Anybody else shoot a 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser

[Mustangs Rule]

I have had my "Swede" for about 25 Years. Model 70 Winchester stainless featherweight, New Haven made with controlled round feed.

Anybody that owns a "Swede" have anything to say about performance, loads, game taken or accuracy

 

[longbow51]

I have a Swedish Mauser that looks new; think I paid $125 for it when there were a bunch available. Surprisingly accurate with open sights and factory ammo. Never hunted with it though.

 

[BAKPAKR]

I think @Potsie is a Swede owner.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

I have a Swedish Mauser that looks new; think I paid $125 for it when there were a bunch available. Surprisingly accurate with open sights and factory ammo. Never hunted with it though.

I have read that your rifle was once carried by Scandinavians exploring the Arctic, and was used successfully on polar bears with the long 160 grain bullets with a very high sectional density, allowing deep then deeper penetration.

With the Lapua Mega bullet of 154 grains then later with the Lapua Naturalus all copper they have served me well on even larger wild boar, even capable of penetrating that near one-inch-thick cartilaginous shoulder plate.

With such a bullet I once shot a huge boar that was walking up a steady incline right into me. As he was breathing his mouth was opening and closing just enough to place my bullet right down his throat. He rolled over on his back and spouted a cloud of bloody vapor in the air like a dying whale.

Upon dressing him out it, I saw how that bullet went all the way down his throat and tore one lung to shreds

Gutted, that boar weighed about 330 pounds on the ranch scale.

Looking at these long blunt nosed bullets in a loaded cartridge, they stand up really proud and strong and offer the impression that they are giving " the middle finger", ready to really mess up anything they hit

 

[Dan-06]

Yippers, wife and I both have one. We have taken elk deer and antelope. She shoots the 129 long range accubonds. I’m using the 140 grain accubonds. Her muzzle velocity is 2925. Mine is 2810. On average. I took an antilope at 677 yards. No problem. She took a mature bull elk at 417 yards. No problem. They shoot 5/8 moa.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

Yippers, wife and I both have one. We have taken elk deer and antelope. She shoots the 129 long range accubonds. I’m using the 140 grain accubonds. Her muzzle velocity is 2925. Mine is 2810. On average. I took an antilope at 677 yards. No problem. She took a mature bull elk at 417 yards. No problem. They shoot 5/8 moa.

Great report, thank you, What rifles do you have that are chambered for the Swede?

I have gone non-lead or maybe 18 years ago and use the Barnes 130 grain TSX BT, was getting about 2,850'/sec. Shot under MOA at 100 yards, plus I use the Lapua Naturalis as mentioned earlier above, really a killer, kind to meat

When I first got it I had the muzzled crowned, action smoothed, bedded in the walnut stock and trigger worked.

Off a sandbag on a bench I did shoot a three-shot group, one hole maybe size of 30 cal. best group ever.

Off season during the winter here at high elevation I do my own Snowshoe Biathlon course with it. Seems fitting as the Swede was once an Olympic choice for the cross-country skiing and shooting competition. Hard to bear such a distinguished track record.

It equals the 6.5 Creedmore for handloaders easily.

Thank you for your reply

 

[Dan-06]

My wife has a 96, small ring Mauser. 24 inch stainless shilen barrel with a break. She has a laminated stock. She has a timney trigger. I have a howa 1500 with a carbon steel barrel 26 inches long. I have a Canadian sugar maple stock with silver wire inlay on one side and a silver patch on the other with a white tail buck engraved. It’s a picture of the one I let live.

 

[44hunter45]

I have a Mauser M96 which all my sons learned to hunt with. I did a redneck sporterization of it back in the 1990's

After years of service I lapped the lugs on it and hosed the headspacing. It is currently torn down waiting to be reborn as a safe queen. It has been converted to a 3 position safety.

It has always shot Sierra 140 GK really well and they provided one shot kills on deer. The M96 has a 1 in 200mm twist but it comes out to around 1 in 7.87". I have a 26" Kreiger 1 in 7 1/2" ready to be put on this. I want to optimize it for Hammers.

I've thought about going 6.5x55 AI, but as I get older I think not everything has to be maximized. She stays a Swede

 

[Mustangs Rule]

I have a Mauser M96 which all my sons learned to hunt with. I did a redneck sporterization of it back in the 1990's

After years of service I lapped the lugs on it and hosed the headspacing. It is currently torn down waiting to be reborn as a safe queen. It has been converted to a 3 position safety.

It has always shot Sierra 140 GK really well and they provided one shot kills on deer. The M96 has a 1 in 200mm twist but it comes out to around 1 in 7.87". I have a 26" Kreiger 1 in 7 1/2" ready to be put on this. I want to optimize it for Hammers.

I've thought about going 6.5x55 AI, but as I get older I think not everything has to be maximized. She stays a Swede

Let her stay a Swede.

 

[44hunter45]

Let her stay a Swede.

She's the only sexy Swede I've ever laid hands on...

 

[Potsie]

I think @Potsie is a Swede owner.

Yup.

Ruger #1 in a Mannlicher stock. 20” barrel and it points like laser pointer.

 

[choc dogs]

All three of by boys have one.

I unfortunately no longer do.

 

[Sheltowee]

Yup.

Ruger #1 in a Mannlicher stock. 20” barrel and it points like laser pointer.

View attachment 372190

 

[kiwi hunter]

Had one a while back, a 96 with open sights. Sure killed well using 140 softpoints. It was my farm gun, there were only goats and boars in the area. One day went back to the cottage for lunch and as I'm sipping me tea whilst lounging on the deck I see some goats acting strange, got the binos out to see a very large boar wondering down the flats, grabbed the rifle and dog and ran him down climbing the hillside up by the shearing shed, the dog was bailing him but staying well clear, up close he was a monster but no trouble to the swede, one shot into the shoulder and he reared up n fell over. North of 300 lbs, I used the tractor to haul down to the signing area.

 

[CowboyLeroy]

An excerpt from an older gentleman and friend, former bird dog trainer, retired plantation manager, southern gentleman, and provider of the "worst ass whippin that Luke Bryan ever took"

*Nice looking buck steps into the field*

"Boy lemme tell ya, if I had my ol 'sweedush mawsuh' that one right there's a gone ass"

That's about as close as I can get to scientific proof, and it's good enough for me.

 

[brockel]

Had one in a howa that shot great with 130 grain accubond.

 

[HSi-ESi]

Yes, an older Mauser action (Husqvarna). Kids love to shoot it and I had it threaded for my suppressor. 140 gr Partitions is what we've used for the last couple of years. I have some 130 gr CX bullets from Hornady sitting on my desk that I will do some load development on this summer.

 

[longbow51]

I thought strongly about having my No. 1 chambered in 6.5x55, but, owning .300 and .375 H&H, never want to scrounge brass ever again. We have enough brass for my wife's .260 to last our kids. My daughter and granddaughter have a 6.5 CM, and since they are all basically the same with handloads on game went with that.

Plus I'm a contrarian; all the haters on a good round just make me want to get one.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

I thought strongly about having my No. 1 chambered in 6.5x55, but, owning .300 and .375 H&H, never want to scrounge brass ever again. We have enough brass for my wife's .260 to last our kids. My daughter and granddaughter have a 6.5 CM, and since they are all basically the same with handloads on game went with that.

Plus I'm a contrarian; all the haters on a good round just make me want to get one.

Definitions of “Totem”; there are two.


One relates to a natural-animistic object that has spiritual significance as say a Totem Pole


The other, not being so other-worldish, relates to an object being symbolic of or representative of particular quality or concept. Lots of common sense practical concepts can work here.


Now for me, even in objects as practical as tools, I like to have something extra going on each time I pick it up.


I have plenty of hammers, but one stands out above all others. It is a 13 ounce, “Stanley Master” finish hammer. Stanley tools began in 1843 in New Britain, Connecticut. My home state. If someone is really into finish carpentry, knows fine tools they can take pride in fine and practical details nobody else might see.


Next, when I bought this hammer, it came in a real cool and colorful cardboard box, that said;


“But War Bonds Support Our Troops”. It was made during WW2.


I bought that then unused hammer in maybe 1977. I just used it last week and have been using now for 48 years. time I pick it up it says something to me. Offers me something symbolic, practical and I dare say even of spiritual significance, I have been to Normandy, France and Omaha Beach.


Now few objects can offer as much significance as a firearm.



When I am walking around say with my Model 70 Winchester CRF 6.5x55 Swede, here are some of the “Totem Firearm” qualities I am carrying in my arms.


During WW2 Sweden loaned 77,000 Swedish 6.5x55 Mausers to Finland to defend their country against Russian invaders. Some of these rifles were of sniper quality and used by hunters turned snipers holding off the Russian while showing undaunted courage and incredible marksmanship.


After the war nearly all these rifles were returned to Sweden with much gratitude.

These countries worked together.

Next in the M 1896 Swedish Mauser in the 6.5 x 55 was the preferred choice of Olympic Biathlon athletes. In winter Olympics in 1964 the 6.5x55 was used by Japanese athletes. What nobility this round has.


Again next, the 6.5 x55 was used by the early Scandinavian Arctic explorers, for defense against Polar Bears. They were superb marksmen, and those rifles were superb examples of the finest workmanship possible. They are an art form for metal work.


And in a modern rifle they can be loaded to the full equal of the 6.5 CM and is available from European munitions producers as loaded ammo of full power.


Not bad for a cartridge first made in 1891, which now 134 years later is still a trusted round for taking moose cleanly with heavy long bullets with incredible B.C.


The 6.5 x 55 is truly a Totem Cartridge by both definitions.

When it comes to what caliber I would prefer to put in a young shooter's hands, or an old man's hands, or woman's hands, well the Swede is just too sweet to say no to

M R















.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

I have shot a couple of nice ones including full military & sporterized & while I agree that they are among the most accurate of military rifles, they did not prove quite as accurate as my Savage Stealth 6.5 CM.

My best three shot group with my Model 70 in the Swede with a 4x scope at 100 yards was one almost round hole about a third of an inch with the 129 grain Hornady interlock spire point pushed by IMR 48321