MAINE - Life in the Slow Lane
Bobby
I believe the Swede is a classic like the 35 Rem. And, it's now a hand loaders proposition as factory ammo ranges from $32 to $35 for a box of 20 rounds. I spent close to $100 for (3) boxes of 200 grain Rems at Skippy's before last season. Conversely, I can get Winchester 130's for the 270 for $16 and change at Wally. 06 ammo is still affordable as well. Once you get up into the maaaaaaaaaaagnums the price climbs right up, and the African cals are well over $100 for 20 rounds.
The younger crowd isn't into the stuff we are, they want the vaporizer cartridges so they can destroy em just like they did on X box 360 
BTW, 30-30 ammo is still in the running 
Koda I was interested in pricing on amo as I haven't bought 6.5X55 or any other centerfire cartridges of late as I reload all of my own cartridges. Check this out. You can spend just as much on .270 Win as 6.5 Swede and I darn well know you don't shoot cheap amo! www.sportsmansguide.com/net/browse/ammo-rifle-270.aspx?c=96&s=913&mn=-1&p=3&ipp=24&ra=false&stk=1 www.sportsmansguide.com/net/browse/browseammo.aspx?c=96&s=911&stk=1 Tight Lines! Bobby
I've had real good luck with the Winchester factory ammo, and like I said, for $16 and change a box at Wally for 270/ 30-06 I'm lovin it. Mail ordering ammo has the added porking of shipping fees which are pretty steep. The ammo is heavy, and, they like to stick it to us for "hazard" fees.
Even pulling in brass, bullets and powder from Midway gets pricey these days. For me, a box per gun of factory ammo will cover me for the season so long as I just light em off on meat to eat. Which means I don't shoot the porkies any more, or the bunny wabbits, or crows, or......nah, I'll still dust a yote
Koda
I never buy ammo on line either just checking prices. Generally I stop at a local gun store and pick it up if I do. I called Wall-Mart to see if they carry 6.5X55 Swede ammo and they don't. I called Welch's Gun Shop here in Lebanon and they do as I am sure most every serious gun store does. I know R&L Archery in Barre does.
The price for Win 140gr 6.5X55 is $29.00 a box where as the 130gr .270 Win Winchester ammo is $22.00 a box. So it is a bit more
than .270 Win. Personally I would not let the price of big game hunting ammo detour me from owning a 6.5X55 Swede as it simply is too nice to let go or dismiss over that. If I bought ammo I would buy 100 rounds at a time perhaps get a deal on it from the local gun shop and enjoy the rifle. To each his own but I had a Winchester M70 .270 Win and you couldn't give me another after shooting the 6.5X55 Swede. As to options for the reloader there is a much more useful selection of bullets for the 6.5X55 85gr, 100gr, 120gr, 129gr, 139gr, 140gr, 159gr 160gr. than the .270 Win. which has 100gr, 130gr, 140gr, 150gr and 170gr. Since I don't travel to hunt I would rather have that 85gr varmint bullet to play with. I know it is super accurate with virtually no recoil. I win $ with that at turkey shoots. Shot in my rifle, it feels like I am shooting a rimfire. Don't tell everyone; it is my secret to success. 
Fun Discussion Koda!
Bobby
Bobby
If a chap was to fall in love with the Swede what would he have to pick from in common rifles? Does say Savage, Mossberg, Remington, Winchester chamber for the round? You may have poisoned me
Quote by: KodaBobby
If a chap was to fall in love with the Swede what would he have to pick from in common rifles? Does say Savage, Mossberg, Remington, Winchester chamber for the round? You may have poisoned me
Koda you are gi=oing to enjoy this!
Apparently, at the moment American manufacturers do not appear to offer the 6.5X55 Swede. They have protected themselves from European gun and cartridge sales by do this sort of thing for a long time! There are some around used including the Kimber M96 conversions like the two I have. One being my sons rifle. I never did say owning a 6.5X55 was for everyone. I do however think there are many who when finding one in a gun shop sitting there waiting for a new owner should not hesitate to pick it up as it is a true find they will likely never regret. I have selected finishing the building of my dad's G33/40 action in 6.5X55 Swede because I know the cartridge and appreciate it or I would be looking at spending probably less money and getting perhaps more gun by purchasing a CZ or Sako in 6.5X55. My hands shake when viewing the Maser New M98 rifle. Not in this lifetime will I afford one but if you get one could I please take a shot with it? I have seen many 6.5X55 rifles on gun sale lists. Often they are custom rifles at 1/3 less than the owner paid to have them built on M98 Mauser actions.
http://www.cz-usa.com/products/view/cz-550-american/
http://www.cz-usa.com/products/view/cz-550-fs/
http://www.sako.fi/sako85models.php?hunter_showdata#pagedown
jpsauer.us/firearms/products/model-sauer-202/grade-classic/
http://www.mauser.com/Specifications.67.0.html?&L=1
These are rifles I think you would like Koda so I included them. J
http://www.cz-usa.com/products/view/express-rifle/
http://www.mauser.com/Specifications.81.0.html?&L
Bobby
Bobby
That's tragic, no American made rifles for the round. Howsomever, I still find it difficult to wean myself off the big bores and of course you had to dangle a very nice carrot with this one.....
I'd be delighted to own this one in a 338 Lapua. It would make the perfect rifle for when Ziggy takes on a Russian Boar with his bow.
But then the 416 Rigby is pulling at my heart. Nah, when it comes down to it the 500 Jeffrey would win out. Just never know when an invading pachyderm will show up in my petunia patch
Can't help it. I have been, and always will be, a big bore slut !
Koda I knew you would appreciate that! Beautiful rifle!!!!!
As to a rifle in 6.5X55 I really think the CZ I first listed is a sweet rifle. No doubt it will cost less than the G33/40 will by the time it is finished. You are a man that has most everything but a 6.5X55! Why not order that CZ up for yourself! You will not be disappointed! I am sure you will enjoy it even if you only use it for song birds! Hell, you may even catch the fever!
For those who do not know the .338 Lapua cartridge here is a good link on it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.338_Lapua_Magnum
Bobby
Bobby
The key operative is HAD, not has. Over the years I think I pretty much tried em all, save the Swede
You buy em, use em, try em out, trade em, and try the next critter blaster. Only way you can afford to get into all those cals
I've heard all good reports on those CZ rifles. Wonder if Skippy stocks em. Hmmmm........
Guys,
I have been working! I work 12 hrs shifts and had a 4 day stretch working to help and keep those folks who have been through hell healthy and alive.
My dad though now past on is a Marine. He spent a great deal of his time preparing me to shoot in preparation of war. Luckily for me veterans pulled me aside and directed me to go to school, stay out of protests, go fishing and hunting with them. They saved my life. They knew that after the war the wealthy shake hands and do business and make even more money.
Watching that video is interesting. I appreciate the skills, the weapons and probably would have found I enjoyed the game but I do not regret missing the turkey shoot. I shot enough rats at the dump and crawled into huge flocks of crows with a .22 LR shooting one after the other undetected to satisfy the urge.
On a daily basis, long after silence falls on the battle field I see the scars left on America's sons and daughters who were sent off to kill for the eliete of this country, the 1%'rs. We have been on the war path my entire life. We have gone from being the saviors of the world in WWII to a meddling self serving bully. Now every day, all around the world people get up in the morning and pray that this will be the day America gets a taste of the soup we have served. Every new war is now a Weapons Fair! Human beings are simply targets. Marines piss on the meat they made and it is a big deal! If they pissed on them as live prisoners well perhaps that would be one thing but pissing on meat ....who the F cares? What kind of twisted value system thinks it is OK to shoot them but pissing on the meat is bad???????
President Eisenhower warned us of the Military Industrial Complex and we are now living the prediction he made in his fair well address which those who do not know should Google, watch and listen. Enough on war.
One thing is for sure each weapon has it's place and charm. Those who choose speed and velocity get what they deserve, spectacular kills and blood shot meat or little to eat at all. I hunt game to eat. I have used hot cartridges like 25 06 and .270 Win and sold the rifles as they did not perform as I wish a rifle to perform. I settled on the 6.5 X 55 as it lives up to its long history of success in the field and it doesn't destroy meat at the distances we shoot here in New England. The difference between the hand loaded
120 gr bullet in the 6.5 X 55 at 2900 in a 22 inch barrel and the 130 gr .270 at 2900 in the standard 22 inch barreled .270 Win is hardly noticeable. The ballistics for the .270 Win in my Sierra catalog is for a 26 inch barrel which lists the 130gr at 3,100 but in reality that isn't what people get with the standard 22 inch .270 rifle.
120gr 6.5 at 2900fps Max Point Blank Range is 340 yd sighted in at 280 yards
130gr .270 at 2900fps Max Point Blank Range is 350 yd sighted in at 290 yards
Hardly noticeable to the shooter or the animal.
That being said I shoot the 140 gr 6.5 Spitzer boat tail! Why, because I launch it at somewhere around 2600fps+ and it does not destroy meat at 50 yards, has little recoil and is as accurate as any hunting rifle but with the light recoil and report it is shooter friendly and in my hands accurate.
140gr 6.5 at 2600fps Max Point Blank Range is 320 yd sighted in at 260 yards. This is flat enough shooting for even open New England hard woods. I do not sight in my rifle for MPBR however as it leads to serious over shooting with any cartridge in our steep hilly countryside. I have been there and done that with a .270 Win. and it was a problem.
In my time afield I have only shot one deer at long range. It was neck shot at 290 paces with a 7 X 57 using a 140 gr bullet.
Each shooter/hunter must choose what he wants for a rifle and there is no one rifle to suit all shooters, they all do the job.
I do recall my dad always saying..."be where the man with one rifle; he probably knows how to use it."
Bobby