Anyone using Criterion's 6.5x55 Swede with the MT?

Just that- anyone running the mt swede?
What is the actual freebore?
How does it do with the longer bullets?
Can you still run lighter bullets or is the jump too much?

Call Jim at North Land Shooters Supply.

I have Swedes and they are truly a superb calibre. Long ago I read that the Swede has a huge free-bore that should detract from the accuracy but doesn't seem to. The gist of that was that the author thought that the Swede's intention was to make a chamber with excessive free-bore. Other readings have revealed that the Swede was manufactured when Sweden was using a 180 or 160 grain round nose cartridge. That is a long cart and the bullet must have contact with the bore a long way down the barrel. After these barrels were manufactured and the guns made it was decided, almost universally, that more velocity and FPs of energy attributable to increase velocity was a better deal in that it shot flatter. The Swedes must have found in testing that the gun performed exceeding well in spite of the free-bore...not because of it... so they left the "formula" alone. All this is an amalgamation of different comments by more than a few "experts" and my conclusions may not be properly drawn....but.

If you consult with barrel makers such as North-land Shooters Supply, Jim will put you on the right track. Load a Dummy round with the bullet of your choice in the brass you will use and send that the Pacific Tool and Gauge. Have them make a "NO TURN" chamber reamer and have Jim (HSS) tell you where to have the reamer drop shipped to where you get your barrel reamed. We are talking 9 weeks approx.

Or you could buy a reamer off the shelf and have Jim chamber a 6.5 for you. Couple weeks, I would imagine. This would never shoot as well as the other but what do you want it for?

HTH

John

Thanks for the reply and the good information.

I was looking more toward those who are using the Criterion pre-chambered in 6.5 swede- how it was doing for them, what the factory cut chamber looks like etc.

"....with the MT"??

Modified Throat- that's how Criterion lists them. Supposed to have a long throat for seating the heavy bullets without crowding into the case capacity too much.

The obvious question is "how much"?

In the off the shelf barrels, how much free bore is gained?

How much of an advantage is seen in shooting the long target/hunting bullets?


Just curious how these particular chamberings happen to be doing.

The original Swede chambering had such a long throat that you needed duct tape to hold the bullets onto the cases. What Criterion did was to shorten up the free bore length to .188 (same as the 6.5X284 Norma). This was referred to as the MT (modified throat). It is still being offered by Criterion but they now refer to it as the 6.5X55 Swede Match. All the feedback I have gotten from customers is that they are shooting extremely well.

Jim Briggs
NSS

I'd have to check the free bore of the two Shilen 6.5x55 Sweds that I bot from Jim, but I do know I seat the bullets 35-Thousands from the lands. This of course, is longer than the SAMI max, and just a tad longer than what will fit into my 1915 Swed Mauser's blind mag. (My Savage action is a M-10 single shot)

With either the bull barrel or the light contour barrel, this caliber will plug one-hole groups at 100 yards easy enough, and you can cover a 5 shot group with a quarter with the bull barrel at 300 yards. ;D

Thanks for the great replies.

Jim- if this 20 Practical would ever quit shooting I could justify another barrel.