the 6.5 swede is a real tack driver but ammo is to expensive for me to even consider it.

I don't find the Swede ammo is terribly priced. If you're talking Norma, then yes, it is very high. But many of the major American companies are loading it in plain-jane offerings...and also some slightly expensive premium loads.
The PMC I've bought and fired has performed well and wasn't too highly priced.
I've bought and fired Winchester and Remington plain-jane stuff..it's ok and provides brass for re-loading.

If you like the Swede, ammo is not that hard to afford, if you look around a bit. PMC ammo works well in all three of my rifles. The brass is ok for reloads too. If you want to save some money on Swede ammo, reload. Get onto Midway's website, order yourself up some Swede brass and a box of 500 Remington 6.5 mm 140 grain bullets and go to town. Midway also sells loaded ammunition by several makers.

The main problem with 6.5x55 ammo is that it is not as common as .30-06, .308, 7mmRemMag, etc. You probably won't find it at Walmart, but are very likely to find it at a gun store or even a decent all-around sporting goods store that sells guns.

Got to agree with jmfa1957. Up here in Canada, Norma ammo can be had for the equivalent of $20-24 USD. You owe it to the game you hunt to use good quality ammo, not the cheap hunter specials available which may not be that accurate and, then, who do you blame if the deer is wounded and lost?

Aside from the factory offerings - Tikka's T3-Lite is a great buy; also consider the milsurp Swedish Mauser M38s - bit heavier, wooden stock, iron sights and a great history to go with it. I have 3 that I enjoy shooting just as much as the T3 and any is barely less accurate than the T3.

The first Swedish mauser that I sporterized was the most accurate one I ever had. Although they have all shot very well. I sold that first one to a cousin of mine. He called me the other day and told me he is selling his guns as he has health problems and figures he will never be able to hunt again. He ask me if I wanted to buy that Mauser back. I told him absolutely yes. I have to run down and pick it up before they go South for the winter. It will be great to have it back. He never got around to shoot it. It has a scope on it but I can't remember what I had on it. I think it was a World Class Tasco. That one would shoot 1/2 to 3/4 inch groups at 100 yards every time with the 140 grain Hornady SP. I have one here that shoots very well but I never changed the old military stock and it has a nasty crack right behind the tang. The one I am buying back has a Synthetic stock. I should get one for the wood stocked one that I am useing now. I still have one that is 100 percent original military complete with bayonet original sling and flash suppresser. It has about 90 percent original Blue still in it. I love this caliber. If I had to I could get along with just that caliber. A little light for moose and elk but it does the job.

Check out the links below to see a few offerings for the 6.5 X 55 Swede ammunition. These are not terribly priced, and you can do a little better if you can find it a a gun show.

http://www.midwayusa.com/rewriteabro...4/653***690***

http://www.ammoman.com/webstore_655x55.htm

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/brows...&s=948&p=s&bt=

The only trouble with factory ammo is its hard if not impossible to find any light weight bullets loaded by the factory. Such as 120 or 125 grain. I have been loading mine for years. When I first started I could only get Norma brass which was spendy but now federal and Remington as well as winchester sell new unprimed brass for the old Swede.

For $600 I would spend $200 on a good M96, restock it, have it drilled and tapped for a scope, and possibly have the barrel shortened. Between a M96 and a Remington 700 there is no comparison in quality. The Swedish rifles used cut rifling and were handlapped, not to mention made to very tight specifications, the remingtons use a crappy hammer forged barrel and aren't likely to be put together anywhere near as straight and square as a Swedish rifle.

Two of mine were Model 96's and one was a Model 38. The first one I ever saw and used was the very short barreled version. I don't recall the model of that one.