The 6.5 Military Cartridges

 While not the very first smokeless cartridges they came out in the 1890’s and were popular from then on until WWll. By 1900 quite a few countries had adopted them into military service at least to some extent. There were advantages to having a 6.5 firearm. Among them was the mild recoil and ability to carry more rounds of ammo then some of the heavier items of the period. Then as now many soldiers did not like recoil and their shooting would reflect that attitude. If someone is intimidated by their weapon they will not be very effective in the battlefield. Long range and good accuracy also helped with their popularity. Most used a 156 to a 162 grain solid round nose which gave very deep penetration if not the biggest wounds. Later on some used lighter spitzers in the 140 grain range which helped with long distance shooting. The lighter bullets could be launched at higher velocities and the spitzers shape helped reduce the bullet drop. Even today some of them such as the 6.5 X 55 Swedish are being made commercially. Other then some 6.5 X 55 rifles none of the others are being made commercially as far as I know. Therefore if you want any of the others the military rifle is your only option. Sometimes you can find one that is partially or fully sporterized. If it was done correctly you should have a nice light weight hunting rifle. We can take a look at some of them to see how they stack up.

 The 6.5 Mannlicher-Carcano was one of the earliest 6.5 calibers adopted in 1891. The rifle was a cross between a Mannlicher and Mauser design and had a gain twist something that was unusual. The case is very similar to the 6.5 X 54 Mannlicher with the neck being slightly shorter and not loaded up quite as hot. The Carcano rifle is not well regarded by most enthusiasts and as a consequence is priced lower though I have observed some going for respectable prices if they are original and in good shape. Like many other guns of the period it has a clip that drops out the bottom when it is empty. The round served in both world wars and the rifle had to have been at least adequate or Italy wouldn’t have kept it for so long. It was in service for about 54 years which is quite a while for a military arm. The military of various countries didn’t supply their armed forces with unsafe weapons that their troops would be afraid of.  In cases where a weapon was found to be unsafe it was quickly replaced. Japan had such a rifle prior to the model 38. The Italians made a 7.35 using the same case necked up in 1938 to replace it but with the onset of WWll they went back to the 6.5 to avoid shortages of ammo. I found that accuracy is on par with any other military arm of the period given a good gun and ammo. I would not attempt to hot rod it but that hold true with other guns that I work with. It’s most infamous moment was that it was used to assassinate President Kennedy in 1963.  Today brass is available as is bullets so the reloader is in luck. Some of the rifles require a 268 diameter bullet for best results and Hornady makes them. If in doubt slug your bore which is never a bad idea with older guns. Sometimes ammo can be found but I would avoid shooting old military ammo. It may hang or miss-fire and the primers are certainly corrosive. Some of the old military ammo may have collectors value especially if it is in the original containers. If you have a rifle that is safe to shoot by all means shoot and enjoy it.

 Another early offering was the 6.5 X 53R Mannlicher used by the Dutch and Romanians. The Dutch used it in the 1892 and 1895 models while the Romanians used it in the models 1892 and 1893. The rifles that I have seen have smooth actions and are well made. They also have a clip that drops out the bottom when empty. The cartridge was used to some extent until WWll before being dropped. It is a rimmed offering similar in power to the 6.5 X 54 which it preceded. Ammo currently isn’t being made for it though it was used as a sporter round in Europe for a time. The only way to get ammo for it is to shorten and neck down a 303 British case which isn’t that difficult to an experienced handloader. I have shot the round quite a bit and I find it an accurate and enjoyable round to shoot. Like most of the other rounds it used a fell metal jacket round nose of about 162 grains. Handloading can bring out its potential which is nothing to sneeze at. There is a smattering of military ammo around but due to its age I wouldn’t shoot it but would add it to my collection.  If you have the rifle in safe condition I would urge you to shoot it. Due to its handy size and lack of recoil it is a good rifle to teach a youngster to shoot. Like the other 6.5’s it is an effective hunting tool given good handloads. I have plans on taking mine pig hunting sometime in the near future.

 The Portuguese used a 6.5 X 58 Vergueiro from 1904 until 1937 when they went to the 8 X 57 and the 98 Mauser. It is similar in power to its contemporaries though it would be seldom encountered today.  According to info I found many of them were rebarreled to the 8mm round.  It used a 155 grain bullet at about 2350 feet per second which is on par with the other 6.5’s. If you found an original rifle and could make the ammo it would be worthwhile to shoot. Made some brass from 270’s load is 46 X H 4831 160 grain Hornady.

 The 6.5 Jap Arisaka round was introduced in 1897. For a short time it was used in a rifle that was not satisfactory but in 1905 the type 38 was brought out. The case has a semi- rim and is shorter then most of the other 6.5’s but is similar otherwise. The type 38 is an extremely strong rifle so the cartridge can be loaded up to its potential after ascertaining that the rifle is safe. Like the others it was fitted with a round nose bullet of about 160 grains. Most military ammo has Berdan primers and would be too old to shoot. It was replaced by the 7.7 Jap in 1939 though the 6.5 saw service in WWll. Today Norma offers brass for it and sometimes the ammo can be found. Like the rest handloading makes it shine. Accuracy and usefulness are on par with the other 6.5 rifles which is to say it can be an effective hunting round. Rifles can still be found at gunshows at reasonable prices and they would be a worthwhile addition to anyone interested in military rifles.  

 The 6.5 Mannlicher Schoenauer was designed by Greece in 1900 for the model 1903 Mannlicher rifle. It is a well made gun and is still popular in some areas. The military ammo is loaded with a 159 grain round nose much the same as the others.  Brass and bullets are available so this efficient cartridge can still be shot if you are lucky enough to have a rifle chambered for it. This cartridge was popular in Africa with ivory hunters due to its light weight and mild recoil. The heavy full metal bullet would give good killing power on elephants given proper shot placement and a little luck. I imagine that good foot speed was an asset in case of a near miss. In any event this is a good hunting round for deer and the like. Like the other 6.5’s it is considered superior to a 30-30 type of cartridge especially past a hundred yards.

 The 6.5 X 53.5 Daudeteau is a little known round used by the French navy for a few years beginning in 1895.It was also used in Uruguay from 1895 to 1898 in model 71 Mausers converted and rebarreled to the 6.5. The cartridges were similar but the Mauser-Dovitis conversion cartridge had a slightly larger rim. The cartridge closely resembles the 6.5 Dutch but has a slightly larger diameter. Firing the Dutch in one of these rifles could be a dangerous undertaking so as in all instances make sure you are using the correct ammo before firing the rifle. Both rifles and ammo are scarce but cases can be made from 45-70 brass if necessary. Standard 6.5 bullets work fine especially the heavier slugs.  

 The 6.5 X 55 Swedish round was adopted in 1894 and used in various Mausers including the 94, 96 and model 38 rifles. Norway used it in their Krag – Jorgensen rifles. Like the rest it started out with a round nose before going to a more modern spitzers shaped projectile. The round is very popular over there and is commonly used in matches. It is a very flexible and useful round for anything from hunting to match shooting. The case diameter is slightly larger then a 30-06 and in fact can be used to make 7.5 French ammo though that usually isn’t necessary anymore. In a strong rifle it is somewhat more powerful then the rounds previously discussed. Some folks would consider it adequate for elk and moose given good ammo and proper bullet placement. If you were going to have a light weight hunting rifle made up then this round should be look at very closely. It has everything going for it such as availability of brass and ammo. Good killing power and mild recoil are two other things that would recommend this offering. Commercial ammo and some rifles are being made for this round which enhances its desirability for the shooter especially if you don’t handload.  

 There are other 6.5 military rounds out there though they aren’t well known or widely used. One is the 6.5 X 58 Rimmed. It is an 8 x 58 necked down and ammo would be very scarce. If I was going to make ammo for it I would start with a 45-90 case and work it much as I would with the 8 X 58. It was used as hunting and a sniper round. The Krag or rolling block rifles would be where you would find this round if you are lucky enough to find this chambering. It would be a pretty impressive round as the 8 X 58 is a large case which easily equals a 30-06 in capacity. The Russians necked down the 7.62 X 54 to the 6.5 but was used as a target and competition round. Loaded to its potential it would have some impressive ballistics nearly equaling the 6.5 - 06. There were others as some countries experimented with the 6.5 but they aren’t as well known or widely distributed as the better known items.  

 For hunting purposes the 6.5’s would be superior to the 6mm and 25 calibers by virtue of their ability to handle heavier bullets. They would certainly outrange such calibers as the 30-30 and 35 Remington while giving about the same amount of recoil. Most of the military rifles can be scoped one way or another and accuracy would be more then adequate at normal hunting ranges. Custom stocks can be ordered or made for them if you want to go that way. If the gun is in original shape when I bought it I would give it some serious thought before modifying it.  Their trajectories would match most of the standard calibers though the magnums would out class them at long range. They are in the class of the 260 Remington which is considered a fine hunting round for deer class animals. With all the new super bangers coming out the 6.5 tribe still has a lot to offer.