6.5x57 mauser

todd

Well-Known Member
i just picked up a 98 mauser(different serial #) in 8x57. i am going to rebarrel it to 6.5x57, this will be "my project" rifle. it will have a richard's stock, 'glass bed it and it will be a douglas or hart barrel. i had a tc encore with 23" MGM barrel in 6.5 creedmoor. i killed 4 or 5 deer with it(120gr nosler BT) then i sold it. i've recently got the 6.5mm bug and so i'm thinking about a 6.5x57 mauser and cast boolits.. the rifle will be used for deer.

i've been thinking about 130-140gr fn gc boolits, but i'm open to suggestions.

IMG_20190529_144229.jpgIMG_20190529_144205.jpgIMG_20190529_144152.jpg
 

Spindrift

Well-Known Member
Nice rifle, good project!
I have shot a lot of cast bullets in my two 6,5x55 rifles the last couple of years. This is a cartridge which is often presented as a «difficult» cast bullet cartridge. I have not found it to be particularily difficult to get good accuracy (by my standards). My guess is, the difficulties experienced by many shooters stem from the peculiarities of the swedish mauser, rather than the cartridge itself.
The 6,5x57 is probably an excellent cartridge. Not very common in Norway, as the x55 is so popular.

Good luck in your project! You can read a little about my experience with different moulds in this thread, if you like

 

fiver

Well-Known Member
the 6,5X55 is close enough.
I used it's data to get started with my 6.5X257.[which is what my dies are marked]
Hornady has tested data for the X57 round [with jacketed]
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
If you go with a saner twist than in Swede and some specs more in line with SAAMI type standards most of your problems with the 6.5's go away. I'd lean towards the heavier designs than the lighter, but it's going to penetrate like all get out above 140 grs. Whatever you do, a decent for the caliber metplat will help things in the tissue disruption area.
 

Charles Graff

Moderator Emeritus
Years ago I had a post-war CZ rifle in 6.5-57 and I liked it very much. Bear in mind that this round is not just a 7X57 or 8X57 necked down, as the case shoulder and location are different. I sized down the neck of 7X57 cases just enough that case could be chambered with light resistance. This created a secondary shoulder that held the case in place while it was fire formed to the chamber.
 

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
"What Bret said" above regarding the 6.5mm rifles. I have a Ruger 77R in 6.5 x 55, and its "more sane" twist rate of 1-9.75"/4 turns/meter stabilizes 140 grain NosParts just fine--3/4" groups have been the rule with those pricey j-words, and it shoots every 140 grain spitzer I have tried in it--at or under 1" at 100 yards--Sierra, Speer, Hornady, Nosler. I likes #266469 (the Loverin) a bit more than the #266673 (the Javelin), FWIW.