I've owned a custom 6.5x55 for over 20 years that was built by my father and handed down to me. I've killed a handful of deer with the custom 6.5 and have a bear skin rug from a Mew Mexico black bear killed by my father in 1970 with said 6.5 Swede. I also owned a M96, so I have a very soft spot for the 6.5x55mm and rifles so chambered.
That being said, I've owned around 8 - 10 K-31's. They are simply superbly crafted, amazingly accurate rifles. Hands down I'd get a K-31 first, then a M96, but I bet if you get a K-31, you'll lose interest in the Swede.
Supporting reasons:
Ammunition:
Surplus 6.5x55 ammunition is all but non-existent. K-31 surplus ammunition is abundant and incredibly accurate. In fact I received an e-mail from
AIM Surplus a few minutes ago advertising GP-11 ammunition for as little as 52.5¢ per round. As an avid handloader, I can tell you first-hand that it is very, very difficult to handload ammunition that is appreciably more accurate than GP-11. 6.5 Swede and 7.5 Swiss is both loaded by Hornady and Prvi.
From a handloaders perspective, .30 caliber bullets are much more abundant that .264" bullets.
Firearm:
As stated previously, the craftsmanship that went into the production of K-31's is stunning and the rifles, as-issued, are very, very accurate. The K-31's bolt is incredibly slick and fast to operate. I've fired High Power matches with standard bolt rifles and K31's and there's simply no comparison; the K-31 with its straight pull bolt is infinitely faster and reloads (required during rapid-fire strings) are WAY faster with the K-31 whether performed with extra magazines or the cardboard stripper clips.
We can all type our opinions or even experiences, but a picture, or pictures, as they say, is worth a thousand words. Therefore, I submit the following visual dissertation (All groups were fired @ 100 yds. All ammunition was surplus GP-11 unless otherwise identified, much of the ammo was cast bullet handloads):
(This group was fired prone, sling support only, at 600 yds. w/aperture sights)
I have lots more pictures, but surely everyone gets the idea...
35W
