6.5x55mm

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F250GUY

F250GUY

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Hello one and all. I'm a new guy here, but I have had an interest in firearms since I was 7, I'm 46 now. I was wondering what your thoughts were on the 6.5x55mm. I'm sure this subject has been beat like a dead horse {no offense to horses} on this board and others as well. I have two Mauser's in 6.5 x 55mm and sorry, I cannot post photos.

One is a M-94, sporterized, not by my own doing and the other is a sported M-96, again, I didn't do that either. I plan on using some 139 gr. PPU / Prvi Partizan ammo for testing an sighting in with, the M-96 has an optic fitted, the M-94 has a Lyman peep sight with a replaced front sight.
 
Welcome to THR , I don't have that caliber , but from everything that that I hear and read I am a fan of that caliber . I want to get a new bolt action rifle and it along with the 6.5 Creedmore are high on my list .
 
It's probably one of the best all around chamberings you can find. Will tip over a moose, yet mild recoil. Bullets with excellent BC are available.

My 29" Carl Gustaf gives me 2800 FPS with 140 grain bullets. My 24" FN, loaded to modern pressures, gives me about the same.
 
Got mine several years ago: Sako A5. Best rifle I own, and only one of two new rifles I've purchased.

I bought it for the history and because I wanted a deer gun for my son who was recoil shy. Now I just love it.

Got yourself a winner. Enjoy them!

Greg
 
To the OP welcome to THR as far as the 6.5x55 it's a great cartridge I have one a Mauser that had been Sportized and I love it! You should think about hand loading for it!
 
To the OP welcome to THR as far as the 6.5x55 it's a great cartridge I have one a Mauser that had been Sportized and I love it! You should think about hand loading for it!
 
To the OP welcome to THR as far as the 6.5x55 it's a great cartridge I have one a Mauser that had been Sportized and I love it! You should think about hand loading for it!
 
Depends, I think, on what you want to do with it. While it has a good reputation in Europe as a moose rifle, I think it's a bit light for game larger than western mule deer. Just MHO.
 
Welcome aboard !!... The 6.5x55 is a fine cartridge.. That Prvi 139 gr. stuff should be fine for sight-in. I shot a bunch of that in the mid-1990's and it was superb. Ever since then I handload for it; it's a great handloaders cartridge. I've got one of the Mod. 96 Swedish Mausers that Kimber sporterized back in the mid 90's along with 2 all original Mod. 96's. They all shoot great; that Kimber sporter gets the most use and it's one of my favorites. Bell & Carlson has some nice synthetic stocks for Swedes that feature an aluminum bedding block. I put one on the sporter a few months ago to replace the injection molded plastic stock that Kimber was using on them and it shoots even better now. I predict you're gonna like those two.. Swedes are hard not to like and that 6.5 is a heckuva good deer cartridge. Yes; they shoot moose with 'em like Coyote said, but that doesn't mean I would when I've got a 300 WSM in the safe. The 6.5x55 seems able to do bigger things than most folks give it credit for and that's one of the reasons it has such a good reputation.
 
PPU is CIP spec and correct head diameter so preferable to anemic SAAMI loadings. PPU soft point will do for anything up to mulies. For elk, 160 grs round nose or the lapua 155 grs (1:8 twist, you're good) will be fine at under 250 yds. Scando moose are smaller than ours, elk sized. If you ever have a chance to shoot moose, go bigger.

Fantastic rifles. Excellent cartridge. Mine likes Varget and starts vertical stringing at @95% of most published max loads.
 
I've got a Ruger no. 1 in 6.5x55SE. Shoots to 0.75" groups of 5 shots at 100 yards with Rem 140gr Core-Lokts and, set up with a Leupy VX3 22.5-8x36, is a wonderful lightweight hunting rifle that will take deer and elk. I don't know if I'd use it on anything larger but it is a delight to carry and use here in CO.

Harry
 
F250Guy,

I have a modern 6.5x55SE and it is truly a great cartridge (in modern I mean that the actions are generally tougher and the throat generally shorter). They are easy to shoot and generally are inherently accurate, my CZ does 0.60MOA off the bench with ease and I am not a great marksman.

As it is a modern action I have never bothered with pressures but when I first started investigating the 6.5 I did come across numerous "warnings" against using modern ammunition as these were higher pressure loads. In fact, certainly this side of the pond, most commercial 6.5mm ammunition was loaded to meet the performance of the older actions; although being very acceptable commercial ammunition was unable fully exploit the modern actions. As stated I did no delve into this as it was not of interest to me but you may well wish to research this a little.

The 139/140gr. bullet hits the 6.5mm sweet spot so this is a great choice in ammunition. PRVI make really good ammo IMO. The SP BT PRVI's should run at about 2 540fps which is about 43 000psi perfect for your rifle.
 
I owned a sporterized M98 Swede for a while, and it absolutely loved the PPU 139 soft point ammo. I was able to shoot 4" groups at 400 yards with it (scoped) a few times. Great caliber. Very accurate and very deadly.
 
I have a Sako Finnlight in 6.5x55, hits like a .308 but without the blast and recoil. Shoots .5"-1" groups. Have taken Barbary Sheep, Cow Elk, and hogs with it, all DRT with factory ammo. Two of those animals were disembowled, something the guides had never seen. Pretty amazing for a round older than the .30-'06.

I don't recommend PPU ammo for hunting, I once had a PPU 140 gr. bullet completely disintegrate on a 35 lb. hog.
 

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my latest 6.5x55 a CZ 550 american. eastbank.
 

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I have an M96 -- one of those imported and sporterized by Kimber when they came out of bankruptcy. I restocked it with a Boyd's stock, put a Bold trigger on it and mounted a Weaver K2.5 scope. The result is a very handy and shootable rifle, capable of taking just about anything in the Lower 48. (Remember in Scandanavia, the 6.5x55 is considered plenty for moose and bear, including polar bears.)

I only shoot handloads -- it's against my religion to buy store bought ammo.
 
IMG_1669.jpg
 
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My favorite rifle. CZ 550 American with a Meopta MeoPro 3.5-10x44 German #4. The PRVI is pretty slow and dirty but was very accurate in the rifle. For whatever reason I couldn't find a 140 grain bullet that shot well, it is extremely accurate with Berger 130 grain Hunting VLD's though. It's taken Nilgai and I wouldn't hesitate to use it on elk with a different bullet.
IMG_1669.jpg
 
cdb1 said:
My favorite rifle. CZ 550 American with a Meopta MeoPro 3.5-10x44 German #4. The PRVI is pretty slow and dirty but was very accurate in the rifle. For whatever reason I couldn't find a 140 grain bullet that shot well, it is extremely accurate with Berger 130 grain Hunting VLD's though. It's taken Nilgai and I wouldn't hesitate to use it on elk with a different bullet.
IMG_1669.jpg
Click to expand...
Vern Humphrey said:
We try to keep it quiet -- no need to shame people who don't handload.
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I don't see the point if I'm getting sub 1" groups and killing whatever I shoot at. Am up to 16 animals.

To each his own. Federal ammo can be hard to beat, I've heard of those who stopped handloading because of it. I've gotten a .375" group with it with my Sako Finnbear .30-'06.
 
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cdb1 said:
My favorite rifle. CZ 550 American with a Meopta MeoPro 3.5-10x44 German #4. The PRVI is pretty slow and dirty but was very accurate in the rifle. For whatever reason I couldn't find a 140 grain bullet that shot well, it is extremely accurate with Berger 130 grain Hunting VLD's though. It's taken Nilgai and I wouldn't hesitate to use it on elk with a different bullet.
IMG_1669.jpg
Click to expand...

Really, did you kill a bull Nilgai with the 6.5x55? Have never hunted them but the ranches I've contacted want a minimum of .300 Win Mag for bulls.
 
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