Where's a good, on-line source for 6.5x55mm Swedish Mauser military surplus ammo?
I ask because I haven't been able to find any (I blame my bad search-fu), so I resorted to buying new ammo, and it was expensive!
And what should I look-for/watch-out-for when buying this ammo?
Quote from: Nevada Smith on August 25, 2016, 12:04:07 AM
Where's a good, on-line source for surplus 6.5x55mm Swedish Mauser surplus ammo?
I ask because I haven't been able to find any (I blame my bad search-fu), so I resorted to buying new ammo, and it was expensive!
Have you tried AmmoSeek or one of the other ammo search engines? Looks like you can get new PPU for 70-75 cpr, which is similar to M1 ammo prices. Dunno about surplus for that caliber; I've only bought HXP surplus in .30-06 and .303 British, and the former isn't always cheaper than new production ammo. http://ammoseek.com/ammo/6.5x55mm (http://ammoseek.com/ammo/6.5x55mm)
Don't bother with the wood-tipped stuff. It's meant to work in firearms w/ a shredder tip attached. The wizards claim it was often made from rejected lots of brass casings.
Most of the milsurp 6.5x55 has been imported and shot up. What's left is becoming collectible. I think the only sources are secondary market, gun shows, estate sales, gunbroker, etc. When you see it, it's often priced close to commercial values. And it's berdan primed, so unless you want to invest extra time in reloading, it's 1 time use. On the plus side, AFAIK, it was always non-corrosive. I still see boxes of it turn up occasionally, but never in great quantity. Remember, the rifles and ammo were surplussed over 20 years ago.
I would absolutely recommend picking up some of the Swedish stripper clips They can often be had cheap.
Both Bluefeather and I have used Privi FMJ in ours for many years. It is very cheap and accurate. Avoid the soft point though as it is less accurate. It really hammers the 1125 yard White Buffalo here at the WC. Shoots flat too. I have never seen any milsurp for sale in all the years we have had our Sweedes. Have not checked the price of Privi as we stocked up a few years back.
Good luck on your search.
I'll also put in a plug for PPU. It's cheap and the FMJ and soft point both bench about 2MOA in my gun. Now if only it had a peep sight and the stripper clips worked, the thing would be a cheap shooting centerfire monster.
What about Aim Surplus? They might have some or may be able to point you in the right direction.