6.5x55 Range Report - Update

Andy

Andy

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Tried nine different powders with max or near max loads (under 54K psi on Quickload). Looking for:

1. Accuracy; and
2. MV - the higher the better (2800+ fps) within reasonable pressures as I will be shooting it at long range (600m+).

M98 action with a 1:8 twist 27" barrel. 140 gr Hornady AMAX, 3.200" OAL (0.035" off the lands).

1. H4350 - 44.0 grs - 2650 fps - very accurate, MV too low
2. RL17 - 44.0 grs - 2725 fps - not accurate, MV too low
3. H4831 - 48.0 grs - 2750 fps - not accurate, MV too low
4. RL22 - 49.0 grs - 2850 fps - not accurate
5. IMR7828 - 49.0 grs - 2750 fps - very accurate, MV too low
6. H1000 - 53.0 grs - 2750 fps - very accurate, MV too low
7. RL25 - 53.0 grs - 2900 fps - most accurate, highest MV
8. Retumbo - 53.0 grs - 2650 fps - accurate, MV too low
9. US869 - 57.0 grs - 2650 fps - accurate, MV too low

The biggest surprise to me was Reloder 25 - it's not supposed to be a good powder for the 6.5x55, but in my gun it excelled. I have more work to do soon with H4350 and IMR7828 as I still have powder room, but H1000, Retumbo and US869, are very nearly full (1-2 grs) and I don't think I'll get the MV to where I need it. I should do more work with the other powders as well, and will at some point.
 
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My 6.5 x 55 Savage (CIL950T) with a match barrel went to Bisley in 2000 to shoot the F Class Championships. I lent it to another fellow. I was shooting TR.

It did very well.

Load was 49 gr of RL25 - 3,000 fps (30" barrel)

Accuracy was excellent. other powders were not as accurate.

I suspect this might be a fussy caliber to develop a load for.

Yt aslo liked RL22
 
Attention said:
Would RL25 work in a 22 or 24" barrel or would it br to slow?
Click to expand...

Myth - barrel length has no bearing on powder choice.

Another myth is that "overbore" (large capacity for bore size) cartridges "need" long barrels. I suspect that the two myths are related, given that overbore cartidges are able to use the slowest powders to their fullest effect.
 
I have a finicky M38 that has taken me some time to work up loads for, although it seems to shoot all the factory loads well enuff.:confused:
So far the best results have been:

140 gn Corelokts with RL22

and

120 gn speer with imr 4064

Have also tried RL19 with 120 gn ballistic tips with mixed results.
 
I want to shoot Barnes TSX or Partitions out of mine this fall.I'm gonna get a pound of RL25 and give it a try, I already tried some RL22 and IMR 4350 both where OK but I think it can do better.
 
MV too low?????Ever hit anything with a 140 at 2650? How dead is dead? Also what rifle are you loading for? 54000 psi is WAY over the edge for 6.5x55. 46000 is more like it. If that is a vintage mauser 96, let me know where you shoot so I can stay far away.
 
I thought I had enough info to keep the "Safety Brigade" from intervening.... :p

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M98 action, and I really do "need" the MV, as it will be used for F Class shooting (no not hunting!), and I need to keep time in flight to a minimum, and the velocity above the speed of sound - even at 1000 yds.
 
Thanks for that info, I had some US869 left over with nothing for it to do. Mind you I had used H870 in my 6.5x257 before just for the hell of it. I may have to pick up some RL-25 give it a try.
 
With the long bullets, it helps if the rifle has been throated for them. RL25 tends to fill the case.

I load for several different rifles in 6.5x55. The other powers that have worked well for the 142 match bullets are:

RL22
H1000
4831SC

Each has its own preference.
 
Ganderite said:
With the long bullets, it helps if the rifle has been throated for them. RL25 tends to fill the case.

I load for several different rifles in 6.5x55. The other powers that have worked well for the 142 match bullets are:

RL22
H1000
4831SC

Each has its own preference.
Click to expand...

Mine seems to prefer RL25. It is throated "long", such that the 140gr AMAX is at 3.200" when 0.035" for the rifling - 130 Bergers are 0.065" from the rifling at the same OAL. That allows 1-2 more grains of usable space which is why some of the loads are a bit slower that others typically get (but the others seat to 3.100" or shorter, hence higher pressure).

I still have a few other bullets to try, and I am prepared for each to have their own powder, load and OAL preference. One could almost go broke and burn out a barrel before the perfect load is found!
 
Took another crack at this, and I think I have my go-to loads. I tried the 130gr Bergers and found that they shot to the same place and MV as the 140gr Hornady AMAX.

H4350 - 46.0 grs - 2780 fps
H1000 - 53.5 grs (full) - 2820 fps

No matter what bullet, or what load, those two powders shot groups of 10 at 100 yds that a quarter could cover. The other powders would be faster, and doing well, and then there would be 2-3 shots that would stretch the groups well outside what I wanted.

Everyone told me that H4350 was the ticket and I'm here to pass on the word.
 
Sounds like great performance. It's pretty hard to fake ten shots under a quarter.

Is your load data with 130s or 140s?

What sort of velocity spread (SD or ES) are you getting? That could break the tie, if you are planning on shooting it beyond 600m (which those bullets are *easily* capable of)
 
rnbra-shooter said:
Sounds like great performance. It's pretty hard to fake ten shots under a quarter.

Is your load data with 130s or 140s?

What sort of velocity spread (SD or ES) are you getting? That could break the tie, if you are planning on shooting it beyond 600m (which those bullets are *easily* capable of)
Click to expand...

That load data is for the 140gr AMAX, but the Berger 130's are within about 10 fps of them - I expected a much bigger difference.

Both those powders have an ES of about 25 fps and I chose the "mode" as the MV I posted. Some of the other powders had an ES of more than 75.

Very true about how while this might be very nice close in at 100 yds, but at 600 yds and farther other factors play a big role. I could burn out a barrel trying, but I wonder how a load that groups almost as tight at 100 yds, but is 100 fps faster (but with a higher ES), might be superior at long range due to less flight time?I can't make this a 6.5-284, so I guess I'll have to find a good load and practice, practice.
 
ES of 25fps for 10 shots is match-grade. In fact, it is *very* good match-grade, it's equivalent to an SD of about 8fps. That sort of ammo can shoot sub-MOA at 1000 yards.

You are much closer to 6.5-.284 performance than you might realize. People used to shoot 142s at 3150 from 6.5-.284s (from 30" barrels) but then backed off to 2950-3000fps for accuracy reasons - using 48-52 grains of H4350 (IIRC) in the larger 6.5-.284 case (sound close enough?)

I'd say you don't need to burn out a barrel trying. You have found it. If all the bullets start out going in the same direction, and they are going at nearly the same speed, odds are they'll arrive pretty close to each other at 1000 yards.
 
Some great info here for us 6.5x55 shooters, thanks guys :)

DaveMachine said:
Hmm, something to look at as I'd like to develop a load for my Tikka stainless varmint in 6.5x55.
Click to expand...

I'll be loading for the same rifle ;) Be sure to share your findings with a fellow 6.5x55 T3 Varmint owner!
 
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