6.5x55mm Swedish Ammo icon

6.5x55mm Swedish Ammo For Sale

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Developed in 1891 for the armies of Sweden and Norway, the 6.5x55mm cartridge was popular among biathlon competitors until 1975 (when competitors changed to .22 LR). Today, 6.5x55mm Swedish ammo remains known as an accurate rifle cartridge, suitable for medium- to large-game hunting. Learn More
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  1. Sellier and Bellot 6.5x55mm Ammo - 20 Rounds of 131 Grain SP Ammunition

    $24.99

    69 In stock now

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 +10
    Bullet type Soft-Point (SP)
    Primer Type Boxer
    Casing Type Brass
    Condition New
    Muzzle Velocity 2600 FPS
    Muzzle Energy 1970 ft lbs
  2. Sellier and Bellot 6.5x55mm Ammo - 20 Rounds of 140 Grain SP Ammunition

    $27.99

    22 In stock now

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 +10
    Bullet type Semi-Jacketed Soft-Point (SJSP)
    Primer Type Boxer
    Casing Type Brass
    Condition New
    Muzzle Velocity 2602 FPS
    Muzzle Energy 2110 ft lbs
  3. Sellier and Bellot 6.5x55mm Ammo - 20 Rounds of 140 Grain FMJ Ammunition

    $34.99

    29 In stock now

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 +10
    Bullet type Full Metal Jacket (FMJ)
    Primer Type Boxer
    Casing Type Brass
    Condition New
  4. Hornady Superformance 6.5x55mm Ammo - 20 Rounds of 140 Grain SST Ammunition

    $41.99

    40 In stock now

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 +10
    Bullet type Polymer Tipped
    Primer Type Boxer
    Casing Type Brass
    Condition New
    Muzzle Velocity 2735 FPS
    Muzzle Energy 2325 ft lbs
    • 20 Rounds
    • $2.1 per round
    • Made by Hornady

History of 6.5x55mm Swedish Ammo

In 1891, Mauser Hunting Rifles developed the 6.5x55mm Swedish Mauser cartridge for testing and evaluation by the nations of Sweden and Norway. These two neighboring countries, then known as the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, historically agreed on an ammunition caliber and then purchased firearms of their own choosing. This allowed for a level of logistical flexibility and interchangeability, as both countries together provided for their common defense. The cartridge was used in military service until the end of World War II, at which point Sweden changed to the 7.62x51 NATO. It was chambered in rifles as well as light and medium machine guns. Among the more famous machine guns that fired the 6.5mm Swedish include the Browning BAR, Bren Gun, and FN MAG.

The end of service in the military didn’t mean the end of this cartridge, however. The 6.5x55mm had gained popularity among hunters in Europe due to its excellent ability to hunt medium to large European game. Some characteristics that contributed to its popularity are accuracy, penetration, and moderate recoil – which is why the performance of the 6.5x55 is often compared to the .270 Winchester. The 6.5x55mm is mostly used by Scandinavian hunters to pursue moose and reindeer, although it's somewhat well known among hunters of large and medium game in North America. For the time being, there are no U.S. companies that manufacture rifles chambered for 6.5x55mm, but that doesn't mean this cartridge is impossible to find.

In addition to hunting, the 6.5x55mm has also been used in competitive shooting. It was most commonly used by biathlon competitors who knew and respected the capabilities of the cartridge, and was a popular choice for biathlon competitions until 1975 (at which point the .22 LR became the standard cartridge for the sport). The most common load fires an FMJ bullet weighing 140 grains and moving 2,400 feet per second. Remington, Hornady and Federal currently produce 6.5x55mm ammo, as do Wolf, Privi Partizan and others. Several European rifle manufacturers build 6.5x55mm rifles including Blaser, CZ, Mauser, Sauer and Steyr. If you need a cartridge with great accuracy and mild recoil that will harvest most game in North America and will also do well at the range, the 6.5x55mm is worth consideration.

6.5x55mm Swedish Ballistics: Chart of Average 6.5x55mm Swedish Ballistics

Note: This information comes from the manufacturer and is for informational purposes only. The actual ballistics obtained with your firearm can vary considerably from the advertised ballistics. Also, ballistics can vary from lot to lot with the same brand and type load.

6.5x55mm Swedish Bullet WEIGHT Muzzle VELOCITY (fps) Muzzle ENERGY (ft. lbs.) TRAJECTORY (in.)
  Muzzle 100 yds. 200 yds. 300 yds. 400 yds. Muzzle 100 yds. 200 yds. 300 yds. 400 yds. 100 yds. 200 yds. 300 yds. 400 yds.
93 Grain 2625 2350 2090 1850 1630 1425 1140 905 705 550 2.4 0 -10.3 -31.1
123 Grain 2750 2570 2400 2240 2080 2065 1810 1580 1370 1185 1.9 0 -7.9 -22.9
139 Grain 2850 2640 2440 2250 2070 2525 2170 1855 1575 1330 2.5 1.6 -5.4 -18.9
140 Grain 2850 2640 2440 2250 2070 2525 2170 1855 1575 1330 2.5 1.6 -5.4 -18.9
140 Grain 2550 n/a n/a n/a n/a 2020 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 0
140 Grain 2735 2563 2397 2237 2084 2325 2041 1786 1556 1350 1.9 0 -8 -22.9
Molly Carter
Written by
Molly Carter