6.5x55 for long range

[mmattockx]

44.5 grains of RL 17

Yowza, and only 6gr over the max published by Alliant for commercial actions in 6.5x55.


Mark

 

[Pathfinder]

says who? I have a 20" on an old Husky rebarreled in 6.5X55 and with RL-17 and a 140 Berger hunting VLD, I am getting 2870. It will go faster, but it is bug hole accurate at 2870.

I believe it. I also believe you're running it past 60kpsi....we are no longer camparing apples to apples.

 

[CV32]

I've started planning a future build was thinking 260rem got distracted by some of the 7mm options and then came to the 6.5x55 imp sounds like a great round how has your experience been. I was considering buying a shilen prefit for a savage but don't see 6.5X55 ai listed on their site how much more difficult is it to get the barrel? I checked the redding site they have dies listed for it in the custom area so they would be available just expensive. I may have to bug Mysticplayer and see what he thinks of this option.

Any 6.5mm barrel will do, but then you'd need a 6.5AI reamer to chamber the barrel for that cartridge. This is the route I am going. Picked up the reamer from Pacific Tool & Guage (PTG) with some tweaks. Just need the action and (maybe) the stock now. Custom Redding dies are also my intent, and they are available but yes, expensive.

 

[Eagleye]

I have both the 6.5x55 and a 6.5x55AI.
They are on modern, commercial actions.
The Standard Swede has a 24" tube, and the AI has a 26"
Both have 1-8" twists.
The standard will drive a 139-142 grain bullet to 2825 comfortably with about 3 powders.
The AI is 100-125 fps faster, depending on powder used. [VV N560 has been best, so far]
These rifles both shoot under ¾ moa, sometimes well under.
I am positively impressed with both, and taking deer sized game is possible out past 500 yards.
What's not to like? Regards, Eagleye.

 

[cyclone]

Paging the awesome vviking.....

 

[vviking]

Paging <snipped out superlative> vviking.....

Methinks the cyclone may have been misled.
"awesome" would better describle a man of some tangible accomplishment.
That prominent lump in your jowl .... tongue ???


dogone,

6.5 SM is awesome beyond description .... IF ..... you handload.

Long range is a relative term. To be placing your first shot, cold barrel, field position, into a 'yotes vitals surely and every single time, takes some serious work to achieve at much past 350 yards. IMO.
The rifle/load may be perfect, your hold steady, target stationary(rare), all in order .... yet still one finds that bullet veering off of where you expected it to land.
External ballistics .... drop and drift and wind and cant and mirage, etc.. Conditions.
External ballistic factors moves bullets, and sometimes quite a bit too
When the target is a breathing creature, the shooter has an obligation to stay within his personal sure kill range, to my way of thinking.

Switch to paper and gongs?, let the experiments begin!.

The Swede has a tendency(with 140's) to shoot tighter (in MOA) the farther out you go. There lays the magic of this cal.. It makes us all look better than we really are. One can shoot all day with your mind on precision, not recoil fatigue. The power is there all right, but not the abuse to the senses that lessens marksmanship.

Any tuned, handloaded, 6.5x55 is going to work very well to past 1000 yards.
Just last Sunday, calm air, four shooters used one of mine to put many rounds each into a fist sized group at 675yds. Took her out of the case, cranked in 15.5MOA come up from 200 zero, held dead on, 1'st shot went on the crosshairs. This from a (modified)rifle made in 1913.

My load is 140 Amax, Lapua brass, Reloader 22, Fed. GM215M primer, seated to .015" jam.
Hot weather, I switch to CCI BR2 and drop a few tenths on the powder. Keeps the rifle in it's accuracy node.