6.5 Swedes

[Mikey]

Savage T and BigBill:  have either of you seen the write-up on the 6.5 Swede in the latest Shooting Times???  Dave Fortier writes that 'the 6.5x55 easily outperforms the 223 and 308 match loads for NRA High Power Rifle Competition', and then provides some handloading information that gives incredibly awesome groups and loads.  When you are talking about open sighted accuracy at 100 yds with groups measuring anywhere from .5" and up, and with the hottest loads, then we begin to understand why so many of us like the Swede so much.  

Didja know that the 1999 British Long Range Benchrest Championship was won by a 6.5 Swede, from a Tikka Continental.  10 rounds at 1000 yds into a 4.4" group.  Interestingly enough, Fortier lists the 6.5-308 as a hugely successful hunting and competition round - ain't that the same as the 260 Rem?????   Mikey.

[S.S.]

The 6.5 Swede has long been a Competition cartridge
in the Skandinavian countries, They no longer call it the 6.5
Mauser there(Mauser didn't have much to do with it anyway),
it is now called the 6.5 Skan.
If there ever was a Perfect rifle cartridge, the 6.5
Swede is about as close to it as it gets. I have Studied
Ballistics for the last 30 years, and worked with Ballistics
in law enforcement for about eight of those years, and the
6.5 is one of the "Very Few" cartridges that simply cannot
be improved upon!!!

[Mikey]

Hay S. Sumner:  Nice to hear from you again.  Hope your holidays were happy and restful.  Man, if you haven't yet had the chance to read that Shooting Times article on the 6.5, you should try and get a copy to look at.  Some of the loads they use are absolutely awesome and the data they provide for reloading is incredible.  You are quite right my Friend, that is one cartridge that really can't be improved.  The ran some pictures of the different bullets used and I had forgotten how much it hurt to even look at that Hornaday 160 gn slug.  However, the A-Max looks incredible.  Something tells me I'm going to be getting a set of dies of that caliber.....  Mikey.

[azmetricnut]

Hey Guys, New member here, please bear with me while I learn the system.
I cant do better than 2" @100 with the Mod 96 I am setting up for my daughters "hunter".  So for I have only tried Barnes 140's with 4350. Shooting times is not on my list but Fortier is certanly to be respected. What issue was that data in?

[ajj]

February issue, on the newstands now. 2" with the first bullet tried isn't exactly shabby. There are lots and lots of 120-140 grain 6.5 bullets suitable for whitetail hunting. For sheer accuracy try the Ballistic Tip or, if you're worried about reports of fragility, spring for a box of Nosler Partitions. Sierra's GameKing is good, too. Many, many powders can be made to work fine in this cartridge. 4350 is certainly one of the best. For top velocity with heavy bullets, it takes a surprisingly slow powder. Any of the 4831 powders are fine and Re22 is the best. Good luck and good shooting.

[Mikey]

azmetricnut:  you didn't say how your daughter's rifle grouped, or what you have done regarding sporterizing (I'm assuming).  Most Swedes I have seen in military configuration can usually get 2" at 100 yds even with those horrendous mauser sights.  If you have sporterized your Swede for your daughter, run us through the steps you took and let's see if we can't tighten up those groups fer ya.  HTH.  Mikey.

[azmetricnut]

Mikey, Lets see, Chopped 6" off Barrel and then turned to eliminate step. Shortened mag .25 to allow entire rifle to be much slimmer at the expense of one round in the mag. Turned bolt handle down and scalloped to clear 2-7 x 28mm Leoplod. Tuned up trigger and changed safety. With the exception of the poor wood finish on the fully bedded Great American Gunstock, (my fault) I am happy with the cosmetic outcome. As time permits I will experiment with some of these recommended loads and see if the 2"(non-stringing) groups will shrink.
I really like this forum and thank you in advance for your help. Scott

[Mikey]

azmetricnut:  'Tuned up trigger and changed safety'.  Does this mean that you just installed a lower safety and tuned the trigger??  If so, you may still have some 'slack' and overtravel that would affect your accuracy and the way to cure that is to install either a Bold Trigger, which is adjustable for trigger pull and let-off, or a Timney trigger.  

You also mentioned 'fully bedded' stock and 'stringing' of the loads.  If you are stringing it means that something is impacting the barrel as she heats up and that is one of the things that causes stringing.  Whenever I bed a rifle to a sporter stock, or to any stock for that matter, I only bed the action and the barrel to as far forward as the end of the chamber, no further.  When I am finished with a bedding job, you can run either a dollar bill or a matchbook cover between the barrel and the stock all the way up to the end of the chamber.  Then your barrel is 'free-floated', and lots of folks feel that allows for the best accuracy.  

If this were mine, now, I would remove the stock and relieve the bedding in the barrel channel up to the end of the chamber.  Don't remove it all, just enough to allow that matchbook cover to move freely between stock and barrel all the way up to the chamber.  I would then smooth up what is left of the bedding in the barrel channel to protect the wood from moisture and swelling.  HTH.  Mikey.

[azmetricnut]

The "tuned up" trigger is wonderfully crisp and light and I dont think is contributing to group size. I am the odd duck that believes in bedded barrels so I hesitate to relieve that at this early stage. I have no stringing so odd influences on the barrel dont seem to be an issue. I picked up the Fortier article and have assembled some new loads so I will see how that progresses before I start changing hardware. Monday is range day so I will touch base after then.

[Andrew Quigley]

Newcomer myself. Glad a friend informed me of this site.  Just about to order a 96 myself. Have always heard how accurate these rifles were and finally decided to add one to my collection.
 I like old military bolt action rifles. I'd like to set up a few of mine with orginal type scope mounts. Are any of the aftermarket ones for this rifle close to orginal?
 Thanks for the heads up on the Shooting Times article. I'll pick up one this weekend.

[ajj]

Andrew; Subject to correction by a real expert I think you'll find that very few Swedish 96's were "sniper scope" equipped and that any such, and the mounts, are rare and expensive. I'm pretty sure no aftermarket  mount is anything like the original but I discovered recently that I don't actually know everything. You'll love the Swede.

[1911crazy]

Newcomer myself. Glad a friend informed me of this site.  Just about to order a 96 myself. Have always heard how accurate these rifles were and finally decided to add one to my collection.
 I like old military bolt action rifles. I'd like to set up a few of mine with orginal type scope mounts. Are any of the aftermarket ones for this rifle close to orginal?
 Thanks for the heads up on the Shooting Times article. I'll pick up one this weekend.

The only sniper 96's I seen are the ones from Samco Global Arms.  The 96's are very very accurate with the orginal open/iron sites.  I can group about 1 1/2" to 1 3/4"at 100yds benchresting it with Sellier & Bellot ammo on my worst day. I'm very impressed with both rounds the 6.5x55 swede and the 7mm mauser both are very accurate bullets and so easy to shoot.(no harsh kick)  If you can find a nice swede for around $200 or less buy it the prices are going up as they become scarce.                                                                              BigBill

[Andrew Quigley]

Thanks for the input and advice.  The only sniper rifles I've seen is the one's in the same ad.
 For some reason I've always loved sniper or sharpshooter rifles. Guess ever since I saw the movie Josey Wales and that Sharps with the scope I've had a thing for long range rifles. Problem is I've never been able
to afford a real one so think I'll make a few from surplus rifles.

 Think I need to do some research on them. Dang I hate that. LOL!!

[Harry Snippe]

I am new to this forum.
Just read your posts on the 6.5 swede. I have had both the model 96 and model 38. I have noticed that there is some differences in bores with these guns as well as strength.
I did up a model 96 (Manu. 1915) with bold trigger , bent bolt ,barrel cut, Winchester type safety. new stockand bushnel scope. The rifle shot 1 to 1.5 groups.
How ever the model 38 (Manu. 1943,) was a lot stronger ,able to handle hotter hand loads. This rifle has a bold trigger installed and the stock cut down andhand guard removed. We then installed a williams peep and a shorty ramp front sit on the front , removing all the old sites. This rifle will shoot 1.5 '' groups standing.
We use 140 gr. for deer and the hornady's 160 gr RN. for deer and moose.
we Have more confidence in the round than the 308. in the bush. The long thin bullet as one ove the 308 -180

Check out the SD between the two

[coopershooter]

The first centerfire rifle i ever bought, was a 96, from century international arms. i paid $180. for it in a cheap plastic stock. and proceded to shoot some one inch groups with the first hand load i tryed.  i have owned several rifles since then and now i realize what a treasure i had all allong! i have had great luck hunting with this ugly gun. so i desided to dress her up a bit.  the trigger is a timney, the barrel is a douglas, the stock is a beautifull piece of california claro walnut, from richards microfit gunstocks. it has talley rings and mounts, holdong a leopold 3-9.  
   it,s a keeper!
  i also have a mod.38 set up in scout configuration, 18inch barrel, timney trigger, burris scout scope.
     bobby olson