DaveMachine
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- That one place with a cowboy complex
41.0gr of IMR 4350 w/ 142gr SMK seems to work well in my Tikka.
6.5x55
- Thread starter Qhergt
- Start date
That's awful hot. I use 47.0 grains of H4831SC and Sierra 140gr SBT and that's maximum in my model 38 with a 19" barrel. And I would not shoot that in a 28" barrel either. Work up to the above loads very carefully.
DaveMachine
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- That one place with a cowboy complex
No, I've never chronied it and you're right, it is a fairly light load but it's worked great at 100 yards so far. I think the next batch I make I'll bump up the powder charge to something in between 41-45ish depending on what I can find on the good old interwebs and my manuals.
I wouldn't say it's designed for anything really, it was just a starting point. My deployment kind of put a hitch in my load development
Just tested my prefvious recipe with Winchester LR primer and 45.5 gr RL 19. The group was poor at best, however 45.5 gr of RL 19 and Federal 210 primers, 140 grain Sierra HPBT produced a .504 group at 100 yds. No sign of pressure. Rifle is Mauser CG 80.
As always, work up your individual loads for your rifle and check for signs of pressure. FYI the initial load information came from Barnes reloading manual #3.
As always, work up your individual loads for your rifle and check for signs of pressure. FYI the initial load information came from Barnes reloading manual #3.
I understand, In my firm opinion a load does'nt need to justify itself soemtimes just a bang and the pleasant smell of powder is enough reason.
If you can scratch up a hundred and twenty for a chrongraph you will likley find you can make that tikka into a real sweet rig. Glad your back safe and sound.
DaveMachine
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- That one place with a cowboy complex
I already know that 41.0grs shoots well but it probably won't have enough juice to really reach out there, so what charge weight would be an adequate starting point for a long range 6.5x55 load? 44? 45?
To me the ideal solution seems to be work up in .5gr increments and then once I find a sweetish spot begin adjusting the loads by .1gr. Then after that adjust seating depth. Does this sound right to you?
I've thought about getting a chronograph for a while now. My reasoning was to use it in conjunction with ballistics software so I could make accurate firing solutions.
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=162814
Here is a link for a test BCsteve did awhile back,
I found it quite interesting for the 6.5x55
I also reload for this awesome Caliber, Thanks for all the awesome info, I'm still in the process of developing loads for my M96
Here is a link for a test BCsteve did awhile back,
I found it quite interesting for the 6.5x55
I also reload for this awesome Caliber, Thanks for all the awesome info, I'm still in the process of developing loads for my M96
NO! Adjust seating depth first. Adjusting the seating depth is gonna change your pressure. You want to adjust your seating depth first. i.e find the seating depth that puts you bullet just at the lands.
I'd work up till you find the first indication of pressure then back off.
Yes every handloader absolutley, positively requires a chronograph. It tells you so much. One thing I usually notice is that there comes a point where adding more powder does'nt add any more FPS.
The best part is that a chrony really gives you confidence in your load. Nothing like knowing every round is with in 40 fps of each other.
One of my favorite bits of mischeive is to generously offer handloaders at the range the use of my chrony. This is always done after they tell me with confidence what they 'know' thier veloicty is. More then one 7 rem mag has shown 2650 ish fps when the owner was certain that they possesed the hammer of god. Few other examples over the years including my own 2100fps 6.5 load which I 'knew' was going to give me 2400fps and with which I killed 2 animals before discovering my error!
Depending on the rifle, many (especially milsurp) 6.5x55's will have a very long throat to accommodate the 160gr bullets and you will never be able to load long enough to get a 129gr or 140gr bullet even close to the lands. By all means, test to see where you hit the lands, but don't be surprised if it is well beyond mag length.
My approach with my 6.5's is to load as long as the mag allows, then simply work up using the optimum charge weight method of locating the accuracy nodes and load for that point.
Mark
Yep long throats on the swedes but you will have a 140 grain bullet fall out of the case before you have trouble feeding it through the mag. My 160 grains loads are incrediabley long to engage the rifling minus a hair and feed through 96 and 98 actions no problem. The 140s longer then semi pointed Alaskan and Ornxy 156 grain bullets?
yep no change in seating depth unless you start at the beginning and work up.
Well I got a Tikka 695 last year! Tried Reloader 22 and IMR 4350, IMR shot better in my rifle, Hornady 140gr #2630 in Remington case, CCI 200 primer
with 45.5 of IMR 4350, seated 3.160. Shoots Great! 100 yd target.
with 45.5 of IMR 4350, seated 3.160. Shoots Great! 100 yd target.
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Badbrass, nice work, Neat to see that the tikkas must be long throated as well.
Should tell us something that ALL the european manufacturers seem to assume that the end user is going to choose a 160 grain bullet. LOL.
Great pics
Should tell us something that ALL the european manufacturers seem to assume that the end user is going to choose a 160 grain bullet. LOL.
Great pics
Pathfinder
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Northeast Ontario
My Tikka M-65 is throated for the heaviest bullets too...im not approaching the lands with my 140's . I didnt' find the 160 RN's that long.......if you can find some Barnes Orginal 180's......now that's long.
burnt_servo
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- right in the middle of b.c.
i don't think it is so much that the manufacturers assume people are going to use a long 160 grain bullet ,
but rather , they have to chamber it to the standard that is the 6.5x55 .
what happens if they cut the chamber for 120 grain bullet , then someone buys it , and buys off the shelf 160 grain rounds , and lets say they are made by norma and loaded on the hot side .
what is going to happen when the 160 grain bullet is mashed into the rifling , then fired ?
but rather , they have to chamber it to the standard that is the 6.5x55 .
what happens if they cut the chamber for 120 grain bullet , then someone buys it , and buys off the shelf 160 grain rounds , and lets say they are made by norma and loaded on the hot side .
what is going to happen when the 160 grain bullet is mashed into the rifling , then fired ?
LOL well that is the same thing is'nt it? So basically all these 6.5x55s are chambered for the 160 grain bullet. Why not use that bullet then? This is what I keep saying in thread after thread. Using anything other then the 160s is damming the rifle to be only partly as good as it can be. Good yes but not as good as it could be. The above pic of the 140 seated that far out just goes to show how ridiculous it is to try and adapt a mismatched bullet to the chamber. (no disrespect to the loader as it is obvious he knows how to make his rifle shoot!) I bet the 160 hornadys would crimp in the groove and give the same OAL to the bullets Ogive. Don't even get me started on 129s in a long throated 6.5 but I could understand it if there was no such thing as a 257.
In my dreams I stumble upon a whole attic full of some long forgotten hoard of greater then 160 bullets, Did'nt know that Barnes ever made em but now I have a real focus.
Looks about right for your 3.160" OAL. The Swede always looks outlandish with those long bullets sticking way out.
Well, for starters, the 160gr RN has a BC of about 0.283 and a good 140gr will be more like 0.520. The 140gr gives significantly more velocity and a far flatter trajectory along with less wind deflection due to the much higher BC. Just because the ogive is not right up to the rifling doesn't mean it will not shoot well. I have 160gr Norma rounds that look just as ridiculous as the above round from badbrass.
Here is a comparison between a round I loaded, with a 140gr SST seated at 3.150" OAL and a factory Norma 160gr round, at 3.045" OAL.
It should be obvious why the throat is so long on the 6.5x55, just look at where the ogive is on the 160gr compared to the 140gr. That is just the way the Swede is, no big deal. If it shoots good, go with it.
Mark
