6.5x55 or 257 Roberts?
- Thread starter rbernie
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The 6.5 Swede would be my choice out of the two just because ammo seems to be more widely available for it.
I usually follow the idea that if you can buy ammo for a certain caliber at Wal Mart or some other non-gun shop with a large sporting goods section then it's a caliber worth having. The .257 Roberts is a great cartridge, but if you need to buy ammo at a small gun store or a sporting goods store near a shooting location for it because you've already shot up all the ammo you had with you initially you might be SOL as far as the Roberts goes.
That's how I'd look at it anyway.
They both do about the same thing, I'd just pick the more widely available out of the two.
But I just noticed that this thread's a couple years old, so I guess my reply is for someone that has the same problem that this guy had. I'm kind of curious which one he decided to go with now myself. I'll bet that it was the Swede.
I usually follow the idea that if you can buy ammo for a certain caliber at Wal Mart or some other non-gun shop with a large sporting goods section then it's a caliber worth having. The .257 Roberts is a great cartridge, but if you need to buy ammo at a small gun store or a sporting goods store near a shooting location for it because you've already shot up all the ammo you had with you initially you might be SOL as far as the Roberts goes.
That's how I'd look at it anyway.
They both do about the same thing, I'd just pick the more widely available out of the two.
But I just noticed that this thread's a couple years old, so I guess my reply is for someone that has the same problem that this guy had. I'm kind of curious which one he decided to go with now myself. I'll bet that it was the Swede.
woof
Member
I'm surprised no-one has suggested the .260 Rem (6.5mm-08) as an alternative to 6.5 Swede and .257.
The .260 would actually be better IMO than either the 6.5X55 or the .257 Roberts, but it wasn't one of the original choices.
I usually try to stick to what calibers the OP initially lays out as some people hate when you suggest something that wasn't one of the choices that they asked about.
I usually try to stick to what calibers the OP initially lays out as some people hate when you suggest something that wasn't one of the choices that they asked about.
OP
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rbernie
Contributing Member
I sold the small-ring Mausers rather than butcher them up and bought a Rem700 in 25-06.
I also moved my standard hunting rifle platform over to an AR-15 rather than a bolt-gun, and use a 7.62x39 chambered AR-15 that I built.
I have a Carl Gustav carbine in a custom stock 6.5x55,barrel cut recrowned, that now sports a Burris compact. It is a sweet rifle, that I traded an AK and accessories for. Best deal I ever made. Shoots the lights out at 200yds, perfect for antelope this Fall. So you know my vote.
tinygnat219
Member
6.5 Swede. More rifles chambered for it and it's the perfect cartridge.
rangerruck
Member
6.5 easy. handloading is fast and furious, tons of diff brass, powder and rounds out there for max accuracy. can load bullets from 90 grains, up to 160 grain vlds' for 1000 yd accuracy. also , it is easier to find factory/milsurp 6.5 ammo from the store or gunshow, than it is to find factory 257.
plus factory 6.5 , from gunshows, runs about 10 bucks a box, for swedish or South american,
the 260, while it is as versatile as the 6.5 is still about 20 , 25 bucks per box. Should be a quick death. I would love to have it, but until they make it as cheap as 308, no one, is going to mass buy the rifles, or the rounds.
plus factory 6.5 , from gunshows, runs about 10 bucks a box, for swedish or South american,
the 260, while it is as versatile as the 6.5 is still about 20 , 25 bucks per box. Should be a quick death. I would love to have it, but until they make it as cheap as 308, no one, is going to mass buy the rifles, or the rounds.
fwiw... if i was going to get another custom mauser, it would be an 8x57 ack.
i have a 257 roberts, and i like it, but for the size and weight of the action, i think a little more makes sense. the swede is not enough of an improvement over the roberts, so now we go into the 7 and 8 x 57... the mauser action is big and heavy - might as well take advantage of it.
i like sticking w/ the mauser family for mauser builds - it saves a lot of aggravation down the line w/ feeding issues.
i do happen to have another mauser laying around that hasn't been sported yet... maybe i'll do my own 8x57 ack build...
it absolutely had to be between the roberts and swede, i'd go roberts, #4 lilja barrel fluted, 24", and make a dandy walking varminter/coyote killer...
i have a 257 roberts, and i like it, but for the size and weight of the action, i think a little more makes sense. the swede is not enough of an improvement over the roberts, so now we go into the 7 and 8 x 57... the mauser action is big and heavy - might as well take advantage of it.
i like sticking w/ the mauser family for mauser builds - it saves a lot of aggravation down the line w/ feeding issues.
i do happen to have another mauser laying around that hasn't been sported yet... maybe i'll do my own 8x57 ack build...
it absolutely had to be between the roberts and swede, i'd go roberts, #4 lilja barrel fluted, 24", and make a dandy walking varminter/coyote killer...
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