Swede 6.5x55

[roc1]

I amconsidering a CZ 550 American in 6.5x55 caliber.I am wondering how it compares to other rounds in terms of ballistics and recoil?I have read where it has quite of bit of recoil far its size? I also have heard it compares to the 243?I shot one once but do not really recall it much.
Thanks for the input
roc1

 

[T. O'Heir]

"...compares to the 243..." The 6.5x55 is suitable for moose and elk sized game. The .243 is not. The .243 is a good choice for deer and black bears, but not bigger game. Both are fine for varmints with a change of bullet. Mind you, I've used 105 grain SP bullets out of my .243 for ground hogs too.
Felt recoil has more to do with the rifle and its stock design than the cartridge. A light weight rifle will have more felt recoil than a heavier rifle. However, a cartridge using a heavy bullet will also have more felt recoil. That's just simple physics.
You'll likely find the felt recoil with a 6.5 isn't too heavy with normal 140 grain hunting bullets.
Go here for some very basic ballistics. http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/ballistics/

 

[buckster]

CZ are great rifles

CZ's are very accurate and the 6.5 is a sweet round if you reload, should have enough ooph out to 300 yds.

 

[FirstFreedom]

The 6.5x55 is a most excellent round - definitely in the top 3 or 4 contenders for the "Just one rifle" round scenario. It can be loaded up light (120s), medium (140s), or even heavy with 160/162s with excellent BCs and sectional density for penetration and downrange energy retention, and the twist rates for 6.5x55 rifles is typically 1 in 8, so it will stabilize these heavy-for-caliber bullets, unlike most standard calibers. I'd say go for it. Recoil is light-medium. It's a very good long-range round. Look here for comparative felt recoil calculations:

http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm

Also, CZ 550s are excellent and great-value rifles, IMO. I really want a mannlicher-stocked 550 in 6.5x55 swede - it's on my to-get-someday list.

 

[44 AMP]

6.5x55 Swede

Is a fine round. The only handicap it has is that it is not loaded to "modern" pressure levels. The performance of the round is superb, even at the "lesser" pressures of the old cartridge.

I have one of the 95 Mausers, mfgd in 1917, the rifle with it's 29.1 in barrel. I have had one of the Swede carbines, and I wish I had that rifle back.

I knew one guy who had his model 70 Winchester rebarreled to 6.5 Swede, he loved the round so much.

The 6.5mm bore has exellent sectional density, which results in long range performance much better than you would expect, even with moderate velocities.

I understand the Swedes use the round for moose and caribou, although they have some pretty strict rules, and require hunters to prove their accuracy before taking the field.

The round does have a bit more recoil than the .243, no getting around that, you are launching heavier bullets. The modern .260 Remington basically duplicates the performance of the older 6.5 Swede, using a shorter case, and higher pressures to reach the same velocity range.

More than reasonably flat shooting and mild recoiling, the 6.5x55mm Swede is the most overlooked and under appreciated of big game cartridges, in this country, at least.

 

[Benonymous]

6.5x55

My first rifle was a Tikka Master Sporter in Swede. I had a choice of 6.5x55 or 30.06 and on advice chose the 6.5 for lower recoil. The Master Sporter is not a light rifle and has a target style stock with a very deeply carved grip.

I now have a K31 in 7.5x55 shooting 147 grainers and a Steyr Scout in .308 shooting similar weight projectiles and I must say I'd put them all in the same ballpark with recoil. The Swede is lower than the K31 but on par with the .308. At a recent range session shooting out to 200yd I noticed a distincly larger drop in trajectory off the Tikka compared to the Scout. The ballistic coefficient on the Swede is hard to beat though. I really love the Tikka and consider it a great purchase. I'll never sell it and at the moment I'm considering a Kreiger barrel to use the gun for "F" class shooting (equivalent to benchrest shooting). I don't think you'd be dissapointed in a quality rifle in 6.5x55 for accuracy or game terminating capability

 

[MattB]

I have a CZ550 in 6.5 sweede with a bushnell 4200 3.5-10x scope. It is a great round and is my favorite rifle I own. With factory wolf gold ammo 140fmj I was getting 1" groups (3 shot) at 100 yards with a crappy rest. The recoil is very light. I could shoot this rifle all day. I feel the reoil is less than my .30-.30 win lever with a 20"bbl and scope. I have a reloader but have not had the time to load up any hot loads for it but the factory loads from Remington , Federal, etc would take care of 95% of the tasks.

 

[Erich]

It's a great, flat-shooting and accurate round with great sectional density in the 140-grain+ bullets. I've got a 17.8"-barrelled M1894 carbine manufactured in 1901, and it shot 1.5" groups on this past Saturday. Without in any way hurting my shoulder (anyone who fires it agrees that recoil is quite pleasant - I don't think the .243 analogy is inapt, tho Mr. O'Heir is quite correct that perceived recoil has a lot to do with things other than the cartridge itself.

 

[Wildalaska]

In my 100 year old Swedish sniper it will put 5 shots in less than 1/2 inch at 100 yards. Factory ammo shoots an inch in my Blaser.

I have five 6.5x55 rifles right now

WildjaAlaska

 

[arizona hunter]

I love my 6.5 x 55 Swede. It is a 1943 Husquvarna. I replaced the military stock with a Ramline. However ,sincve mine is a 96 style action I need to keep the FPS down a little but still with 120's at 2700 fps (Rem corLok) or a 120 Barnes XLC at 2900 fps, I can easily take deer at 300 yards if need be.

In you new CZ you can load up to .260 Rem. levels and reach out even further. Go with the 140's for general use (I use 120's because I only use it for javelina-plus they group really well, but will switch t o140's when these are gone). And like Firstfreedom said, you can even use 160 grainers. The 6.5's very high BC gives you lots of range and the high SD lots of penetration-way out of proportion for the caliber.

 

[Steve499]

A good friend of mine had a custom rifle made. He had all the calibers in the world to choose from and picked the 6.5X55 Swede. I can't say I think it was a mistake, either. I only have one rifle in that chambering, a surplus 38 Mauser, which my daughter has used to take all her deer so far. It has mild recoil, I think, and seems to penetrate better with factory 140s than my 30-06 with factory 150s.

Steve

 

[guntotin_fool]

There isn't much more that can be said, the Swede is about as perfect a round as one can find for everything from yote's to big deer, I would not hesitate to use one for pretty much anything that is available to the average american or canadian hunter. It is not a dangerous game round, but I have seen a couple of big elk die fast to it.

 

[calvinike]

In my experience the 6.5x55 is about as good as it gets in a medium caliber rifle. I have 2 Swede Mausers and with handloads are they are extremley accurate.

 

[Webleymkv]

The round is ballistically about the same as the old 6.5x54 Mannlicher Schrouner which has taken every type of big game up to and including elephant.

 

[sneaky pete]

You can"t go wrong with a 6.5 Swed.

I'v got 2 surplus 6.5 Sweds that I target shoot and hunt with, an m-96/38 that was restocked and tuned up by an excellent gunsmith, and a gevar m-41/B Sniper in "as issued" condition. The m-96/38 has a Sightron-II 4x16 and gets1">1-1/4"10 shot groups @ 100 and the m-41/B gets 1">1-1/2"10 shot groups with its 1940 issue German - Ajax 4x90 with picket post. I shoot handloads only using Lapua 123grScenar-silver @ 3025 Fps and Hornady 140grA-Max moly @ 2950 Fps. what more do you want in a rifle? It's accurate as hell, kills excelletly and doesn't kick your arm off

 

[FirstFreedom]

"ja" - finally got that WA.

Another plus of having a rifle in this caliber - every time you hold the rifle and think of the name of the cartridge, it tends to summon up visions of the swedish bikini team, and other assorted blonde-haired, blue-eyed cuties with hot accents. This is a good thing.

 

[GeoW]

The Swede 6.5x55 is one of my two favorites, the other is the 30-06. Recoil doesn't compare as the Swede is down right comfortable to shoot with factory 140 gr soft point.I started with a 96/38 Swede Mauser in 86 and havent looked back. I now have a 6.5x55 barrel for my Encore rifle, a Ruger 77 Mk ll, a CZ550 FS, and a Sako AV, all in 6.5x55. The old Mauser and the Ruger are the only ones that have been fired but will break out the others soon, probably when I feel down or depressed and just need to have a really good day
The Ruger was MOA out of the box with 140 gr factory.

GeoW

 

[270Win]

Now you all have got me ready to get a 6.5x55...! Thanks a lot

 

[Jack O'Conner]

Back in the mid-1990's, I paid a smith to build a custom Browning BLR in 6.5mm Swede for my wife. She is a lefty and hates bolt action rifles. This rifle has knocked down several Wyoming elk, over a dozen mulies, and nearly 30 'lopes. Most were toppled with the excellent Nosler 140 grain Partition bullet.

In short, the 6.5mm Swede recoils about the same as a .243 but will out penetrate a 220 grain core-lockt fired from a 30-06 at 150 yards. Dis-believe me? Set up your own bullet box with soaked newsprint and prove me wrong.

7mm-08, 280, and 7X57 share this deep penetration effect. I'm told the modern 260 Remington and 338 FEDERAL are equally deep penetrators but I have zero first hand experience.

6.5mm Swede is great for the calm elk hunter who passes up "too far" shots. The elk hunter who insists upon shooting into the pelvis of a timber bounding bull is better served with a 444, .348, 350 MAG, 45-70, or 450 Marlin than this 6.5mm cartridge. Yes, the 6.5mm has its limitations and a good hunter always knows where to draw line.

Good hunting to you.
Jack

 

[BUSTER51]

not to jack the thread but doe's anyone know what is the best loaded ammo for the 6.5 on elk out to 200 yards ?