Thread: 6.5x55??

Hey lads,

I'm new to hunting and shooting and am looking at buying my first rifle.

There's a second hand Tikka T3 in left hand config that's come up for a really good price, but chambered in 6.5x55.

Just after thoughts and feedback on the round? It seems a bit more obscure as far as availability. And given I'm just getting into the sport, hand loading is not on the cards at this stage. Main concern is price and availability. Initially I was thinking of going 308 due to the availability of cheap ammo to maximise range time and learn the rifle....

I’ve never had issues getting that calibre - I have had the people at H&F tell me they don’t have any only for me to point behind them at the shelf where it’s located. I don’t shoot a lot though but I’ve never had issues


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It is a perfectly adequate round. Price isn't all that different than .308. You'll still be able to get cheaper ppu, fiocchi, s and b. The likes of gun city quite often have 5 packet deals. Use them for range time and get some Hornady superformance or the fiocchi version for deer.

Excellent all round calibre for NZ, and in a reputable rifle. Go for it, you wont be disappointed.

Good caliber. Ive got 3 of them. Easy round to handload for if you go down that track at a later date. It will handle any game in nz.

Factory ammo is mostly pretty modestly loaded. Still kills though.
Great for handloading.

Less recoil than a 308 should make it a nicer rifle to use, like others have said can shoot any game in NZ with it, and if or when you get in reloading, plenty of choice of projectiles and you can likely get better performance than factory loads. The Handloaders club (now McLeans Island Shooting Club) has a very well equipped loading room, your only outlay you would need is for consumables (brass, primers, powder, projectiles).

Excellent calibre. I have five 6.5x55 rifles in various configurations. More than happy to help with hand loading info if you go down that track some day.

Bear in mind too that the original design (1890's) was for a long, heavy bullet so had a relatively fast twist rate, and here we are 130 years later, all these new cartridges for long-for calibre high BC bullets with fast twist rate barrels to stabilise them, the Swede was already there... I believe the Tikkas have 1:8 twist, so good for wide variety of projectiles. I don't have one, and can't justify another rifle, but it would definitely be up there on my list.

I think god created the 6.5x55 it come from the heavens

Very capable caliber for all Nz hunting


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All the YouTube videos say that 308 ammo is cheap. I never found any reliable and cheap 308 ammo I guess they have more options in the States where all the videos get pumped out from. I've gone 6.5, nicer to shoot and kills deer just as well.

6.5x55 accuracy is phenomenal , and where the powder manufacturers only shows load data up to 150grain projectiles for the 6.5 Creedmoor, the 6.5x55 with its larger case capacity shows load data up to 160grain projectiles (Vihtavuori). If there's any chance that you'll like shooting and will be shooting regularly, then there's a good chance that reloading may seem like the obvious next step at some point.

Yeah definitely get the 6.5x55, that way you'll have a great round when you eventually start reloading.

Overwhelmingly positive feedback, thanks a lot lads. Give me a lot of confidence.

Just about to press go on this. Anyone recognise what model scope that is? Is it any good?

Good rifle with top quality European optic's - good score!