6.5 x 55 Barrel Length?

Ben82

Well-Known Member
Hi all,

I have just got back from a stalking trip to Scotland and it was mainly woodland stalking. I found that the barrel on my current rifle is to long for walking through the trees without beating it to death.

How short can you take a 6.5 x 55 barrel and it still work?? I was thinking of getting a Tikka T3 and getting it cut down and have it as a rifle where scratches and the odd mark are just character!!

Thanks - Ben
 
The barrel on my Sauer 6.5x55 is 19 inches and it will shoot a ragged one hole group at 100yds if I do my bit. Its a few hundred fps down on a longer barrel, but this makes no difference in the real world!

ATB

Tom
 
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Ben, you need to think about a combination of barrel length and mod together to keep the rifle manageable. I see far to many rifles with 24" barrels and T8's hanging on them, very hard to handle in woodland.

I would not really want to go much shorter than 21" on the 6.5, combine that with a lightweight Roedale or Atec mod at 220gms and the rifle will be much more manageable.

Then think about reloading to suit your barrel length, use 120gr BT's or 125gr Partitions with a fastish powder, Reloder 17 or H4350 and you will find you are giving up very little over a 24" barrel.
 
You can buy a T3 with a 20 inch barrel that is factory threaded which would be perfect.
I know a few guys with 20 inch sako 6.5x55s and they perform well.
 
There is another way and a very old one, if it is just the barrels that are catching on tree branches. Old African rifles mounted the front sling point on the barrel, this meant that when the rifle is carried on the shoulder the muzzle is only head height, it also stops the rifle swinging round if you have a moderator fitted. Here is a photo of the modification on my A-Bolt Titanium, if you have a over barrel moderator you can mount the sling straight on the moderator. So long as you don’t tension the sling when taking the shot it makes no perceptible difference to accuracy on a stalking rifle.

P1010233-1.jpg


P1010234.jpg


Nothing wrong with cutting it back to 20” as well of cause.

ATB

Tahr
 
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How about not knocking your rifle into the trees? I hunt with 30" barreled muzzleloaders in the forest and don't bang them into trees.~Muir
 
Muir !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:eek: how dare you suggest people learn to stalk properly.

I see this is a modern affliction and is often encountered on US hunting/shooting forums... barrel length and brush. Yet the same folks will happily hunt with a 12 bore shotgun and not have issues with a 28" barrel on that.

I did find that I caught the moderator once or twice whilst stalking through a thicket with John in 2010. Nothing major just a triffle annoying but one soon gets the hang of it. Oh yes forgot to mention the moderated rifle that trip was my 6.5x55, a sporterised Swedish Mauser that had a new carbine Swedish barrel fitted before I brought it so the barrel is about 20" or 22" I forget and cannot check .................... sorry. The moderator was a P8 300 so the long one.
 
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20" sounds perfect. Bumping into trees only really happens when I am stalking on rough hillside forestry land, when you can be crawling under branches only a few feet off the ground!! Thanks for the help guys!!
 
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