6.5x55 suggestions? Now results!

kmartel

kmartel

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Location
Mountainous West Central Alberta
Hey everyone,
I am looking to start reloading for a new (to me) rifle I have recently acquired and was just wondering if anyone had any experience with this cartridge that they would like to share with me. I currently also shoot a lot of .308 and use Varget with great results in that rifle so if there WAS good results with that in 6.5x55 then it would make things easy as pie when buying powder. I am currently shooting a Stevens 200 with a Shilen match, bull profile 30" barrel and am planning on loading 140gr AMAX bullets. Any info would be greatly appreciated, and as before if varget isn't the powder for this project, then so be it! Thanks in advance!
 
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6.5x55

A great many folks that load this cartridge myself included have found that the best powder for 140gr bullets is Reloder 22.
I will loading some berger 130gr with it and last year I loaded 140's with 47 and 48gr of powder. FS
 
Fassteel said:
A great many folks that load this cartridge myself included have found that the best powder for 140gr bullets is Reloder 22.
I will loading some berger 130gr with it and last year I loaded 140's with 47 and 48gr of powder. FS
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140g Berger VLD and R-22 :)
 
In my M70 Winchester Featherweight I found that H380 was best for 100 gr Hornadys, H1000 was best for 140 gr Nosler Partitions and H4831 was best for 120 Speer spitzers.
 
My first loads for my 6.5 x 55 was with Varget. 37 grains. This is a fairly mild load (SAAMI spec) as my rifle has a older Mauser action. The accuracy to 300 m is great, but a pretty high bullet drop is the trade off. Case capacity isn't utilized and I have since switched to H4350 on the advise of Mystic Player and haven't looked back.
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After 40 years of smiles with the 'ol Swede, ..... Its 48 grains of R22 under the 140 Amax. Seated close to the lands, in lapua brass. Fed 215m's in winter, CCI BR2's summer. Lapua 139 Scenars also shine.

Lee collet and Redding BR seater will build them super-straight.
 
kmartel said:
Thanks guys! Gonna try out some IMR4831 and 140gr AMAX's... Probably try varget for the hell of it too :) Harder to come by the Alliant powders in this area for some reason but may look into the RL22 as well.
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H4831 is pretty damn close to RL-22 for a substitute. IMR4831 is a bit faster but should be decent. let us know how you make out.
 
Results!

Well finally got out to try a few of the bullets I had on hand! Results were pretty good IMO and maybe its just the match barrel, but this bugger is a shooter! Temterature was 10 deg C, 4mph tailwind, Humidity of 65% (shooting partner bought a Kestrel, probably one of the coolest gadgets ever)

First load I found luck with for the 140 AMAX was:
45gr IMR 4831
CCI BR2 primer
Lapua case
COAL: 3.020"
Avg Vel: 2785 fps
Spread: 22 fps
Shot consistently .75moa at 200yds and had one .5 group that day

High node for the 140 AMAX was:
48gr IMR 4831
CCI BR2 Primer
Lapua case
COAL: 3.020"
Avg Vel: 3010 fps
Spread: 25fps
Shot consistent .5moa at 200yds and one .3!! (big accomplishment for me lol)

The 139gr Lapua scenars actually liked to only be pushed at a higher velocity in my experience with them that day. Maybe I was getting tired or impatient but the best group I shot with them was at the same High compressed load:
48gr IMR 4831
CCI BR2 Primer
Lapua case
COAL: 2.975"
Avg vel: 3005 fps
spread 19 fps
Shot .5moa, would have had a 2" 500yd group today, but a pesky flyer screwed that up and opened her up to 5" :rolleyes:
Guess the man upstairs throws them our way to keep us modest at times haha.

Oh well, I'm hoping to receive my Redding bushing neck die and bushings to attempt to make more consistent ammo rather than using my Lee collett die and I'm also thinking about lengthening the seating depth of the Scenar load and try that out as well. One day hoping to try some Bergers but that time will come.

I also tried some Reloader 22 today and the nodes seemed to shadow those of the IMR 4831 but by .5gr higher (kind of figured as they are both fairly close in burn rate with RL22 being slower). No chrony today to compare velocities but next time I will post that data once I have some hard numbers. Will also try to track down the targets and get some photos up or the "proof nazis" will flame me I bet!
Either way I believe this rifle is a great shooter and as soon as the guy behind it can get in some more trigger time and practice it will truly show its potential :D

Did I mention I love this cartridge?! Too fun, no wonder all the guys with "magnumitis" hate it so much:stirthepot2:
 
kmartel said:
Anyone have any input on seating depth for Lapua Scenars or the 140gr AMAX?
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Very good results there kmartel, and it's still early days in your load development. :D

140 Amax likes a light jam(.010"/.015"),in my various M38 barreled mil. Swedes. A couple like to kiss, none do better with jump. The difference on target is not all that much though ..... it's a forgiving bullet.
That bullet does have a longer shank, so it can seat securely in the neck and still bump the long-throated mil-spec. lands.

139 Scenars does better for me with a .020"/.030" jump, in both the 6.5x55's and the 6.5/06.
 
kmartel said:
Did I mention I love this cartridge?! Too fun, no wonder all the guys with "magnumitis" hate it so much:stirthepot2:
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Welcome to the 6.5x55 converts club.
The thing is, it gets better and betterer the farther out you shoot it ... unlike some cals. that seem to drive tacks up close, then fall apart way out there ... or when the wicked wind gets to them.

Of the dozen or so cal's. I reload for and enjoy .... the old Swede is the one that shines the brightest ..... and gets used the most.
 
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