6.5x55 AI and the 6.5-06 AI comparison

[Wild Monkey]

There are Umpteen versions of the Improved Swede. So many I'm sure I've not begin to see them all. Anything from a simple 28 Shoulder all the way to 44 degrees, some short some tall & some very very wide. I'm betting the most radical can eclipse the basic 6.5-06 AI. My interest lie in the shorter one's in an attempt for a Genuine Short Action with the +-.470" Shoulder using the Wide Brass.

 

[Sid Post]

What are the most standard or popular 6.5x55 'improved' cartridge dimensions? Or put another way, if you were going to build a 6.5x55 Swede Improved, what chamber/cartridge specs would you use? I would most likely use a standard length action but, I might consider an Intermediate length European 6.5x55 donor (Tikka?) as well.

I don't have access to any meaningful quantity of 30-06 (or similar) surplus brass so, I'm focused on Lapua 6.5x55 primarily with some other European sources for cases. If I did a '06 based wildcat, it would be a non-SAAMI 6.5-280AI derivative but, I don't need nor really want that much velocity and recoil. The 6.5 Grendel and 6.5x55 (and 7x57) are some of my most favorite mid-bore calibers.

 

[L.Sherm]

6.5 Addiction comes to mind.
Why no access to 06 Lapua brass?

 

[Sid Post]

30-06 isn't popular at the ranges I shoot at so it isn't easily available. If I'm going to mail order, Lapua is a better place for me to start. 280 Remington is really hard to find locally so, again I'm left with mail order options again. A 6.5-280AI is tempting but, didn't the 280AI spec get messed up when it was spec'ed short? 284 Winchester variants torch barrels a bit fast for me in addition to brass concerns.

After messing with 7SAUM, I'm thinking a long established cartridge out of Europe is a better place to start. Mid-bore takes me straight to the Swede or 7 Mauser! The newer 'boutique' cartridges don't appeal to me so, I'm not really interested in those factory name sponsored variants either. Steyr, S&W, Ruger, etc. calibers may make good revenue for gun rags but, I'm done with esoteric brass options.

The legacy Mauser variants are a bit like the 30-30 and 45/70 in terms of long term support and personal appeal so, the 6.5x55 and 7x57 appeal to me where a Creedmoor or PRC doesn't. In obscure out of the mainstream calibers, the 6XC is really the only one that has held long term interests beyond initial flourishes of advertising driven curiosity!

 

[Mtorian4156]

It's actually pretty popular in the west. I build 25-30 of them a year for guys. It's one of my more popular calibers.

This is an old thread I Get Reply But I'm going to try anyway. I want something different and unique that shuts 6.5 creed more people down (politely, and only the guys who ..well you know the guys.). I am 47 year old first year apprentice and starting my career over with a family of 5 my gun collection has dwindled to 3. I'm planning a top out or graduation present for myself at the end of my 5th year. Had a 270AI on a Rem 721 and I would like to have a recoil less than I had here and less then 308 without a brake. I WILK have a mild brake and a heavy rifle but I don't want all the blowback I was getting from my 270AI with a 50cal style brake. It ate all the recoil but put so much gas in my face I didn't enjoy shooting it and that is really why we shoot, because we enjoy it. So I'm thinking about the following calibers and was wondering, relatively, what a non competition barrel life and performance compared to the infamous6.5 freeze more would be like:
25-06/25-06AI
257 Roberts Imp.
6Remington/6 Rem imp
243Win/243 Win imp
7mm-08 imp long action
any Sherman or 7mm options I should look at?
I want to shoot heavy for caliber bullets with faster then standard twist rates. I'm not shooting competition but I want to make the necessary modifications to the design to make it a rifle I could hunt with.and the throw in the truck Sunday morning and go do a local competition. Forest to 500-600 must outperform the creedmore.

 

[Justice1327]

This is an old thread I Get Reply But I'm going to try anyway. I want something different and unique that shuts 6.5 creed more people down (politely, and only the guys who ..well you know the guys.). I am 47 year old first year apprentice and starting my career over with a family of 5 my gun collection has dwindled to 3. I'm planning a top out or graduation present for myself at the end of my 5th year. Had a 270AI on a Rem 721 and I would like to have a recoil less than I had here and less then 308 without a brake. I WILK have a mild brake and a heavy rifle but I don't want all the blowback I was getting from my 270AI with a 50cal style brake. It ate all the recoil but put so much gas in my face I didn't enjoy shooting it and that is really why we shoot, because we enjoy it. So I'm thinking about the following calibers and was wondering, relatively, what a non competition barrel life and performance compared to the infamous6.5 freeze more would be like:
25-06/25-06AI
257 Roberts Imp.
6Remington/6 Rem imp
243Win/243 Win imp
7mm-08 imp long action
any Sherman or 7mm options I should look at?
I want to shoot heavy for caliber bullets with faster then standard twist rates. I'm not shooting competition but I want to make the necessary modifications to the design to make it a rifle I could hunt with.and the throw in the truck Sunday morning and go do a local competition. Forest to 500-600 must outperform the creedmore.

good Brass is hard to find for all but the 243/7-08. Recommend 7-08AI. I have 3 and it performs best on a Medium action.
Might look at a 260AI as well

 

[crystalgayleguy]

Look into the 6.5 wrpm Peterson make brass for it now grafs and sons should have it it a long action caliber

 

[Sid Post]

25-06/25-06AI
257 Roberts Imp.
6Remington/6 Rem imp
243Win/243 Win imp
7mm-08 imp long action
any Sherman or 7mm options I should look at?

I don't think the 257 Roberts Improved will do what you want in competition with a 500~600y target due to trajectory issues.

25-06/6Rem/243 will all have barrel life restrictions for high-volume shooters.

The Shermans in general and the larger 7mm options will have recoil issues similar to your 270AI.

The 7-08 seems like the sweet spot for your "desirements".

I would also suggest something like the 6x55AI as a good option for you and a simple handloading option. With the right twist, it will throw some heavy bullets well.

 

[Sid Post]

Look into the 6.5 wrpm Peterson make brass for it now grafs and sons should have it it a long action caliber

The 6.5 Weatherby RPM is interesting but, I think recoil might be a problem for the shooter in question. The 6.5x55AI would be my choice for this sort of application due to its ease of feeding and support. For accuracy-obsessed loads, the EU has a lot to offer a shooter as well since it used in competition over there in a non-AI form.

 

[FEENIX]

Had a 270AI on a Rem 721 and I would like to have a recoil less than I had here and less then 308 without a brake. I WILK have a mild brake and a heavy rifle but I don't want all the blowback I was getting from my 270AI with a 50cal style brake.

It appears you had a bad experience with a muzzle brake or have an inefficient muzzle brake that does not suit your needs. I have used various muzzle brakes since 2003 and still cannot picture a .50 cal brake. A tank-type brake? How about a picture of your brake? Have you tried any other brakes? There are plenty of effective muzzle brakes out there to choose from. My .270 AI has a JP Enterprise Beenie Cooley brake.

 

[nksmfamjp]

The Swede and 06 versions have a lot of value just in the Lapua brass availability.
06 has a stronger following, but the Swede is more of a sweet spot for recoil, powder selection.

Getting outside those drives you into other brass which is a bit of a step down.

 

[BEEMAN]

Out of those I'd pick the 25-06AI. Make sure to get a fast twist barrel to shoot the heavies or the copper bullets. Great high BC bullets, low recoil, what's not to like. It would make for a great hunting rifle and could also be used at the odd local match. If shooting lots of matches, then I'd probably look into a different cartridge.

 

[Sid Post]

The 6.5 Weatherby RPM is interesting but, I think recoil might be a problem for the shooter in question. The 6.5x55AI would be my choice for this sort of application due to its ease of feeding and support. For accuracy-obsessed loads, the EU has a lot to offer a shooter as well since it used in competition over there in a non-AI form.

Tikka 6.5x55 SE options

 

[Sid Post]

It appears you had a bad experience with a muzzle brake or have an inefficient muzzle brake that does not suit your needs.

https://www.americanprecisionarms.com/collections/muzzle-brakes

Brakes from here are well regarded and are used a lot with PRS-style rifles and some of the custom hunting rifles I have seen.

There are other well thought out options that would serve this poster's 'dream/graduation' rifle well too but, APA to me is one that is easiest to source and is well understood so it is easiest for me to source the optimal muzzle brake for each rifle and caliber.