r/canadaguns • u/CanadiansDeserveGuns • Mar 06 '26
Buy recommendations Surplus rifle in 30-06 or 6.5x55
I've been looking at intersurplus and looking at either Husqvarna 1640 or the M98 but can't choose the caliber I want. They seem to be priced around the same $40 per box pre-tax
I have a .22lr and an SKS but would like to add another surplus rifle to shoot at 100 and maybe 200 yards
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u/Hotdog_Broth Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26
6.5x55 is just such a good cartridge in guns that can handle decent loads (not something like an old krag)
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u/Aether_rite Mar 06 '26
i have the 1640 in 30-06. I like it. only problem I had with mine was the sling swivel is one of those european hoop thats 3/4 inch wide and regular 1 inch sling won't fit. I had to buy an adapter lol.
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u/Sad-Kitchen5576 Mar 06 '26
I had a 6.5x55 sporterized M96 with original sights, no scope options. I was banging steel at 500 meters using the marked increments. 30-06 is much easier to find unless your handloading 6.5x55 like I was.
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u/Iokua_CDN Mar 06 '26
From my comparing on ammobin
6.5 x55 cheapest price is 1.75 a round. Lot more options in the 1.85 and up.
Cheapest 3006 is 1.37 a round, options quickly getting up to 1.60 a round
So definitely some very tangible savings woth the 3006.
If you are worried about recoil, perhaps the 6.5 x65 would suit you better, but pricewise and available the 3006 wins hands down
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u/SisyphusCoffeeBreak Mar 06 '26
Don't be a choad you've got to reload
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u/Hotdog_Broth Mar 06 '26
6.5x55 is almost strictly a reloader’s cartridge imo. Not jus because of it being hard to find, but because factory options are just so lacking compared to what it’s capable of
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u/SisyphusCoffeeBreak Mar 06 '26
I have so much fun reloading I wish I had started reloading when I started shooting. It's half the fun of the hobby.
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u/CurlyWurly61 Mar 06 '26
Care to guide me into a beginner setup? Or shall I do some YouTubinggg
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u/Hotdog_Broth Mar 06 '26
That question varies wildly on:
- Budget. There is a much bigger range of costs for setup than you’re probably expecting.
- How much space you have
- Volume of cartridge you intend on reloading
- types of cartridges you intend on reloading
- and most importantly, what you intend to gain from reloading
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u/Bowmann-94 Mar 06 '26
A cheap Lee starter kit will set you up for the basics then watch for deals. Estate sales can be great sources of reloading equipment as the older generation passes and nobody knows what to do with leftover equipment and components.
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u/adhq Mar 06 '26
Neither. Get a 9.3x62
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u/Iokua_CDN Mar 06 '26
Just to say you own a dangerous game rifle.
Price is nice on lots of those 9.3 x62 guns. It'd very tempting
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u/adhq Mar 06 '26
It's my next purchase. If you look into it in detail, it's an amazing forgotten caliber. Not that I need to brag about having a dangerous game rifle. But it's just what I need for moose.
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u/Parking_Media Mar 06 '26
Man I was tempted too but there's no such thing as cheap 9.3 bullets. They seem to start around a dollar for the cheapest crap.
How much do you really want to shoot it I guess. For me the answer is always a lot hah.
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u/adhq Mar 06 '26
I consider 1$ per round to be cheap. Since I don't shoot a lot, to me it doesn't matter much even at 3$/shot. I have other rifles and calibers to plink and target practice with that cost way less in ammo.
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u/Parking_Media Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26
Just for the bullet :(
3$ is probably the low end for store bought ammo.
Edit: looks like ppu is around 70$/box, s&b is 80, hornady and laupua are 105+
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u/Iokua_CDN Mar 06 '26
Ammobin shows a few more deals! hornady soft point for 65 and Ppu for 66.50, but yeah that's just a few cents per round cheaper than what mentioned
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u/Iokua_CDN Mar 06 '26
Yeah the 9.3 x62 is definitely consider a "working Bullet"
Like it's there to hopefully kill a large animal, whether for hunting or Predator defence, maybe a couple now and then to work out the shoulder at the range.
Same deal as a 45 70
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u/Bowmann-94 Mar 06 '26
Except you can cast and powder coat 45-70 and shoot full power loads. I can cast 20 bullets for 1$ most of the time. And I can load for anything from squirrels to moose.
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u/Opening_Pizza Mar 06 '26
I got an husky 9.3x62 m96 with a 4x mystery scope off Intersurplus for less than $500 and it was dead on at a 100 yards. Just had to clean it up and replace the dried up recoil pad. 7 lbs. Lots of fun.
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u/KalashnikovParty Mar 06 '26
i suggest the 30-06 since 6.5 swede is a pain to get even with a reloading device
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u/Romulin-romm Mar 06 '26
Prophet river in Leominster Alberta has cheap ammo 50 rounds for $75 and 50 rounds lapua for $100-125. 6.5x55 is much more fun to shoot than 30-06 and way more accurate
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u/OxfordTheCat Mar 06 '26
I mean, he's ordering a rifle online.
At least a dozen online retailers you can get 6.5x55 from.
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u/Dickastigmatism Mar 06 '26
There is value in being able to swing by almost any gun store and grab a few boxes of ammo.
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u/red_piper222 Mar 06 '26
Both are excellent rifles. Personally I love the Swede cartridge, it’s amazingly easy to shoot accurately. 30.06 is better for larger game like bears and moose, but the Swede has taken all of those animals too (with good shot placement)
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u/CattleNatural5964 Mar 06 '26
Generally speaking, 6.5s have more barrel wear than the 30-06. You’ll find most 30-06 have very good rifling - few 6.5’s do. If you can find a Husqvarna in 308, even better. I have a bunch of surplus 30-06s/308 - they’re fine - 1.25-1.5 MOA, terrible triggers and a heavy hammer makes it very difficult to get MOA consistently, though sometimes they manage it. I lop the barrels off to 19” and cut the stocks down (and change the butt angle) for whitetail/blacktail rigs - some of my favs.
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u/CattleNatural5964 Mar 06 '26
I suggest only going for ‘very good’ rifling from Intersurplus. You’ll spend a $100 more, but you’ll get a better rifle. I also check the trigger guards for wear, that says a lot. The 1640’s are fantastic if you don’t mind the trigger (can polish it a bit - that helps a ton).
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u/Jarrizar Mar 06 '26
What you should look for is timney triggers! there's a cheap 8x57JS with a timney on there now! I bought a 30-06 early 50s Husqavarna FN98? unsure, it was listed funny. Great gun, good value.
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u/NEUMANN-METALWORKS Neumann Metalworks Mar 06 '26
If its just 1-200 why not a mosin? A bit more up front but your ammo will be way less expensive.
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u/cumbrad Mar 06 '26
The mosin is a much worse design though. My friend’s mosin has to be beaten open after firing.
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u/ichigofast Mar 06 '26
I have an M98 in 8x57 and it's awesome. Thumps pretty good! FOC has them for $399.00 when they are in stock.
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u/1cake_1 Mar 06 '26
to preface i’ve never shot either rifle and don’t know anyone who has so take what i say with a grain of salt.
I’d say it depends heavily on why you plan to do, If your going to be hunting with this rifle then i’d definitely go with 30-06, my answer is entirely based on every store you can buy ammo from will carry atleast one major brand of 30-06. while both are excellent cartridges that are tried and true, the sheer popularity makes 30-06 the safe option if you hunt deep back woods that might not have a major supplier of ammo near by.
As much as preparation is always important and making sure you bring enough ammo should be #1, if you hunt long enough you will eventually leave that ever so important box on your counter at home and not realize till your at camp 5 hours from home and the only ammo store is a mom and pop gas station.
take that for what you will but id say if you only buy one, you can’t go wrong with 30-06.
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u/A_Pepsi_Cola_Can Mar 06 '26
Both are nice, keep your eyes out for a nice m98. You see the surplus sporting rifles in both of those cartridges, as well as 8x57, 9.3x62 and other less common clambering if you dont mind sitting behind the reloading press. All top not choices any how.
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u/nax_91 Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26
The M96 action is not as strong as the 1640 as they lack the third safety locking lug at the rear of the bolt, while the 1640 has it, as it’s basically a small ring M98, making it a stronger action and a better choice, if you like to reload. The 1640 in 30-06 should have a 1:12 twist barrel, so you won’t be able to stabilize heavier bullets. 6.5x55 is much easier on the shoulder than 30-06, but not as widely available compared to 30-06 and will cost you about the same. If all you are looking to do is target shooting, you may wanna check the Carl Gustafs target rifles. They have diopter sights and heavy barrel and they are regarded as highly accurate, but usually they are chambered in 6.5x55 and built on M96 receivers, so the action is not as strong as the 1640. The 1640s are notorious for stock cracking at the tang. These rifles that you get from Intersurplus are a great bargain, they priced well. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or pictures about the guns, those guys are pretty good about that and their descriptions are pretty accurate.
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u/EnvironmentalBox6688 Mar 06 '26
30-06 will be easier to find.
Saying that, 6.5x55 is a fantastic cartridge. If you want to get into reloading, I would go for that one hands down.
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u/bentley1814 Mar 06 '26
I have a 6.5 Swede have had it for 30 years. Where I am the ammo is getting pretty easy to find compared to what it was. My wife got a tikka is 6.5 Swede also and uses it for hunting as well. Great low recoil shooter.
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u/Zealousideal_Act786 Mar 06 '26
I’d learn to reload 30/06 before I ever chose a mosin over a Husky rifle. That 1640 is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. There’s just no comparison.
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u/waitwhatnothing Mar 12 '26
A lightweight hunting rifle in 30-06 isn’t going to be all that fun to shoot a lot. 6.5x55 will have a bit less recoil. 30-06 can be bought pretty much anywhere.
As for 1640 vs M98
The 1640 is probably the better as-is hunting rifle. Has a side safety and I believe they were almost all drilled/tapped from the factory for scopes.
The M98 guns vary a lot, some are military actions and some are commercial and even the commercial ones vary a bit in features. The way they are drilled/tapped is sometimes weird, hard to say if it was done competently since these older models probably weren’t drilled/tapped from the factory. The original 3 position flag safety can be a problem with a scope. Some have side safeties added. There’s a ton of aftermarket stuff out there for the M98 though, easy to find spare parts of all kinds, new stocks etc. great starting point if you want to do some gunsmithing on a custom build.
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u/bringme5 Mar 06 '26
Are you planning on hunting with it? If so what? Have you considered a 308 riffle?
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u/Emergency_Rooster511 Mar 06 '26
Swede all the way. Great cartridge