T3 6.5x55 action rebarrel

[Malxwal]

Any of the riflesmiths out there, can you advise if a T3 in 6.5x55 would be a suitable action/bolt face to rebarrel to 6.5-284, or are there any particular issues to overcome ?

[GT3_richy]

No gunsmith but T3 is pretty basic;

6.5x55 and 284 are same bolt face +/-  so no dramas there

All T3/T3Xs are long actions with bolt stops differentiating between the various length SA/LA cartridges.  284 is technically a SA cartridge, but to use heavy/long bullets in the 284 cases you'd want to build as a LA anyway.

Swede mag OAL might be long enough.

What are you going to use it for?

[Malxwal]

Thanks. The rifle will be dual purpose red deer and gong bashing. Not an out and out hill stalker, more of a sitting watching big areas of land on edge of hill and forestry.

Probably running a 140gr or thereabouts. May also be trialled with a lighter lead free bullet, although my 270 does that fine.

I've had a straight 284, and it was a great thing, but completely biased to prone LR stuff.

[GT3_richy]

Depending on how often/much you're going to gong bash, a straight or improved 284 rather than the neck downed 6.5 might be a better option? not much in the ballistics (284imp better), more energy on target, more reasonable barrel life...latter not relevant if you're going to sit on the hill and shoot 50 rounds a year obviously

[Malxwal]

Not much chance of me burning a barrel out unfortunately, although I do love squeezing the trigger !

I know the straight 284 is the preferred option for barrel life, worth comparing ballistics, but I'd be into big heavy barrels to run the high BC bullets and keep recoil and flip under control, and quite frankly, I'm a bit of a woos 😁

[Ronin]

The action will be fine 

[Akeld]

Not the same bolt face though, depending on the original bolt tolerances the new cartridge might be loose

[GT3_richy]

Same question from 10 years ago - seems like the 0.006 extra width of the swede bolt face isn't likely to be a drama. Interesting conjecture that some Swedes may actually be built on .473 bolts these days.

 

[Malxwal]

I can measure the bolt face alongside a T3 308 bolt at my local.

 

 

[sonic]

On 5/23/2021 at 10:28 PM, Akeld said:

Not the same bolt face though, depending on the original bolt tolerances the new cartridge might be loose

Actually had this conversation with a ‘smith I use. He once measured every 6.5x55 he had in stock. They all measured exactly the same as the 30-06 etc bolt faces on any other rifle he measured. 
However that said I have a different shell holder in the press a no3 rather than the usual no2 used for 30-06 etc.

 But my Sauer 202 is designed to take anything from 6.5x55 to 9.3x62 (iirc) all on the same bolt. So I don’t think you have anything to worry about using a T3.

On 5/23/2021 at 10:35 PM, GT3_richy said:

Same question from 10 years ago - seems like the 0.006 extra width of the swede bolt face isn't likely to be a drama. Interesting conjecture that some Swedes may actually be built on .473 bolts these days.