Ok I'm gonna start to reload again after a long layoff of pulling a trigger for both paper target's & under 200 lb 4 footed critter's. I don't want to get caught again Next Year with nuthin to shoot for practice or putting meat in the freezer but as we all know it is almost impossible to find factory ammo. I used to shoot a lot of these 1st Items at game and never lost a critter or had to hit'em twice at shots taken at under 2-250 yards but never needed and held off taking longer shots with these lighter but faster bullets, with almost no recoil at under 2900/3000fps out of the new to me Tikka Delux that weighs several pounds more than the UL Tikka Swede was.

Today my bullet choices in 6.5 Swede are not as many as I had in the old days, but it is what it is. I have couple hundred in each bullet in: 120gr flat base RP & Speer for practice or game shots on smaller critters. Next are the Hornady & Nosler 129 gr BTSP's that was the T3 Swede's primary game bullet back in the day. Got umm 200 or so and about the same qty in Hornady & Nosler 140's. Got a small amount of heavier stuff in 150's & 160's too. I always thought that if I needed anything over 150gr;ers I'd really rather use a bigger caliber. Today all I got left are a couple 270's up to 150's & a 7x57 and a couple 300? Hornady 154gr IB's to use for something requiring bigger bullets back before I sold the 7Rmg. The load books all tell me my 7x57 will not get much speed out of the 154's...at well under 3k at the muzzle so they will only get used for under 250 yard shots or less , or the Nosler ABLR 150's.

I sold the 7Rmg, but have a custom new & unfired 300 Wmg barrel I try and find a use for...but missed a deal couple days ago on a CZ 550 9.3x62 Full Stock, a very limited production item for sure. Oh Well Ya snooze ya looze...story of my life.
Ron

140 gr BTSP

Ron,

Sounds like you have plenty of options in the 120-140 weight range. Any should be fine for whitetail and whitetail sized exotics.

I’d use the 120’s for the higher velocity potential. I’ve been using the 120 Nosler BT’s for quite a few years, with great results.

I have a Rem Model 700 Classic in Swede and I played with loading it for quite awhile. No matter what I did I could not best the Seller & Bellot factory round with the 131 gr spire point. I could get close with a handload but I couldn't best it and I laid in a full case of that ammo before things got stupid. So based on this I'd say a bullet between 129 gr and 140 gr would probably work well but as to which one your rifle likes, well that takes experimentation. For what it is worth the bullet that I handloaded that gave the best accuracy was the Woodleigh but they come from Australia and can be hard to get but Midway USA is one of the American distributers.

Gonna try to get to the range one more time next week before the Hunt that starts at the end of January & 1st couple days of Feb. I've got a couple box's of the 7x57 S&B's, or enough for the upcoming Axis hunt in 2 weeks. I am also taking a pair of 270's, including a NIB Marlin X7S for a rainy day shooter that out performed expectations much better than I thought was possible @ under 1" - 1 1/2" 3 shot groups with some really old left over factory WW & RP ammo + mebbe an early '80's 7x57 M70 Fwt too that shot S&B's way better than expected, but my ammo source's prices are almost double in S&B x's PPU's....when he has them.

At the range earlier this week I was not impressed with the PPU Swede ammo's groups but they were barely good enough for "minute of deer" at under 150+ yards, which will probably be about the assigned Hunt Area size each blind is allowed at a State Park . My Swede is a nearly new Tikka that simply needs more rounds down the tube to start with, and I did discover that it's PPU performance is not something I'll make a habit of never using again.

I just need to start reloading again, with enough choices in 6.5 bullets from 120 gr'ers & up to find one that will be more than just acceptable. As per usual I lose focus and want to try and fix all 4 shooters at the same time ...Patience ? what Patience ??
Ron

Gonna try to get to the range one more time next week before the Hunt that starts at the end of January & 1st couple days of Feb. I've got a couple box's of the 7x57 S&B's, or enough for the upcoming Axis hunt in 2 weeks. I am also taking a pair of 270's, including a NIB Kentucky built Marlin X7S for a rainy day shooter that out performed expectations much better than I thought was possible @ under 1" - 1 1/2" 3 shot groups with some really old left over factory Federal, WW & RP ammo & mebbe my early '80's 7x57 M70 Fwt too, that shot S&B's way better than expected, but my ammo source's prices are almost double in S&B x's PPU's....when he has them.

At the range earlier this week I was not impressed with the PPU Swede ammo's groups but they were barely good enough for "minute of deer" at under 150+ yards, which will probably be about the assigned Hunt Area size each blind is allowed at a State Park . My Swede is a nearly new Tikka that simply needs more rounds down the tube to start with, and I did discover that it's PPU performance is not something I'll make a habit of ever using again.

I just need to start reloading again, with enough choices in 6.5 bullets from 120 gr'ers & up to find one that will be more than just acceptable. As per usual I loose focus and want to try and fix all 4 shooters at the same time ...Patience ? what Patience ??
Ron

Ron I had Tikka 6.5x55 and it loved H4350 and 140g bullets. I was running it slow though. Good luck on your quest.

S&B makes very good ammo, just like CZ makes really good firearms. Both are Czech Republic companies that have been in business for a very long time.

When I started to sort all the leftover ammo & bullets & fired brass a couple months ago I did find an unopened box of live ammo in 6.5 Swede Hornady SST's and have been saving them back...but I've got mebbe 4-500 or more 6.5 bullets to play with...and couple hundred pieces of fired brass in several brands that needs to be tumbled sorted and prep'ed. All of this stuff was left over from the 1st Tikka Swede I sold 6+ years ago back when we were getting prepped for the move down here, to get me OUTTTTT of the Dallas VA service area & had been buying gun stuff from estate sales from all over the Texoma area.

I also need to sell/trade some 7mm Hornady 154 gr IB's I'd bought for a 7 Rmg, that got sold last year, just don't have much time right now to market them. IMO the 7x57 is just not capable of making that heavy a bullet reach the velocity's I want....but I like the IB's performance... so might yet look for another Rem Mag..or a 280 something but doubtfull right now. I've already sent all my 7Rmg brass, 1200+ pieces, to Jason couple weeks ago.
Ron

I agree the Czech's know how to build gun stuff. I had bought a CZ 9.3x62 that was THE most accurate out of the box rifle I ever fired. I went to a backyard "range" in Sherman after I finally found some rings to mount the scope with. It had rained a little the nite before and there were no benches to shoot from. I had brought a big piece of cardboard just in case and PTL I was the only one with dry clothes. Went down to put up a target and drew a crowd to look at the rifle, laying on the paste board & it's gun case. 1st 5 rounds were 3 touching & the other two under 1/4" off the threesome & all of 'em under inch diameter from me laying on the cardboard. Shooting S&B ammo. With my shoulder issues gratis the VA , I could only tolerate 1 or 2 rounds at a time. I sold all the other thumpers.

After the VA got thru with me at their version of Rehab I hunted the rifle a couple times, one time with Randall Weems, aka Crazy Horse and we both shot it a couple times at his PoBoy range at the LionShack, after I had killed a WT the day before with it and rolled the buck at a little over 300 yrds like a Mack truck had hit him. We were planning on me taking a small lease area on the School Property that his owner had leased and using the Lion Shack as a place to stay. ...Best Laid Plans and all that ...

Then my world was turned upside down, when my Oldest son's wife was scheduled for her 7th cancer surgery in 5 years , and we needed to sell the Texoma house PDQ and find a place to bring her to rehab that had better access to Big Baylor in Dallas than where they were living up north of McKinney. She died 4 months later at home because a %^^%$# doctor refused to order her a CPap machine.

Before we moved I sold almost all the guns I had..... including the CZ, to a neighbor for $850 . 2 weeks ago there was a CZ 9.3x62 Full Stock ...umm supposedly 1 of 200 ever built ... go thru a local auction here in Palestine, that started at $400 and sold I heard later for a little over a $k...So Yes, I agree CZ build pretty dang good guns..and ammo....someday mebbe I'll find another one if I live that long.
Ron

I have a CZ 550 FS in 9.3x62 that you speak of. They were not limited to 200. They were offered for some time.

Shoot me a PM and let's talk. Been shooting a 7mm Mag since I was 13.

I've got one. Superb rifle. Traded for it one here mainly to just have fun with and maybe trade later, but it greatly exceeded my expectations and doubt it'll ever leave my possession.

Also, the Marlin XL7 and XS7 greatly outperform their price range. Some of the best rifles ever for the money when they were being produced.

I have two Swedes: a beautifully sporterized M96 and a Ruger M77 Mk. II. Both shoot almost anything well. The M96 likes 140 gr Nosler Partitions and the Ruger likes Barnes 120 TSX. My loads for the Ruger are right at 3000 fps. The 120 gr Barnes is a sure fire bullet if you have the right twist.

I had a CZ 550 FS in 6.5x55 and it was a tack driver with the 140 gr Nosler Partitions as well. Maybe shouldn't have sold that rifle, but I was offered almost triple the old MSRP.

- thedoveshooter