PRVI 6.5X55 SWEDISH 139GR SP

[41 mag]

A while back the daughter wanted me to pick her out some loads for her 6.5 to simply hunt hogs with. Most of the shots we make are less than 50yds as we're generally in stuff so thick that even that is a long ways. At the time everyone was out of everything for reloading, and I didn't have much on hand for that caliber anyway.

After a considerable time spent looking at different brands, I decided that the PRVI might be worth a try being quite a bit less expensive than most and also still easily available. I picked her up 200 rounds for her Christmas present.

Well the first rounds we fired were back in early March by myself, and the 7yr old grandson, and both of our three shot groups nicely went into basically one hole. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. Not so much from the boy, he is a shooter, but from the ammo. Well he promptly proclaimed that this would be his new rifle much to the dismay of the daughter.

So this morning I was headed out to try for a hog with the bow, when I spotted something out in the middle of the pasture right behind the house. Having broken my glasses on Friday, and being it was still just at the butt crack of dawn I had to go back inside and get the bino's for confirmation. Sure enough it was a big ol sow just rooting away at the coastal pasture. So with no way to get close enough for a shot with the bow I walked back inside and grabbed up the 6.5 and three shells. Knowing that we had set the zero 1" high at 100yds, I settled the cross hair just below the ear and gently squeezed the trigger. As the rifle recoiled the hog simply dumped on it's nose and that was that. I ranged the shot from the hog back to where I was at 185yds, and being the hog was walking just a bit at the break of the trigger, I feel great about the location of the hit in regards to the point of aim. It couldn't have been much closer than if I had only been a foot or so away.

I have to say that for ammo I didn't have much enthusiasm for, this stuff has shown it can deliver. Even with the lower velocity the 139gr bullet did a premo job on that hog.

If your looking for some cheap ammo to just bang around with I would highly suggest looking into picking up at least one box just to give it a try. Who knows it might work out to be just what your looking for. 

[Siskiyou]

Did you recover the bullet, if so what is the story?

[41 mag]

Did you recover the bullet, if so what is the story?

No bullet recovery, in one side and out the other. the exit hole was about the size of a dime. Would have loved to have found it. As soon as I get one I will definately post it up.

There will be others, trust me. This weekend we saw close to 50 from Thursday thru Sunday morning. The dog had 6 or more bayed up in a circle but between him running around them, and them trying to get away, there was no room for a shot from where I was standing.

At least he was smart enough to let well enough alone and not charge in and get a whoopin all by his self.

[Mikey]

41Mag - good shot.  Looks like she's going to be good eatin'.  There's nothing wrong with the PRVI ammo - some have said it is the same as Sellier and Bellot - could be.  The difference in velocities twixt the S&B and PRVI is minimal, if there is any real difference at all.  That hog never knew the difference. 

Looks like you might have to find another 6.5 - for your grandson......  Let us know how it turns out. 

[41 mag]

41Mag - good shot.  Looks like she's going to be good eatin'.  There's nothing wrong with the PRVI ammo - some have said it is the same as Sellier and Bellot - could be.  The difference in velocities twixt the S&B and PRVI is minimal, if there is any real difference at all.  That hog never knew the difference. 

Looks like you might have to find another 6.5 - for your grandson......  Let us know how it turns out. 

I admit it was a decent shot even for me. However good the shot was, that ol hog was all but skin and bones. I thought about cleaning it out but as hot as it already was by the time I got it to the house, and then after looking it over REAL good, I decided to pass on this one. If you look at it really good it is not much there at all. Those shoats were still working her over pretty good and the 6-8, I saw with her, were all a good 20 or so pounds. She was drawn up pretty bad.

As for the rifle, naww that grandson has his eye on it and that's fine with me. I simply used it due to it being there and me not having anything else but my bow or the STW, and I didn't figure that 200yds was fer enough to break that one out.

Funny thing about this particular rifle, when we got it, it was a Kimber sporterized package deal that came with a case, and scope already to hit the woods. LOL We tried every type of ammo we could find and nothing would shoot under 3" at 100yds. So I swapped the scope, which made a little difference, but not much. Then a swapped the stock, better but still not much better than 1.5" at best even with several hand loads. Then I tried using some Hornady A-max bullets, which were NOT recommended by Hornady. Then I finally as a last resort glass bedded the darn thing and viola. They shot under 1" out past 250yds, and killed deer and hogs like lightning.

The best thing about the PRVI ammo, other than how well it actually shoots, was it actually cost me less to pick her up 200 rounds of it than if I had tried to get the cases, powder, and everything else and load it myself. The next best thing is that there is almost no noticeable recoil, (great thing for the grandson) and the muzzle blast is nil as well.

[Wynn]

If you scroll down a ways, there is a good thread on Privi ammo. I bought 200 rounds primarily for the brass to reload my CZ 550 in 6.5 Swede. 20 odd hogs later, I have yet to reload any of the brass. Never recovered a bullet either.

[Wynn]

I posted on this thread at 6 AM this morning and it is just now 8 AM or so. I left after posting and met my friend and his 11 year old grand daughter to hunt hogs on property I have access to close by. Within 5 minutes of leaving the truck, a sounder of 8 pigs appeared at the water hole and the 11 year old busted a 80 lb boar in the shoulder with Grandpa's 270 Browning auto using Privi ammo. Through and Through and dead on the spot. about 120 yd shot to boot. He has quite buying premium ammo in favor of the 140 grain Privi Partizan ammo for deer and hog. It was her first hog and hog hunt. Needless to say, Grandpa is as proud as he can be.

[41 mag]

Great to hear about the kids and successful hunts. I can say that if there was another reason for hogs besides simply eating, it would be hunting experiences for new hunters and kids.

Great going.

[kombi1976]

There is nothing wrong with PRVI ammo.
I know one guy who took a buff with some of the 286gr SP 9.3x62 ammo they make.
And my mate's sporterised Carl Gustaf has smacked down kangaroos and hares with the 139gr load through it's original stepped military bbl all the way out to 200yds.
One of the most impressive things I saw done with it though was when we were messing about with it and a chrony.
It shot 5 rounds with a overall deviation of 10fps between the fastest and slowest rounds!
We were convinced after that.
THAT is absolutely amazing for inexpensive factory ammo.
So long as your 6.5x55 is accurate with it there aren't many animals I wouldn't try with that ammo.

[Siskiyou]

This post topic caught my interest because I have a 6.5x55 and two years ago I picked up a couple boxes of newly manufactured, European ammunition loaded with a nice looking 139-grain pointed bullet.  I would not be surprised if the bullet was not provided by an American manufacture.  I had to dig the ammunition out to see what brand it is.  I was thinking it might be PRIVI. 


I checked and it is labeled Hotshot, distributed by Century International, made in Bosnia-Herzegovina.  It is Boxer Primed, and non-corrosive.    I understand that Bosnia-Herzegovina is also known as Siberia.  Is this PRIVI ammunition manufactured under a private label?

[kombi1976]

PRVI is sold in Oz and NZ as Highland ammo and as something else in Sth Africa and I believe Bosnia or there abouts is where it is made.
What it's sold as elsewhere is anyone's guess but it could conceivably be the Hotshot ammo you speak of.

[james]

I bought a couple hundred cheap 140 gr 6.5 Privis and loaded up some in 6.5x55 Win brass using Varget powder.   They were suprisingly accurate in my Mcgowen barrel/Savage action rig. I took some to Wy and shot  prairie dogs with them and will use the same load for antelope this fall. 

[ratherbefishin]

the 6.5x55 doesn't seem too fussy what you feed it-point it in the right direction, hold it straight and the animal goes down.No fuss, no muss, low recoil and very accurate[maybe the low recoil has something to do with that].The rifle is capable of more than I am.I have 3 Husky's in 6.5x55 and 3 more in 9,3x57[if you want something heavier-I'm using the 286 gr privi in this one-its my moose/bear rifle]

[mrbigtexan]

i bought prvi to shoot in my 303 and hands down it is the best cartridge i have ever put in it.

[coyotejoe]

41Mag - good shot.  Looks like she's going to be good eatin'.  There's nothing wrong with the PRVI ammo - some have said it is the same as Sellier and Bellot - could be.  The difference in velocities twixt the S&B and PRVI is minimal, if there is any real difference at all.  That hog never knew the difference. 

Looks like you might have to find another 6.5 - for your grandson......  Let us know how it turns out. 

Definitely not S&B, for one thing the Privi ammo is loaded with a 139 grain bullet while the S&B is 131 grain. I think at least some of the "Wolf" brand may be made by privi, it has a headstamp of "nny", whereas the Sellier & Bellot is headstamped "S&B". I have gotten 1 1/2" groups from my M-70 Winchester with the S&B 131 grain doing 2637 fps from the 22" barrel. The Wolf brand 139 grain went 2447 fps with groups in the 2 1/2-3" range from the same rifle.

[454Puma]

41 mag
   I picked up 500 of there 198gr FMJBT for my G98/40's.   Bone stock Milsurp will run these into an 1" at 100 yards or better! I just wish I had pigs here in ID to run a few through!

[Huffmanite]

Siskiyou,  The Hotshot 6.5 ammo is not Prvi.  Also, if you reload, careful with the Hotshot 6.5 brass.  You will find the primer flash hole to be smaller than normal and most likely you will get your depriming pin stuck in the hole or perhaps even break it.

[Siskiyou]

Huffmanite:  Thanks for the information on the brass.  I do reload.  I will make a copy of your post and file it in my 6.6x55 folder.