Any heavy barreled 6.5x55's made?

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viking499

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Did anyone ever make a modern, heavy barreled 6.5x55? All I have ever seen are the sporter barrel productions.

I would like to have a medium to heavy threaded barrel Swede. I guess my only option is a build, which I have never done in a rifle.

Any recommendations on an accurate, affordable build for a Swede? What actions and barrels are recommended? Reloads will be used instead of the current throttled down production ammo.
 
Love the Swede but I don't think you will find one in a heavy barrel without building or finding one that has been customized-

The 260 Rem is close and they are available with varmint barrels-

Shaw is an affordable option if you choose to build- I recently built a 26 Nosler with a Shaw full one inch barrel - shoots amazing-

Good luck with Swede it's a great cartridge and often overlooked-
 
Not exactly an answer to your question, but maybe food for thought. I built a 6.5x55 on a Savage 112V single shot (220 Swift with a burnt out bbl). I installed a heavy, pre chambered, barrel in 6.5x55. Pillar bedded it into the original stock (the original barrel was a heavy varmint contour). The new barrel is 1-1/16" no taper; had to do some barrel channel work and a few minor mods. Gun shoots better than I can hold it out to 800 yards, which is as far as I've shot so far. The Savage action allows the Sweed to be loaded to higher pressures listed in manuals for modern actions. The barrel is 26" 1 in 8 twist, and delivers some very impressive velocities with 140gr. class bullets. This is a very heavy rifle, built for bench shooting. You can acquire the older 110 actions fairly reasonably and build something that suits you for far less than a custom rig would cost. The only caveat is the trigger is only good for about 3 lbs. of pull safely.
My 2¢
 
Are you looking for a way to put a heavy barrel on an old Swedish Mauser?
Or any kind of (new) rifle chambered in 6,5x55mm?
 
The 6.5X55 is a great classic military and hunting cartridge. Over the last 100+ years all of them built have been made with that in mind. And there are enough variations between rifles and factory ammo that it is hard to find one that will shoot well with factory ammo. And factory ammo is loaded very conservatively in order to be used in those 100+ year old rifles. If someone wants to own a 6.5X55 that lives up to the cartridges potential they just about have to go the custom route.

If you want 6.5X55 performance with off the shelf rifles and ammo that is why the 6.5 CM was invented. Lots of options, much less money and the same performance. I like 6.5X55, but I'd want it in a classic hunting or military rifle. If you want a modern, accurate heavy barreled rifle there is no reason to choose it over 6.5 CM.

Same with 260. The 260 was designed around 120 gr deer hunting bullets in mind. If you want to shoot modern 140-150 gr bullets in a 260 you have to resort to custom rifles and out of spec handloads just like you have to do with 6.5X55. The 6.5 CM doesn't really offer any real advantage over the other 2 except offering that performance without having to go the custom route.
 
jmr40 said:
The 6.5X55 is a great classic military and hunting cartridge. Over the last 100+ years all of them built have been made with that in mind. And there are enough variations between rifles and factory ammo that it is hard to find one that will shoot well with factory ammo. And factory ammo is loaded very conservatively in order to be used in those 100+ year old rifles. If someone wants to own a 6.5X55 that lives up to the cartridges potential they just about have to go the custom route.

If you want 6.5X55 performance with off the shelf rifles and ammo that is why the 6.5 CM was invented. Lots of options, much less money and the same performance. I like 6.5X55, but I'd want it in a classic hunting or military rifle. If you want a modern, accurate heavy barreled rifle there is no reason to choose it over 6.5 CM.

Same with 260. The 260 was designed around 120 gr deer hunting bullets in mind. If you want to shoot modern 140-150 gr bullets in a 260 you have to resort to custom rifles and out of spec handloads just like you have to do with 6.5X55. The 6.5 CM doesn't really offer any real advantage over the other 2 except offering that performance without having to go the custom route.
Click to expand...

The Swede has always been my flavor of choice as far as calibers go. I currently have a Tikka Tac A1 Creedmoor that I like to use for those longer than average non-hunting shots and I like it a lot. I just want a Swede to do the same thing with.
 
CZ has offered the 550/557 in 6.5x55.
There are new old stock and good used examples to be had.
A heavy threaded barrel will require a custom barrel.
 
viking499 said:
Did anyone ever make a modern, heavy barreled 6.5x55?
Click to expand...
This is probably not the reply you want, but the answer to the question is that there were heavy barreled 6.5x55 rifles made. In fact, quite a few of them, and the ones I saw and competed against were superbly accurate. That was back in the '60's when I was very much involved in international (Olympic style) 300M "free" rifle competition. At that time the 6.5x55 was perhaps the single most popular caliber used in 300m competition, with some superb rifles being built .and also very fine target grade ammo available from Sweden and other European makers. Among the more poplar rifles were the beautiful target rifles made in Denmark by Schultz & Larsen. Here is Niels Larsen with one of his free rifles, and also 6.5 match ammo made by Norma with 139gr bullets. Niels_Larsen_1945.jpg DSC09933.JPG
 
I like that offhand. Never seen one or knew they existed, but I like. Just guessing, but I bet that would be above my budget.....:(
 
jmr40 said:
The 6.5X55 is a great classic military and hunting cartridge. Over the last 100+ years all of them built have been made with that in mind. And there are enough variations between rifles and factory ammo that it is hard to find one that will shoot well with factory ammo. And factory ammo is loaded very conservatively in order to be used in those 100+ year old rifles. If someone wants to own a 6.5X55 that lives up to the cartridges potential they just about have to go the custom route.

If you want 6.5X55 performance with off the shelf rifles and ammo that is why the 6.5 CM was invented. Lots of options, much less money and the same performance. I like 6.5X55, but I'd want it in a classic hunting or military rifle. If you want a modern, accurate heavy barreled rifle there is no reason to choose it over 6.5 CM.

Same with 260. The 260 was designed around 120 gr deer hunting bullets in mind. If you want to shoot modern 140-150 gr bullets in a 260 you have to resort to custom rifles and out of spec handloads just like you have to do with 6.5X55. The 6.5 CM doesn't really offer any real advantage over the other 2 except offering that performance without having to go the custom route.
Click to expand...


1) There are plenty of Swedish Mausers that shoot factory ammo perfectly well. I have several. And there is no support for the claim of huge variations between Swede chambers and factory ammo.

2) Custom is not the only route to a rifle that lives up to the cartridges potential. In addition to the Husqvarna made, modern heat treated Swedish Mausers, the Win M70, Ruger No 1, Ruger M77, several CZ rifles, Tikka, and Sako rifles, just off the top of my head, have all been chambered in 6.5x55.
 
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CG-63’s have a fairly heavy barrel compared to other Swedish Mauser. It is also a long barrel. The stock is made for either left or right hand shooting, which is nice for us southpaws. They shoot great!
 
My uncle has a sweet push feed model 70 featherweight in 6.5x55 that I repeatedly have tried to purchase, but he refuses to sell. Not really a heavy barrel though.
 
viking499 said:
No, I want a modern action 6.5x55 with something other than an un-threaded pencil barrel. Sounds like it is going to be some sort of a build to get what I am looking for.
Click to expand...

My wife has a Tikka T3X Varmint chambered in this great caliber.
It's got a 60cm (~ 24") fat barrel and a synthetic stock.
With Vihtavuori N550 and 140gn Lapua bullets she won some 1000m competitions (hobby shooters).
N140 , N150 or N160 is our powder of choice for 100-600m with 108, 120 and 140gn bullets.
You don't have to use the load data for the old Swedish Mauser rifles (but you can).
There's some Vihtavuori data for the modern rifles which can sustain higher pressure.
If you want a really great rifle and don't feel the need to impress somebody at the range it's a good choice.
 
I took an old Stevens 200 in 270 that didn't do anything for me. Got an ER Shaw 6.5x55 26" stainless varmint contour barrel and mounted it up to the action. Already got some factory Lapua, S&B and base hand loads worked up when I finally get the used wood stock from Numrich fitted.
For the handloads I based some off of Noslers info since they DO note that their loads are for modern actions and not for old small ring Mausers.
When its done I'm going to post some pics if it turns out presentable lol
 
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