6.5x55

bigdan

Active Member
hello, please do say if this is a bit of a cheek as iv been a member less than a week ,but sussex lad has talked me into trying reloading the 6.5.
has any one got any pet loads that they might want to share. i would be very grateful for any pointers. :)
 
bigdan 6.5x55

Have a look at the Dan Newberry website re Optimal Charge Weight Load development. Then try some Hornady SST's (129g) using suitable powder such as Reloader 19, Hodgdon h4350 or similar. You're not looking for lightnig speeds because 6.5 works well at lower velocities.
Sierra Gamekings (140g) seriously accurate, but I've yet to try them on the deer.

j
 
Bigdan,

I've had good results with 3 powders in 6.5x55 with Accubond 130 gr and Ballistic Tip 120 gr.

Reloder 22 - I have seen this referred to as the Gold Standard for the calibre.
H4895 - very minor increase in group size over R22.
Tubal 5000 - equal to R22 in group size and 25% cheaper!

Of course, this only applies to my rifle and the way in which I reload.

Good luck - it's the most interesting calibre I have ever reloaded for.

Charles
 
6.5

I use Vhit 160 in mine.

48.7 gr under a prohunter 120 gr bullet. Around 2700fps.

I also use it with 129SST but they do stupid things inside deer, like go in and turn at 90 degree angles, even had one return out the same side as the entry wound!! Very accurate though. I will look up my loads for you.

As above, I use the optimal load method and it has worked for me.

J
 
Hornady 129 grain Interlocks, 45 grains of H4350 this combination in my gun is very accurate and very deadly. Furthest a Sika stag has ever gone is 15 yards, and that was a long way, Sika hinds do a sort of cartwheel thing and Roe deer tend to swoon on the spot.

Seriously this round is very good in mine, I have not put it over a chrony but it does the job very efficiently. I have some 140 grain and 160 grain Hornady loaded up and one of these days, when I am out of 129 grain, I will develop these further.

John
 
Hi Bigdan and welcome, I have only Roe, muntjac and fox on my ground so tend to use lighter bullets than most it seems.
IMR4064 42grains/2.75gm will give you 2935fps and 1913ft/lbs of energy for a 100 grain Sierra bullet.
I use the same charge for my 120 grain Sierras ( fraction over the present recommended Max) but the max recommended load has dropped by 2 grains over the past five years or so. Also I Full length seat my bullets (3.127" in my rifle rather than 3.00") which reduces the pressure quite a bit.
In fact I had Smoke problems using H414 (no obturation) and had to go a full grain over their Max to cure this problem.
This charge gives me 2884 fps and 2217 ft/lbs.
Both the above giive me three shot groups of three quarters of an inch at one hundred yards through my Sako and often two of the three are touching or very close.

I have also loaded using Vithavouri N160 and Hodgdens H414 but the IMR 4064 is a versatile powder and I load my .243 with it also.
 
thanks very much for the info fellas. im sure ill get the reloading bug too once i get into it. walked round my new shoot last night and saw a cracking roe buck so i may just have to take my first deer with factory ammo as im not sure i have the patience to wait till sussex lad has shown me how to do the techy, weighy clever stuff. !! :lol:
 
full length seat

Techman,
if I am reading your post correctly,

Also I Full length seat my bullets (3.127" in my rifle rather than 3.00") which reduces the pressure quite a bit.

This will actually increase pressure, not reduce it. The closer the bullet is to the rifling, the higher the pressure is.

and oter loads are:

48.3gr N160 with hornady 100gr SP
46.6gr N160 with Hornady 129gr SST
 
Jingzy,
I am not sure you are correct on the pressure front when seating your bullet full length rather than the recommended COL.

When loading a given powder charge for the recommended COL i.e 3.00" my Chrono gave me an average of 2927fps. The same charge using my rifle's overall cartridge length (3.127") gives me an average of 2884fps.
This tells me that, as there is more of an air gap within the cartridge (full length sizing) then the pressure will be less.

Perhaps others can enlarge on this one.
 
I think it is a bit dangerous to say that the nearer the bullet to the rifling the greater the pressure. The popular rule of thumb is the deeper the bullet the more compressed the load, well this may or may not be true but it has been disproved often enough. Then there is the matter of free bore to consider, along with case length, neck tension. I think, and always will until it is disproved, that bullet depth and its relation to pressure is highly subjective. It depends upon the the rifle, the reloading style and the components, IMHO.

If someone has a definitive answer I would be truly grateful, it would clear it up once and for all.

John
 
6.5 X 55

Hi. All.
I had this issue explained to me by a bench rest shooter, who taught me to reload. Some time ago within bench rest there was a trend to extend the OAL so that the ogive of the bullet actually touched the rifling. When doing this the load had to be reduced because it was over stressing the breach and bolt locking mechanism. They have moved away from this again now finding a small gap to be more accurate.

But any way how it was explained to me was. If you think of a car at 90 deg to the curb, its tyre hard up against the curb. If you try and drive up the curb you will require more force (or pressure for a bullet) than if you are 1 foot from the curb and do the same.

So by touching the rifling with the bullet olgive the pressure within the action will be higher, using more energy to push the bullet onto the rifling and down the barrel resulting in lower muzzle velocity, but a higher pressure .

This is no by no means a definitive answer but if you follow the physics it makes sense and in practice I got a similar result to Techman when I tried.
 
Now that is a reasonable explanation, never park too close to the rifling :eek:

Thanks for that Fallow 6.5

John
 
reloading

im just thinking of reloading 6.5 where do you all get your kit and power from and what not to buy.
 
I always give the same reply to this question, get yourself a Lee anniversary kit. In that will be all you need with the exception of, dies, primers, powder, brass and bullets, you get yourself a set of calipers if you feel the need.

I always recommend this kit because it is not expensive, it may not be to every one's liking, but it does the job well enough, and it is not the most expensive, which means if you do not take to reloading then your original outlay is not so bruising, and usually easy to sell on.

I think you get a Lee reloading manual with it, which is IMHO one of the better ones, read it and then read it again. The best course of action is, if possible, find someone close by to give you a hand, start you off in the right direction.

John
 
One thing about the lee kit is the fact that you rarelly see them for sale second hand. so either they are so cheap, people hang onto them or most people that try handloading enjoy it.
I load my 6.5 with,

reloader22, 140 nosler partitions,
reloader22 150 lapua megas
i tried varget and got good results but i had a couple of pounds of 22 left over from the .270 so the 140 partitions are my pet load

Ezzy
 
FWIW...... I am now using RL22 - 49.0Gn; Fed GM210M primers, Lapua brass; Nosler 120Gn BT at .025 off the lands in my rifle, but that may differ according to the individual chamber etc etc. This load gives one hole group from a cold clean barrel with no signs of high pressures.

T260
 
V160 44.5grains sierra 140 (1730) gameking
R22 45.5 grains hornady 140 . Older Sako rifle are both good accurate "bigger deer" loads.
 
I have to ask the question why?

Does your 'deer' round kill foxes?

If so then why complicate things by having different rounds.
 
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