6.5 Swede

[Dimitri A.]

I have a rifle chambered for the round everyone loves to hate, 6.5CM. I love that little round. Back when I bought the rifle chambered for it, I'd never even heard of the Creedmoor. I had always been enamoured with the 6.5 Swede, and when I was doing research on it, I learned about the Creedmoor and figured, why not? Ballistic performance is basically identical (granted, Swede can be loaded hotter if you roll your own), and unlike the Swede, CM factory ammo is a lot more common and easy to find, and significantly cheaper as well, so I bought the Creedmoor.

However, being the nostalgic, history loving fuddy duddy that I am, I still entertain buying a rifle chambered in the Swede. I feel like I'm missing something, if that makes sense. Not that I need it. Between my 6.5CM and my .270 Win, I'm pretty much covered for anything I will ever hunt, but a Sako Bavarian, or Grey Wolf chambered in that round beckons me lol.

Those of you that own both the CM and the Swede, do you have a preference for one over the other, and if so, why?

And more immportantly, since I'm going to likely have to invest in reloading equipment if I really want a Swede, what are the best sources for brass? Also, what brass? From what I've read, Lapua and Norma brass are the way to go, as the case heads on some of U.S. made brass is undersize.

Also, for those of you that reload for it, what dies do you use?

And finally, where can I find reloading data for modern loads?
I have Nosler and Hornady reloading manuals that seem to have some load data that pushes its performance for modern rifles. Any other good sources I can look at?

Thanks, in advance.

[Divernhunter]

For my 6.5X55 I use RCBS dies but also use a Hornady seating die since I like the collet seater die.
I have not had any trouble with brass being undersized. I have a Tikka and a original mil surplus rifle
I do not have the crudmore but they are the same really. Just as the 260Rem is also the same.
I have collected data from gun mags that is hotter than some of the reloading manuals. As I remember Speer has a separate section with hotter data for commercial actions. If you get a 6.5X55 I can send you the info I have and quite a bit of my test data. I usually load Swift A-Frame or Sirocco, Barnes TTSX and Nosler PAR bullets

[pacrat]

OP asked;

Also, what brass? From what I've read, Lapua and Norma brass are the way to go, as the case heads on some of U.S. made brass is undersize.

Those "undersized" claims are nit picky hair splitting. And by "hair splitting". I mean that literally.

The base dia. diff is only .007" between original x55s and current US production. Real world difference is LESS than thickness of 2 human hairs.
Which use the same "forming start dies" as other more common US cases. Such as 308, 243, 06, and a plethora of others. At .473" and x55 is .480".

Back in the "hey day", when the only x55s on this continent were MilSurp Swede Mausers. Millions of rounds were made by reloaders with a little creative annealing, trimming, and forming of 30-06 cases.

.007" on some ammo dimensions is significant. Such as headspace or bullet dia. But on base dia. It becomes negligible.

[ar15barrels]

It's enough difference that some 0.473" boltface actions won't fit the european spec cases without opening up the boltface.

I have run into this a couple times on 6.5x55 rifles I have chambered.

Those "undersized" claims are nit picky hair splitting. And by "hair splitting". I mean that literally.

The base dia. diff is only .007" between original x55s and current US production.

.007" on some ammo dimensions is significant. Such as headspace or bullet dia. But on base dia. It becomes negligible.