Thread: 6.5 what

Originally Posted by Nick-D

Yeah I must admit after owning and shooting a few unicorn cals, it is nice to know I can buy a box of ammo here and there if needed. Still seems to be the odd box of swede around but no 260.6.5 creed is everywhere.

I have never ever not come across one brand of 6.5 swede ammo in my travels of this great country.

the cheap stuff is usually slow as F, Even federal blue box ends up around 2400 fps. Still kills really well.

260 is a wicked calibre. If you get one you won't be disappointed. Looking to either flog mine or rebarrel only because of lack of time to reload and not having my own gear. If that wasn't a factor I wouldn't even consider changing

6.5 x 55 unlike the .260 most come in fast twist barrels for the new bullets and have a magazine long enough to seat the bullets out. I keep thinking back to @Tahrs Shultz and Larsen and thinking really the perfect 0 to 400 yard rifle for N.Z.

Originally Posted by nor-west

6.5 x 55 unlike the .260 most come in fast twist barrels for the new bullets and have a magazine long enough to seat the bullets out. I keep thinking back to @Tahrs Shultz and Larsen and thinking really the perfect 0 to 400 yard rifle for N.Z.

600 if not to windy with the eldx.
An unbelievably accurate chambering in the tikka.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

I've got a .264 win, .260, 6.5 creed and the finest 6.5 ever made the 6.5x54 mannlicher, I like the mannlicher the most 160gr at 2300, such a nice carry rifle,
My .260 is a Kimber and its a bit strangled with longer bullets, I shoot 125gr partion, or 120 Btip, I think the creedmore is better in the short action, due to a slightly shorter case length, for long high BC bullets, (bit more room.)
Head down to Wilson sports, he has several .260, 6x5x55 and 6.5 creed's in stock, check what ammo is on hand, and buy accordingly to your taste, My taste runs to the ruger #1 in 257 bob, another fine caliber for North island bush hobbits.

Originally Posted by Beaker

6.5 x 55 swede, tikka, in a chassis. 805 yards 2nd round (fucked the calc.. Was 1in low....) hit on 12in plate, and 3rd.....

Tikka just works.
Remington you buy then add/replace to make it work.

As with most things american

I am loving the 125gr Nosler Partition in my 6.5x55.
Had a couple of bang flops on sika up close and great performance on a large red hind at 300m.

Barrel is 20inch. Using AR2209, so an easy to get powder

A great thing about the 6.5 is its SD and penetration. And at moderate speed. Its one caliber I reckon you don't need premium bullets with. Cup and core work just fine. I use 140 Amax and they are great. Still have 200 of them.

I must haul my 6.5x55 out again.

260, 6.5 Creed & 6.5x55 will all do what you want, with the same relative result. I'm about to start off with my 3rd 260 coz it suits my style of hunting & shooting and its my personal preference over the others. I've had a Model 7, lovely little gun but it had mag restrictions as already mentioned. Good that you are a reloader, as you will get the best from whatever you choose.

Greetings All,
Agree with the comments on the 6.5 x 55. I have a T3 with a 6 x 36 Leupold scope. One of the most accurate rifles I own and barely weighs 3 kg if that. The Tikka has a long throat so went out to the shed and measured the crush length with some 143 grain ELDX projectiles a friend gave me to try. Crush length was 81.3 mm. Internal magazine length is 85 mm plus so a good match. The 6.5 x 55 is definitely a handloaders calibre though, one of Nick-D's Unicorn calibres.
Regards Grandpamac.

I went the 6.5 route more by accident nearly 20 years ago. Was just shooting the breeze over a brew with Robbie Tiffen and he mentioned the .264 win mag. He built one for me shortly after. It went great but I sold it back to him and I have had, just about every 6.5 variant since.
I run 2 x .260 Ackleys now. One in a blaser and 1 in a custom defiance action.
Both use the exact same powder and charge and get the same velocity and ES.
They differ in seating and headspace slightly. Both rifles have different roles.

A recent powder change has had them perform as good as a 6.5-06 I had and loved for better case life. When I bought the defiance I acquired a hydraulic forming die that works exceptionally well and saves dollars on components when having used to fire form brass.
Both rifles shoot better than I can and I have a load I have settled on that has not had a failure on an animal out to decent distances yet. And all with a lighter projectile than most find necessary in 6.5.
Like others have stated the cal just suits my needs and uses perfectly....







Sent from my SM-T510 using Tapatalk

I shoot a 260 in M7, yes you are right they do have a thin barrel, and are a bit limited for mag length, but there in lies the rub, its a light rifle.
You want a light bush style rifle that will on occassion shoot to 500. Maybe two projectile styles would suit.
I shoot 120 Amaxes, they travel fast and do good on lighter animals ( I wouldnt use them on a Red stag.... but I dont trophy hunt ) For more wind bucking the 140 Amax/ ELDM is good out to 600 yds.
With a bit of experimentation on where your different bullets throw you could dial / hold for the two different weights.

The 120 Grain bullet will seat out pretty far and the 140's I hand feed and are seated long. I dont really shoot animals at distance though only paper.
All you want from a thin barrel is first shot dependabilty and maybe 1 follow up.

If you go the M7 route try the rifle for accuracy first. Mine isnt much chop for 5 shot groups but will happily pull small 3 shot groups.

+1 on Swede or creedmore. I have a 260 in a long action which is good but the creed and Swede work in the actions they come in

260 and Creedmoor are practically neck and neck. If I wanted a short action Sako, I'd go for one of these in whichever one I could get a sweet deal on a factory rifle on, with a preference for Creedmoor unless the mag would let me seat bullets out a bit further in a 260.

If you're considering a Tikka and can resist the urge to chop it, 6.5x55 starts making a lot of sense... Factory ammo is pretty sedate for the sake of old SE Mausers, but if you are going to reload in a nice strong modern action, there's no reason you can't make the most of the space and the extra case capacity the cartridge gives, to equal or exceed the performance of either 260 or Creedmoor.

It's not a dick swinging contest though. So long as it'll drive a big enough bullet, at high enough speed, to give it enough oomph to make everything perform as it should when it connects with the biggest animal you plan to shoot with it, as far away as you ever envisage shooting it, can't go wrong with any of them.

Or... 7mm08 if you want to share reloading components with your magnums.

some good reading and advice here thanks to all for input so far very helpful and greatly appreciated