6.5 Swede vs Creed?

Interesting reading folks. There does seem to be very little in it.

I have to say that using the 6.5x55 , I’m still getting my head around the slightly more pronounced trajectory compared to the .270 that I’m used to. It does seem to shoot the 143 grain eldx really well but are these ‘heavy for caliber’ bullets not mainly an advantage for longer range shooting? They still cause a fair mess.

Did try the 120 prohunters but just not quite as good. I assume the nolser BTs will shoot comparably? They were like hens teeth at the time of reloading so never got round to them
Try yew tree tlr 114 gn
 
Try yew tree tlr 114 gn

I’ve heard good things but loathed to change to non toxic unless I have to. Occasionally have to hire a rifle or buy a box for an estate day but if I’m lucky that’s once a year

I used to load Nosler Partitions in my Swede, never a complaint!

Always fancied trying them. The front half breaks off / is quite explosive? The Nosler accubond I thought might be less messy but the partition is the classic

Sierra TGC 130gns are a great round.
🦊🦊

Gamechangers. Heard very accurate. How was the carcass with chest shots?

The first 260 REM I had did very well with 125 grain Partitions both on paper and on animals .

Thanks. Partitions messy or nice clean punch through?
 
I’ve heard good things but loathed to change to non toxic unless I have to. Occasionally have to hire a rifle or buy a box for an estate day but if I’m lucky that’s once a year



Always fancied trying them. The front half breaks off / is quite explosive? The Nosler accubond I thought might be less messy but the partition is the classic



Gamechangers. Heard very accurate. How was the carcass with chest shots?



Thanks. Partitions messy or nice clean punch through?
I recovered one partition in the 30 years Ive been stalking and that was the stalker hitting the spine of the doe. He was on his first stalk and his nerves got the better of him.
 
I’ve heard good things but loathed to change to non toxic unless I have to. Occasionally have to hire a rifle or buy a box for an estate day but if I’m lucky that’s once a year



Always fancied trying them. The front half breaks off / is quite explosive? The Nosler accubond I thought might be less messy but the partition is the classic



Gamechangers. Heard very accurate. How was the carcass with chest shots?



Thanks. Partitions messy or nice clean punch through?
IMG_9291.webpIMG_5150.webp
 
130gns Gamechanger trundling along with a moderate charge of N160 at 160 yds - slightly angled entrance forward on shoulder. It fell over!
🦊🦊
 
Last edited:
once upon a time there was a rifle calibre , a grand old calibre known as the 30/06 but one day someone made a new calibre a bit shorter that would do the same basically and called it the 308 , people loved the new calibre because people are inqusitive and keen to try new stuff by nature generally because thats how we advance and discover new stuff (america wasn't discovered because we didn't develop new ships) even though the old boys scoffed and said the newcomer was a waste of time and would never take off.

anyway fast forward to today and the old boys club still claim some superiority of the 30/06 30fps here 25fps there (frankly insignificant differences) but a basic understanding of ballistics and you'll see why the most popular calibre now is 308 since it offers the same performance but in a smaller package with more factory options.

and still , you would be well served by either and any target from a deer to a steel plate at 1000m would not be able to tell which calibre it had been shot by......
I agree, assuming you keep your bullet weights at 150 grains and down. Bullets heavier than that intrude into the case too far on the .308 and you lose powder capacity. The .308 was designed to replicate the original military 30-06 load that pushed a 150 grain spitzer bullet at 2,700 fps. And it basically did that with that same 150 grain bullet. But, the same advances in powder technology that made the .308 possible (in the 1950’s) have also been applied to the OLD 30-06. So I am shooting a 30-06 load out of my Sauer 202 with a 24 inch barrel that drives a 165 grain Sierra Tipped Game King at 3,000 fps and gives me just north of 3,200 ft/lbs at the muzzle. I handload that, but that same performance is available in factory Hornady Superformance and Sig Sauer Elite Hunter loads. You can’t get there with a .308. PERIOD. Modern powder technology, and modern steel are wonderful things and they enable many of these wonderful old calibers to be elevated to levels of performance that wasn’t possible 117 years ago (in the case of the 30-06).
 
Thanks. Partitions messy or nice clean punch through?
Some folks used to claim Partitions weren’t as accurate on paper as say a Ballistic tip or Hornady SST , I never found that to be the case and in that first Remington Model 7 260 REM I had I tried every 6.5mm bullet I could find 85 grains up to 160 grains . Now your question about destruction , if I put the bullet where it was supposed to be no more messy than a polymer tipped bullet .
 
Now that 6,5 x 55 is the 'national caliber' here in Sweden there are always stacks of empty cases all over the shooting ranges.
This is not the thread but a lot of discussion here of both 6,5 Swede and the Cr beeing slighly too weak now that boar is common.
This has also to do with copper shooting as these bullets have lower density and therefore lighter. Many hunters skip 6,5 and go for 308.
I had a 6.5 swede when I started out, it was ok but not much of a cartridge for wild boar 🐗
Not wanting loads of rifles I opted for what I thought was the best all round cartridge and bought myself a .30-06 and I still have it today and am very happy with it. I also have a .308, also good, just not as much power as a .30-06. I only bought the .308 as I needed a second rifle and wanted a .30 cal to keep things simple with reloading etc. That and the rifle I wanted didn’t come in .30-06 only.308.
From what I’ve learned, a small bullet coming out of a small case isn’t going to do the same job as a bigger bullet coming out of a bigger case.
I’ve never really understood why anyone would ever want a 6.5 weedmore
Kindest regards. Olaf
 
Some folks used to claim Partitions weren’t as accurate on paper as say a Ballistic tip or Hornady SST , I never found that to be the case and in that first Remington Model 7 260 REM I had I tried every 6.5mm bullet I could find 85 grains up to 160 grains . Now your question about destruction , if I put the bullet where it was supposed to be no more messy than a polymer tipped bullet .
When we get to paper punching and measured groups the Partition / H bullets are of inferior accuracy on a beast you will never be able to blame the bullet design even on the harder shots - regards accuracy. This type of bullet is less messy due to the fact its meant to retain weight . Polymer tips have no influence on carcass damage Its a tiny bit of plastic that aids BC and prevents miss shaped bullet tips - No matter how marketing likes to play things !
 
I agree, assuming you keep your bullet weights at 150 grains and down. Bullets heavier than that intrude into the case too far on the .308 and you lose powder capacity. The .308 was designed to replicate the original military 30-06 load that pushed a 150 grain spitzer bullet at 2,700 fps. And it basically did that with that same 150 grain bullet. But, the same advances in powder technology that made the .308 possible (in the 1950’s) have also been applied to the OLD 30-06. So I am shooting a 30-06 load out of my Sauer 202 with a 24 inch barrel that drives a 165 grain Sierra Tipped Game King at 3,000 fps and gives me just north of 3,200 ft/lbs at the muzzle. I handload that, but that same performance is available in factory Hornady Superformance and Sig Sauer Elite Hunter loads. You can’t get there with a .308. PERIOD. Modern powder technology, and modern steel are wonderful things and they enable many of these wonderful old calibers to be elevated to levels of performance that wasn’t possible 117 years ago (in the case of the 30-06).
things move on for sure , including the 308

i wonder have you ever sent your handloads for pressure testing?

comparing superformance with the 165 sst the 30/06 is 120fps faster , i'd argue that nothing could tell the difference at the recieving end?

nothing wrong with the 30/06 so please don't take it personally , it's just not a great deal different to the 308 and certainly not 'better' in any real world situation people just think it is because the round is bigger in their hand
 
things move on for sure , including the 308

i wonder have you ever sent your handloads for pressure testing?

comparing superformance with the 165 sst the 30/06 is 120fps faster , i'd argue that nothing could tell the difference at the recieving end?

nothing wrong with the 30/06 so please don't take it personally , it's just not a great deal different to the 308 and certainly not 'better' in any real world situation people just think it is because the round is bigger in their hand
True that , instead of comparing a hot 308 handload with a book 30-06 ..... Compare the two with like bullets in the loading manuals ( remember to check they have equal barrel lengths ) . Hardly surprising given the brief from the military was to match 30-06 performance in a medium size action
 
True that , instead of comparing a hot 308 handload with a book 30-06 ..... Compare the two with like bullets in the loading manuals ( remember to check they have equal barrel lengths ) . Hardly surprising given the brief from the military was to match 30-06 performance in a medium size action
i think a fairer comparison is to compare factory loads as these have to be within spec , handloads of any sort are subject to a few too many variables in my opinion to give any meaningful comparisons

once upon a time a guy i knew claimed his 308 (20") was doing 3000fps with his handloaded 168gr amax , luckily i had my chrono in the car and offered to verify this excellent speed , he declined and quickly left the range for an important meeting he'd forgot about....................
 
i think a fairer comparison is to compare factory loads as these have to be within spec , handloads of any sort are subject to a few too many variables in my opinion to give any meaningful comparisons

once upon a time a guy i knew claimed his 308 (20") was doing 3000fps with his handloaded 168gr amax , luckily i had my chrono in the car and offered to verify this excellent speed , he declined and quickly left the range for an important meeting he'd forgot about....................
Factory ammo rarely meets with actual velocities over the chrono . Its normally low of claimed speed , lets face it drop 1 grain and you make a fair amount more profit and reduce incidents of over-pressure . 200 fps slow of claim is far from unusual . Load books are the most honest and reliable , i just looked at one to gain confirmation but i bet if i go through all my collection 1. they will vary on the velocity obtained 2. will give the reader the most accurate information comparing the two both at the fastest safe velocities ( read with well calibrated pressure test and velocity tests ) .
Sorry i am not about to go through them all and there is always new powders and production batches coming out .
 
Back
Top