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Author Topic: 6.5x55 needs a new barrel.  (Read 1555 times)

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Offline garpur

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6.5x55 needs a new barrel.
« on: May 14, 2004, 03:19:47 AM »
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Hello you guy´s, can you tell me if there is sutch a thing as a 6,5x66 AI and if so can I use a M96 action for that?
My old swede is almost burned out and I´m thinking about a new barrel.
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Offline bgjohn

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Re: 6.5x55 needs a new barrel.
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2004, 04:39:38 AM »
Quote from: garpur
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Hello you guy´s, can you tell me if there is sutch a thing as a 6,5x66 AI and if so can I use a M96 action for that?
My old swede is almost burned out and I´m thinking about a new barrel.


How about a 260 Remington?
JM :grin:
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Offline MGMorden

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6.5x55 needs a new barrel.
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2004, 07:02:33 AM »
.260 Rem might be a pretty good suggestion.   Performance is pretty close for the two of them, but in the future brass *might* become scarce for the 6.5x55.  With .260 Remington you can always form brass from .308, which will be around a LONG time.  Plus if the US ever enacts one of those insane "no military calibers for civilians" laws, then .260 Rem will still be legal, whilst 6.5 Swede wouldn't (of course .308 would be gone too then, but I guess you could always neck up .243 cases).

Of course, for a slightly cheaper route, you may (I say may because I've not consulted a gunsmith on this) be able to have your rifle rechambered and rebored (keeping the same barrel) to 7.5x55 Swiss.  I'm not sure if the M96 action can take the pressure though.
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Offline ajj

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6.5x55 needs a new barrel.
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2004, 08:07:59 AM »
Yes, there is a 6.5x55 AI. A lot of development, and most of the writing about it, was done by a gunsmith in Oklahoma named Bob Jourdan. He has a lot of experience with all the 6.5 cartridges and was very gracious when I corresponded with him some time ago. PM me and I'll look for an address if you like. He writes for Precision Shooting.
Opinions differ about safe pressures for the 96. Some talk about the lack of the 98's "safety lug" and the advances in heat treatment in the last 100 years. Others remind us that Swedish steel is the best and that lots of these rifles have beeen barraled in .22-250 and other high pressure calibers. Of course, going to an "improved" cartridge doesn't necessarily mean you plan to exceed the pressures of the unimproved round. You may be able to burn a little more powder and get a little more velocity with the same pressure. My fading memory of Mr. Jourdan's reports is that the AI version of this round doesn't get you a whole lot extra. I think some target shooters have felt they really needed another 200 fps for 1000 yard competition. You might try the search feature on the 1000 yard board at www.benchrestcentral.com for more info.
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Offline ajj

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6.5x55 needs a new barrel.
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2004, 08:15:01 AM »
Oops. Make that www.benchrest.com.
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Offline Lawdog

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6.5x55 needs a new barrel.
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2004, 01:29:55 PM »
garpur,

Why not just stick with the 6.5 Swede?  Hard to improve upon the old Swede.  Remington tried but fell short with their .260.  Just scan down to the thread titled "Fate of the .260 Remington?" for what others feel about the Remington offer.  I believe that the 6.5 Swede will be around long after they toss the dirt in the face of the .260.  Small groups and tight lines to you.  Lawdog
 :D
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Offline ratherbefishin

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6.5x55
« Reply #6 on: May 16, 2004, 04:57:57 PM »
theonly thing wrong with my 6.5 swede isthere is nothing wrong with it- I have a hard time justfying another rifle.Itdoes everthing I ask it to do- if I hold it straight.It seems to be ''justright'' for the Blactails we have here, and I have no problem with black bear, either.Funny, for a 100 year old cartridge, it 's hard to beat.Makes you wonder about all  these so called ''new and improved  '' cartridges.
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Offline Mikey

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6.5x55 needs a new barrel.
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2004, 04:31:13 AM »
garpur:  stick with the 6.5 Swede.  It's very tough to beat.  I doubt you would be able to do anything more with an 'improved' round than with the original.  

I think the 260 is gonna be history and that would also take a re-barrel, so I would just stick with the original 6.5x55.  You know it works.  Mikey.
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Offline drags

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6.5x55 needs a new barrel.
« Reply #8 on: May 18, 2004, 05:11:38 AM »
Mikey, the .260 rem. is the second most popular high power rifle silhouette cartridge as is fast closing in on first place, so that shoud keep it around for a long time.
Drags
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Offline Larry Gibson

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Re: 6.5x55 needs a new barrel.
« Reply #9 on: May 18, 2004, 09:19:29 AM »
garpur

The 6.5x66 AI has minimal body taper as does the 260 Rem.  I suggest you load 5 rounds (not just one) into the mag and test for feeding in your M96 action.  Most often they will not feed reliably without considerable alteration of the feed rails.

There is nothing wrong with the standard 6.5x55, particularly if you load it to european standards.  I push 100 HPs at 3235 fps, 120s out at 2925 fps and 140 SPs at 2710 fps quite safely.  Another fine cartridge is the 6.5x57 which is a wildcat made to clean up jap chambers for a readily available case (neck down 7x57 or 8x57 or neck up 6mm Rem cases).  Of course the 7x57 makes for an excellent choice in the M96 action also.

Larry Gibson
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