Hornady 6.5x55 swede load data
- Thread starter jerrya
- Start date
I was going to use this rifle for a build but have delayed that for a while so I thought I might as well shoot it. It is a Carl Gustaf with the 1900 action, late 60's to early 70's so it would be considered modern. I found some 140gr sst's and have h4831sc, imr4831, hybrid 100v and h4350 here to try. I thought I would try the imr 4831 first. What are more realistic speeds I should be able to safely achieve? I also have 140gr partitions and 140 accubonds, although I like to save them for my 6.5prc
I also have Stabal 6.5 if that works
I also have Stabal 6.5 if that works
Your Carl Gustaf 1900 is definitely a modern action and should handle the pressures that any modern bolt action would take. The 4831s and 4350 are certainly good powders in the 6.5x55. For top velocities with 140-gr. bullets, slightly slower powders than those mentioned might do a little better. Alliant Re22 is a favorite with this cartridge, and Norma MRP would also be a good choice . The one powder that will very likely give you the highest velocities possible with 140-gr. bullets is Alliant Re26. According to QuickLoad, 2950-3000 fps. is possible with this powder from the 23.5-in. barrel on your Carl Gustaf 1900. That's about the best you can expect from a 6.5x55 with a 23-24-in. barrel and would elevate the 6.5 Swede into the .270 Win. class power-wise.
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You say that but don't jump up in the load without working up. My M38 with PPU brass and the 143gr ELD-X had a sticky bolt at 2400fps with IMR4831.
- Location
- Saskatoon Saskatchewan
6.5 staball will you give you great speed but it wasn't great for me as far as accuracy goes.
The first 6.5x55 Swede rifles that were imported into North America were the M94 Carbines with 18inch bbls.
The early manuals usually used an M94 as their test bed for loads and velocities and that's one of the reasons for such poor performance ratios in their published tables. Usually, they listed their test beds such as the rifle and model as well as specified length test barrels in permanently mounted to the bench receivers, where they did their pressure tests as well.
I've compared a few of the data lists in some of the very early manuals to those of modern manuals. Many just copied the data from 65 years ago when it comes to traditional powders and the only changes they made were for recent powder types.
They also keep their pressures down, because there are so many fine old Swede Mausers in people's safes, that they still shoot regularly.
Loads for rifles such as a Tikka T3, Mauser 98, Antonio Zoli, Zastava, Remington, Winchester receivers, built later will handle much higher pressures and make the excellent case design of the 6.5x55 very viable as a modern cartridge for hunting and target shooting.
You know most of this of course and are familiar with the loads appropriate for your modern 6.5x55 chambered rifle, in comparison to your older vintage Swede issue Mausers.
Yesterday a fellow came by with a beautiful M93 Mauser that had been sporterized and the barrel cut back to 25 inhes. The job was done by a professional metal worker and wood worker or maybe a couple of good tradespeople.
It was a work of art and if I were 20 years younger, I would have offered him something valuable in trade or paid a hefty price for it.
He wanted to hot rod his handloads, which were sedate but shooting 145 grain Speer Hot Core bullets into less than a moa out to 300 yards. I told him not to fix what isn't broken. We made up a graph for the side of his stock, which showed hold over at 200-400 yards, in 50 yard increments.
You could tell that he wasn't satisfied with this and I showed him a load using RL22 that is listed in the Lyman reloading manual that would safely give him 2800fps listed in the Lyman 50th manual.
54 grains of RL22 over CCI 250 primers/ 45,000psi, should get him within 50fps one way or the other of the 2800fps he wants to achieve as a ''magic'' velocity.
We'll see how it works out for his this weekend. He has a range on his property that allows him to shoot from the bench on decent rests to 400+ yards and a magneto speed.
You might want to re-think that recommendation. Looks to me like a dangerous overload in the 6.5x55. I couldn't find any load in the Lyman Handbook 50 for 54 grains of RL22. The highest load with RL22 shown in that manual for the 6.5x55 is 47.0 gr. (listed as a maximum load) with a 140 grain bullet (for 2576 fps from a 24" barrel). When I put 54 gr. of RL22 and a 145-gr. bullet into QuickLoad, I get 71,000 psi pressure.
South Pender I agree with you. 46.5 grains of Reloder 22 is a pet load for 140 grains bullets. One can go up 1-1.5 grains in long throated rifles but no more. I use 47.5 grains with 140 SST in my Tikka for around 2740 fps.
On another note, The 145 grains hotcor in 6.5 does not seem to exist.
Agreed. Best to use the IMR7828 ssc version with the shorter kernels that allow greater powder space.
I thought I would update this . I loaded some 140gr. SST's with imr4831 up to a max of 44.7gr and hybrid 100v up to 44.5gr. I went to the close range where I can't use my labradar so just watched for pressure signs and groups. The good news is both shot real good throughout the different charges. largest group was 1 1/4", most 1" and under at 100 yards.
After following another recent post where South Pender suggested rl26, I loaded a few using 140 partitions. I started to get a slight ejector mark at 45 grains so I stopped there. 44.0- 44.5 produced 5/8"-3/4" groups.
I have now loaded 6 each of the 140sst with imr4831 and 140 partitions with the rl26 and will head out this week with the labradar in hand to just see what kind of velocities these are at.
Overall this old Carl gustaf seems to shoot!!
After following another recent post where South Pender suggested rl26, I loaded a few using 140 partitions. I started to get a slight ejector mark at 45 grains so I stopped there. 44.0- 44.5 produced 5/8"-3/4" groups.
I have now loaded 6 each of the 140sst with imr4831 and 140 partitions with the rl26 and will head out this week with the labradar in hand to just see what kind of velocities these are at.
Overall this old Carl gustaf seems to shoot!!
