up sights ! rebel gun works in brisbane has one in 7x57. hmmmm. should i get a bigger safe ? :crazy: :lol: :thumbsup:
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by Cal-ApeR » 04 Aug 2018, 8:43 am

I think I would lean towards a tikka. I have one in 243 and it is a Tac driver. I've been seeing heaps of surp rifles lately. I find it hard to buy them privately as you run around inspecting them, often in poor condition. Sometimes the time saving element of buying new makes it worth while.

My old man has a Sako Bavarian in 338fed. Beautiful rifle although sights on it don't really float my boat.
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by bigrich » 04 Aug 2018, 4:03 pm

yeh old milsurps can be a lucky dip, i got my husky m38 through rebel gun works brisbane. their discriptions on condition are usually spot on. my barrel was rated 8/10. yeh i know it's down to personal opinion, but you'd think people who do it for a business should know their sh#t. yeh, sights on a barvarian spoil it's lines IMHO. a new tikka should fit the bill alright. :thumbsup:
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by Cal-ApeR » 04 Aug 2018, 9:56 pm

Tikka is in the lead. Will see how it pans out. Looking like 2x new rifles with this tax refund. A Howa, as per another thread I started and now this one. :lol:
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by Homer » 08 Aug 2018, 6:38 pm

Cal-ApeR, the Swede is an exceedingly underated cartridge.
With the correct bullets, it will be good for all deer species in Australia (but is undersize for Sambar in Victoria, mimimum Cal-ApeR is 0.270").
Get one in a modern (not ex-military) manufactured rifle, and go shoot some Deer.

Hope that helps

D'oh!
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by bigrich » 08 Aug 2018, 7:31 pm

never mind deer, the scandinavians have shot moose and polar bear with good shot placement ! i bin working up handloads in the last five weeks, following groups were shot at ripley last saturday morning. bit of wind was about , played havoc with my 22 hornet and 22 lr. :D didn't take that much experimenting to get my mod 70 winnie to shoot like this. 3-9x40 scope , 100 yards .no fouling shots, just the three 120's first , 140's straight after . took it slow but. if you want the loads PM me :drinks: :thumbsup:
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IMG_0119[1].JPG
140 hornady sst's @ 100
IMG_0119[1].JPG (1.5 MiB) Viewed 9402 times
IMG_0118[1].JPG
120 nosler bt's 100 yards
IMG_0118[1].JPG (1.54 MiB) Viewed 9402 times
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by sungazer » 09 Aug 2018, 11:00 am

No1_49er wrote:So what's so special about Sambar?
The Scandinavians still use the 6.5 swede as an entirely capable Moose rifle. Even a hind is bigger than a Sambar stag.


Nothing its just one of those laws. So if you have evidence of having shot one you better have a 270 or bigger rifle.
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by southeast varmiter » 10 Aug 2018, 9:10 pm

sungazer wrote:
No1_49er wrote:So what's so special about Sambar?
The Scandinavians still use the 6.5 swede as an entirely capable Moose rifle. Even a hind is bigger than a Sambar stag.


Nothing its just one of those laws. So if you have evidence of having shot one you better have a 270 or bigger rifle.


Not just Sambar. Rusa and Red’s too.

http://www.gma.vic.gov.au/hunting/deer/hunting-methods
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by bigrich » 11 Aug 2018, 6:59 am

damn shame about that law. i wouldn't use a 6.5 on a sambar by choice but. 308 or 30-06 would be a dedicated starting point for me . however, up west of brisssy and around the nsw border a 6.5 x55 is more than enough gun for anything i'm likely to come across. just got to thinking this morning about what you could do with a old 6.5 service rifle if it needed a rebarrel, wouldn't be hard to neck it up to 7mm, or down to .257. dunno about preasures , 8x55 ? or .243 x55 ? thoughts anyone ?
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by No1Mk3 » 11 Aug 2018, 9:54 am

G'day bigrich,
If you were going to rebarrel the Swede to a larger round, then 7x57 would be a good choice, std caliber and ammo rather than a wildcat caliber x 55mm. They were also rebarreled to 7.62NATO. cheers.
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by marksman » 11 Aug 2018, 8:35 pm

No1Mk3 wrote:G'day bigrich,
If you were going to rebarrel the Swede to a larger round, then 7x57 would be a good choice, std caliber and ammo rather than a wildcat caliber x 55mm. They were also rebarreled to 7.62NATO. cheers.


+1 :thumbsup:
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by bigrich » 11 Aug 2018, 9:55 pm

just dreamin' and thinkin' what if . 7x57 is probably THE most accurate do everthing classic caliber. read a article in american"rifle shooter" magazine where they reloaded with hornady eld-x projectiles and eclipsed 6.5 CM in all around ballistics. i have the opinion that 6.5x55 loaded to hotter standards in modern rifles with better projectiles is my "do all" caliber. when i bought my first m38 husky 32 years ago all you could get was swede millitary FMJ that we used to flat point on a bench grinder. it worked well at the time. cartridges like 6.5 CM have certainly improved projectile range immensely . a wildcat caliber on the 6.5x55 has me thinking though. reminds me of all the .303 derived calibers . 303-25 was a good one :thumbsup: :drinks: :thumbsup:
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by Gwion » 12 Aug 2018, 9:06 am

No1_49er wrote:So what's so special about Sambar?
The Scandinavians still use the 6.5 swede as an entirely capable Moose rifle. Even a hind is bigger than a Sambar stag.


Just Vic law, mate. Arbitrary designation of caliber.
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by No1_49er » 12 Aug 2018, 10:04 am

Gwion wrote:
No1_49er wrote:So what's so special about Sambar?
The Scandinavians still use the 6.5 swede as an entirely capable Moose rifle. Even a hind is bigger than a Sambar stag.

Just Vic law, mate. Arbitrary designation of caliber.

Arbitrary, yes.
A read of the document that states the calibre requirements for the various deer types does not state a minimum velocity, and therefore the resultant energy.
And to also include the long bow/crossbow requirements, which in essence dispatch a long blade that may, or may not, strike bone and simply cause a cutting wound. If the "knife" happens to cause a good cut and strike a vital organ, the animal bleeds out. How can that be better/more humane than something like a 6.5 Swede?
Like a lot of them, law contrived by people how haven't got a good grip on life.
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by Gwion » 13 Aug 2018, 6:59 am

Totally. If they are going to assign minimums, you would think it would be muzzle energy.
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by bigrich » 13 Aug 2018, 7:02 am

muzzle energy is too hard for the rule makers to understand :unknown:
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by marksman » 13 Aug 2018, 8:41 am

heres a picture I was sent by a bloke I sold a barrel to, his improved swede
6.5x 284, 6.5 improved and sambar legal 9.3x55 improved

Image

the 6.5 improved is from what I have read as good as the 6.5x284
but the 9.3x55 improved looks like it would hit like the hammer of thor
I like it :drinks: I also like improving cases :thumbsup:
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Re: 6.5x55 Swede

Post by Supaduke » 13 Aug 2018, 9:11 am

It's set as a calibre so officers in the field can simply check the headstamp of a case and you are on your way. Muzzle energy etc gets to complex, different pill weights , different powders, different volumes. Opens up a legal minefield for people to contest. It's not arbitrary at all really. Can you imagine a field officer trying to conclude the suitability of a round in the middle of a forest, arguing with hunters about supposed energies etc. It's just about expediency and simplicity. A .270 will do the job with any powder and pill combo.
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