So it finally happened! 3 years ago I purchased a set of 6.5x55 reloading dies and they've been sitting on the top of my bench since then... collecting dust. I've held onto them, I've had temptation to sell or give them away... but I always said to myself "One day I'll have a 6.5x55 rifle."
Well today I visited a client of mine who's owed me money and was going on three months late. Down to the final $150 he said to me "Listen, I have a rifle over at your friend's gun shop. It's in 6.5x55. If you forgive my debt, I'll give you the rifle and a box of (fmj) ammo." Without jumping up and down.... because I knew which rifle it was.... I said "Deal." He was super happy to be caught up, and I was excited to take my new toy home!
After I visited the shop and took the rifle off my buddy's hands I set her up, cleaned, and took a few shots. First, a steel 8 inch plate at 75 yards. I aimed low, figuring that "3" on the old military sights stood for "300" - *PONG* The cartridge was sticky to load into the chamber (whoops... forgot to take the old cosmoline off the action!) That sight blade is THICK but by golly I hit that plate... time to change targets.
Then I set up at a can & reactive ball 40 yards away. *Miss* Too high. *MISS* Ok... still too high. *DIRT* That's too low.... *HIT on the ball!* Sweet, maybe I have it now. *DIRT* Or not... *HIT on the can!*
Finally I thought it might be a good idea to put some rounds on paper. So I set up a target at 50 yards and proceeded with some slow, easy trigger pulls. 3 shots later I have a one inch group. Which is saying something because I never shoot iron sights. Oh and two of those three shots came within a hairline of touching one another. By the by, after my first five shots I cleaned the rifle again and that 3 shot group at 50 yards was 2 inches high.
So 10 shots into it I realized I don't have much of this FMJ ammo.... no extra brass and no 6.5 cast boolits or molds. In fact, other than the crown markings in certain areas of this rifle, the apparent accuracy, and that my shoulder never hurt during any of this despite the metal buttplate.... I know nothing else about it.
Maybe you guys could shed some light on my new acquisition (and if you have an boolits I could try, that too!)
No markings except a number on the side of the receiver (Y 3127) and small crowns all over the place. There's also a gold disc in the buttstock but I don't know how to read that. Next to the gold disc is a partially worn off yellow slip with Swedish writing on it and elevations. (One of which says "50 300/-2) which I'll imagine means I'm shooting 2 high at 50 which is what I've evidenced.
Edit: Alrighty, I understand what the gold disc is for now and how to read it... ish. According to this website (http://candrsenal.com/tip-how-to-rea...r-stock-disks/) the disc is telling me that the bore is at 6.52mm and there is "Some rust or corrosion along the borders of the lands and grooves or within the grooves themselves." But when I look down the cleaned bore this 29 inch barrel looks perfect and the numbers on the stock and receiver plate do match (359). Strange.