6.5x55 wildcats

[eLightfoot]

Anyone have or know of any wildcats off the Swede case? I’m usually pretty savy when it come to cartridges and variants. However, I’m stumped as to why there aren’t any well known wildcats of the Swede? It’s like the cheapest brass lapua makes, it’s a solid step up in capacity over .308 family if improved, it has a long neck, and could fit long bullets in a long action without exceeding max mag size. I’d love a 6x55AI or 25x55AI….

 

[jzeblaz]

Good question. Isn't it an odd length, medium action maybe? Still would probably be cool in an LA. 6 and 25x55AI would be cool. Go for it and report back. Lapua brass is always a good place to begin.

 

[eric1115]

I agree, I was looking at it for a bit, ended up with .243AI but was considering 6x55 and 6-284 as a step or two hotter without going all the way to 6UM.

 

[B23]

I think if you want to do a straight neck down or up of something off of the Swede parent case as a step up from the 243/260/308 case it's not a bad call but I think once you start talking about going AI version of a Swede it makes more sense to just neck up/down the 284 case. Using the 284 as the parent case you already have a slight case capacity advantage over the AI version of a Swede but you don't have to mess around with fire forming.

 

[eLightfoot]

I think if you want to do a straight neck down or up of something off of the Swede parent case as a step up from the 243/260/308 case it's not a bad call but I think once you start talking about going AI version of a Swede it makes more sense to just neck up/down the 284 case. Using the 284 as the parent case you already have a slight case capacity advantage over the AI version of a Swede but you don't have to mess around with fire forming.

284 case is the obvious choice but I’ve tested feeding from the bdm on the rifle I want to build and they are too fat.

 

[BrBa]

I agree with the above. The case is too long for a short action, but it's perfect for mid/long actions. It's a great old cartridge as-is, but only if you handload. I think the big reason the Swede isn't more popular in the U.S. is because factory ammo is so watered down for those old small ring Mausers and Krags, and not everyone wants to mess with handloading.

If "improved" dies had been available I might have considered going that route just for a steeper shoulder angle and less case trimming. I wouldn't do it for the small gain in speed though. 6.5's tend to punch above their weight without needing to hot rod them.

 

[robtattoo]

6.5x55 Swede Ackley Improved BJAI

I just put my order in for a 6.5x55 BJAI swede barrel from Ragged Hole barrels. I went with the Wilson 26'' 1:8 twist varmint contour. I have a nice wood stocked model 110 .270 I got just for this project last fall. It's been sitting in the corner, waiting for attention. While I wait I'm on...

www.savageshooters.com

I teetered right on the very edge of having my Swedes borth taken out to BJAI. Brian Jourdan really was onto something with his Improvement.
However, the cost of finding or having custom dies made plus getting a good reamer and the fact that an extra couple hundred fps isn't really going to make anything any deader than a 140gr Eld-M at 2800+/- already does, sorta disabused me of the idea.