I'm now to reloading, so probably a noob question. Anyways, I've decided on getting a 6.5x55 cartridge. I like the old Swedish M96 rifles. Just wondering will a newer rifle (Winchester 70 or Tikka) allow for alot hotter loadings than the WW2 rifle. I don't think I'll be shooting over 300yds. Should I get a scoped M96 or get a newer rifle? Can a newer rifle handle alot more chamber pressures (like 20% more - or whatever the number may be, just guessing here) Basically what I'm asking is the metallurgy of WW2 rifle gonna limit me alot to what I can do with the cartridge? Thanks guys.
Reloading for milsurp 6.5x55?
- Thread starter Steiner
- Start date
some manuals use data meant for model 70 winchesters, ruger m77's, Rem 700s, etc
if you use these loads in an old milsurp 6.5, bad things will result.
dont try to hot-rod an old gun. use data meant for the older mil rifles, not new ones. Modern loads in a 6.5x55 will outrun a 260 Rem by 50 fps, which operates at 50,000+ cup.
if you have a chrony, load a 140 gr bullet until you hit around 2500 fps, then call it good.
be safe
if you use these loads in an old milsurp 6.5, bad things will result.
dont try to hot-rod an old gun. use data meant for the older mil rifles, not new ones. Modern loads in a 6.5x55 will outrun a 260 Rem by 50 fps, which operates at 50,000+ cup.
if you have a chrony, load a 140 gr bullet until you hit around 2500 fps, then call it good.
be safe
Don't tell Norma that they load a factory 140 to 2690 and a 156 to 2550 or . I don't see any warning on the box saying not for use with 94 or 96 mausers.
Unless your shooting a 94 swede with a missing locking lug and gross headspace you are'nt going to run into any problems with a load that allows you to lift the bolt handle and/or does'nt pancake the primer.
The 6.5x55 cartridge is all about effieiciency grain/per FPS some of the swede gain over the 260 is gathered not through peak pressure but through efficient use of smokeless powder, something our yank nieghbours are not famous for considering during cartridge design.
Don't get crazy with your swede loads but don't be afraid to exceed USA sourced data. Look to the fins, swedes and germans.
Unless your shooting a 94 swede with a missing locking lug and gross headspace you are'nt going to run into any problems with a load that allows you to lift the bolt handle and/or does'nt pancake the primer.
The 6.5x55 cartridge is all about effieiciency grain/per FPS some of the swede gain over the 260 is gathered not through peak pressure but through efficient use of smokeless powder, something our yank nieghbours are not famous for considering during cartridge design.
Don't get crazy with your swede loads but don't be afraid to exceed USA sourced data. Look to the fins, swedes and germans.
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Most M96 Swede Mausers were made before WWII. Mine was made in 1906. That's why they show such incredible workmanship. They weren't made in the middle of a war.Steiner said:
Don't worry about how hot you can load the cartridge, worry about getting the best results out of the cartridge which doesn't always require a hot loading. Every powder and bullet combination has a point where it shoots the best and then every increment hotter than that just gets further and further away from that ideal spot.
My pet load in the M96 is 44.0 grs of H4350 behind a 140gr Hornady. That is Hodgdon's listed max load:
H4350 - 44.0 - 2617 - 45,700 CUP
That gives me 2800 fps from the 29" barrel - the Hodgdon data is for a 24" barrel.
H4350 - 44.0 - 2617 - 45,700 CUP
That gives me 2800 fps from the 29" barrel - the Hodgdon data is for a 24" barrel.
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Reloading the 6.5X55
It has been a few years but I reworked (bent bolts, cut and recrowned barrel, sporterized stock, bedded action, etc.) about 14 of these 6.5's, (M96s & 38s) as a hobby (got supervision from a gunsmith friend for the tough parts). And I took a number of deer with one over the years. They tended to be very accurate and liked somewhat slower powders like 4350. But looking at my records, I see that I didn't go outside the data manuals available at the time, much as people are suggesting one shouldn't here. Velocities were fairly low in comparison to present day standards. But I remember the rifle as being a far better instrument for taking game than the ballistics would suggest, i.e. a good killer. Oddly enough I was talking to a friend about this today. He still has one of the rifles I worked on, and after taking approximately 20 deer over the last however many years he has the same opinion. In fact, I tested reloads for him last week and the rifle shot a little better than MOA with its original load. (Velocity with the 140 grain Speer was around 2500 fps give or take a bit.) I think quality control procedures required them to shoot 2 MOA at 100 meters with open sites. I don't remember many of them, with a couple of notable exceptions, that wouldn't beat this quite easily using a scope. I think most people would settle on a 140 grain bullet for the caliber when hunting today, but don't ignore the 160 grain Hornady RN if it is still marketed. Some of those old rifles just loved this bullet. The twist in them was very fast, maybe around 1 in 7.9 if memory serves. Also friends told me that the 160 g bullet gave superior penetration on bigger ungulates like moose. I didn't test this myself, preferring a larger rifle for moose, though can attest to accuracy with the bullet. Of course, it wasn't going much faster than 2350 fps in my reloads. It's nice to hear some of these M96's are still sparking some interest. Fred
It has been a few years but I reworked (bent bolts, cut and recrowned barrel, sporterized stock, bedded action, etc.) about 14 of these 6.5's, (M96s & 38s) as a hobby (got supervision from a gunsmith friend for the tough parts). And I took a number of deer with one over the years. They tended to be very accurate and liked somewhat slower powders like 4350. But looking at my records, I see that I didn't go outside the data manuals available at the time, much as people are suggesting one shouldn't here. Velocities were fairly low in comparison to present day standards. But I remember the rifle as being a far better instrument for taking game than the ballistics would suggest, i.e. a good killer. Oddly enough I was talking to a friend about this today. He still has one of the rifles I worked on, and after taking approximately 20 deer over the last however many years he has the same opinion. In fact, I tested reloads for him last week and the rifle shot a little better than MOA with its original load. (Velocity with the 140 grain Speer was around 2500 fps give or take a bit.) I think quality control procedures required them to shoot 2 MOA at 100 meters with open sites. I don't remember many of them, with a couple of notable exceptions, that wouldn't beat this quite easily using a scope. I think most people would settle on a 140 grain bullet for the caliber when hunting today, but don't ignore the 160 grain Hornady RN if it is still marketed. Some of those old rifles just loved this bullet. The twist in them was very fast, maybe around 1 in 7.9 if memory serves. Also friends told me that the 160 g bullet gave superior penetration on bigger ungulates like moose. I didn't test this myself, preferring a larger rifle for moose, though can attest to accuracy with the bullet. Of course, it wasn't going much faster than 2350 fps in my reloads. It's nice to hear some of these M96's are still sparking some interest. Fred
many rifles are 1 in 7.5 twist and the swede loves the slow powder, I've also had good success with reloader 22. I purchased a calibre specific manual for the cartridge on ebay, was less than 20.00, has over a thousand tested loads. Have since purchased manuals for all the calibres I reload, much better than a general manual.
