MV for home load 6.5x55 help

[cjs66]

Hello folks, as the title says, I'm after some help with MVs. If any one is using a similar load and know their MVs, I'd appreciate it if you could let me know around about where I'm at.

Gun is a 6.5x55 R8, think its 22.5 to 23 inch.

Load one is.
Lapua brass, oal 3.000.
140g SST with CCI 200 primer.
43g H4350

Load two.
Lapua brass, oal 2.955.
140g SST with Remington 9.5 primer.
46.7g N160

Load three.
Lapua brass, oal 3.000.
120g Nosler BT with Remy and CCI primer. Both shot the same .
42.5g H4350.

All three loads shot very well so would like to know the speeds to set up my scope.
I'm getting different speeds from different books, just wondered if someone out there had chrono'd anything similar.

cjs

 

[Flash9919]

Impossible to say, but I'd guess the middle load with N160 to be around 2700fps.

 

[Davee]

The nearest that I can give you is Fox 123gn, Lapua brass, CCI 200 primer 42gn N550,OAL 74mm, at 2784fps, or Sierra MK 123gn, Lapua brass, CCI 200 primer, 42.2gn N550, OAL 78mm at 2753fps. All out of a 23" barrel.

 

[Malxwal]

If you're setting up ballistic turrets, why not just check your actual drops at distance ? The likes of Strelok will allow you to then back calculate your actual velocity or BC.
In reality, its the POI/drop that matters and not the velocity ?

 

[jackfish]

Nearest I can give is:
120gr Sierra Pro Hunters
OAL 3.046
50.5gr N160
3040fps
This was in my Sauer 101 6.5x55

140gr Nosler Partitions
OAL 3.042
44gr of RL17
2884fps
This was out of my 6.5x55 Blaser R8 Proffesional success

 

[Border]

Every barrel is different so will give different results, even barrels the same length can be fast or slow.
As Malxwal says either check drops at distance or beg, borrow, hire or buy a chrono.
They are an invaluable aid for the homeloader.

 

[Muir]

Find the ballistic coefficient of the bullet you are shooting. If you note the altitude, the temperature and barometric pressure at the location of your range, then zero at 100 and check the drop at 200, you can feed the numbers into a ballistic program till you get a velocity match for your BC and drop. Just keep altering he velocity until the rest of the numbers match up.

Or buy a chronograph. I don't see how a reloader can live without one.~Muir

 

[cjs66]

Ok, thanks for the reply fellas.
Setting out targets to distance is not an option, I've not got the space and don't do range days. Plus would bore me to death..
I know the chronograph is the way to go but, I'm not going to buy one as I have all my loads for the calibre of rifle I'm going to load for, sorted.
Just wondered if anyone was shooting similar loads through their R8. It's not an uncommon rifle.
I'll ask about, I know a few people in a rifle club that may have one.

I sort of knew it was a long shot...


cjs

 

[simonl]

If you're setting up ballistic turrets, why not just check your actual drops at distance ? The likes of Strelok will allow you to then back calculate your actual velocity or BC.
In reality, its the POI/drop that matters and not the velocity ?

This^^^

You only need a 400 yd field & 20 mins. Probably quicker than setting up a light based chrono

 

[ejg]

6.5x55 brass is not made for pressures such a 6.5x47 or Creedmoor. ~3800 bar vs 4150-4400bar (just from memory). Many try to make something out of the Swede that she isn't. One chap here had primers flying out and even the bolt cracked on a Ruger 77 just to get some oompf out of a 22" barrel. Maybe they should introduce +P Brass for the Swede.
edi

 

[25 Sharps]

Hello folks, as the title says, I'm after some help with MVs. If any one is using a similar load and know their MVs, I'd appreciate it if you could let me know around about where I'm at.

Gun is a 6.5x55 R8, think its 22.5 to 23 inch.

Load one is.
Lapua brass, oal 3.000.
140g SST with CCI 200 primer.
43g H4350

Load two.
Lapua brass, oal 2.955.
140g SST with Remington 9.5 primer.
46.7g N160

Load three.
Lapua brass, oal 3.000.
120g Nosler BT with Remy and CCI primer. Both shot the same .
42.5g H4350.

All three loads shot very well so would like to know the speeds to set up my scope.
I'm getting different speeds from different books, just wondered if someone out there had chrono'd anything similar.

cjs

No idea on speed but the SST N160 load at that COAL looks HOT to me!!

 

[cjs66]

No idea on speed but the SST N160 load at that COAL looks HOT to me!!

Fine in my rifle, no signs of pressure.

For anyone interested, the speeds are as follows..

Lapua brass, oal 3.000.
140g SST with CCI 200 primer. 2500 av fps
43g H4350


Lapua brass, oal 2.955.
140g SST with Remington 9.5 primer. 2750 av fps.
46.7g N160


Lapua brass, oal 3.000.
120g Nosler BT with Remy Primer. 2530 av fps
42.5g H4350.

120g BT load is a bit disappointing but accurate.

cjs

 

[25 Sharps]

Fine in my rifle, no signs of pressure.

For anyone interested, the speeds are as follows..

Lapua brass, oal 3.000.
140g SST with CCI 200 primer. 2500 av fps
43g H4350


Lapua brass, oal 2.955.
140g SST with Remington 9.5 primer. 2750 av fps.
46.7g N160


Lapua brass, oal 3.000.
120g Nosler BT with Remy Primer. 2530 av fps
42.5g H4350.

120g BT load is a bit disappointing but accurate.

cjs

Try the N160 under the 120 NBTs, I'm getting 2860 and good accuracy from tht combo

 

[Edinburgh Rifles]

6.5x55 brass is not made for pressures such a 6.5x47 or Creedmoor. ~3800 bar vs 4150-4400bar (just from memory). Many try to make something out of the Swede that she isn't. One chap here had primers flying out and even the bolt cracked on a Ruger 77 just to get some oompf out of a 22" barrel. Maybe they should introduce +P Brass for the Swede.
edi

The cartidge chambering carries the pressure rating
its low due to the prevalence of small ring mausers and similarly weaker actions rather than the brass.

the swede in a modern action can be stoked up to considerably fruitier levels than the books will advise.
the small rifle primers in the 47 and creedmore will allow a little more....but very very little to not make any difference inside 300m

 

[cjs66]

Hi Sharps.

I've got a load with the 120s and N160, 2720 fps av in my rifle but not as accurate as with H4350 but, probably more than good enough for stalking. 2860 is a cracker… Nice one.

cjs

cjs

 

[Blobby159]

Hi Sharps.

I've got a load with the 120s and N160, 2720 fps av in my rifle but not as accurate as with H4350 but, probably more than good enough for stalking. 2860 is a cracker… Nice one.

cjs

cjs

And here is another loading to push along those beautiful 120gr Nosler BTs.. I recently found that whilst H4350 tends to be one of the more reliable for general accuracy loads in the 6.5x55 SE, H-VARGET really does a magnificent job in my Tikka t3 'Sporter'.

Last Summer when I was tinkering with a variety of propellents and these quality 120gr. bullets on my improvised 200yd range (backstop being an old fallen tree of something near two feet in diameter) I loaded up ten rounds over 41grs. of Varget.

My target was a dream with three shots overlapping and the other two within a couple of millimetres of the centre of that first 3 shots. The worst overall c-t-c measurement was 0.67", and having shot them over the chronograph that for once I had remembered to take along with me, I could tell I was onto a good one, with an average for the 5 shots being approx 2920 f.p.s.

So to summarise then.... A Good 6.5x55 Swede load!
Lapua case (two times fired),
Federal 210 large rifle Gold Medal Primer,
120gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip,
and the fuel for this....
41.0grs of Hogdon's Varget.

For me in my Tikka t3 it is a terrific medium range game-getter and coincidentally a really ace erm..."target" round... .. Ah-hem!

The primers were just a little flattened but in truth nothing to fret over as Federal caps are generally known to be at the 'softer' end of the primer cup hardness scale. I later substituted CCI BR2 benchrest primers with quite similar results in the accuracy and velocity stakes but more rounded off primer cups after the firing cycle.

ATB .... and safe shooting.

 

[25 Sharps]

Hi Sharps.

I've got a load with the 120s and N160, 2720 fps av in my rifle but not as accurate as with H4350 but, probably more than good enough for stalking. 2860 is a cracker… Nice one.

cjs

cjs

Funnily enough my best accuracy was around 2750, 3/4" at 200 yards but I was finding poor obturation on frosty winter mornings extra couple of grains solved the issue and only opened the groups up by about 50% which is still plenty good enough for deer

 

[ejg]

The cartidge chambering carries the pressure rating
its low due to the prevalence of small ring mausers and similarly weaker actions rather than the brass.

the swede in a modern action can be stoked up to considerably fruitier levels than the books will advise.
the small rifle primers in the 47 and creedmore will allow a little more....but very very little to not make any difference inside 300m

Your are aware that the 6.5x55 has CIP pressure values? It has nothing to do with the action your are running. The Brass design, cartridge spec is from 1890's and most Mauser cartridges at that time were spec'ed lower pressure (around 3800bar) than some newer cartridges (up to ~4400bar)
Yes if you have an action that can't take the CIP rated pressure of the cartridge then one needs to reduce loads, maybe not run modern Euro factory ammo as that runs to CIP pressure. If you want to run a 6.5x55 at 4400bar one would need +P brass made for the higher pressure which I don't know if it exits. Brass is a pressure vessel made to work within a certain pressure range you can't just willi nilli choose a pressure that you like. How about running a 30-30 with 4400 bar... the modern action could take it... can the brass?
edi

 

[stephentri]

6.5x 55

 

[ejg]

View attachment 101283

Exactly, 3800 bar. Which is standard for the 6.5x55 after CIP as far as I know. Ammo is produced to this data in Europe. Even Speer Manual 13 ed goes by this pressure and mentions it. Some increase this pressure to over 4000 bar as would be usual for 308/260 etc. Brass is made for the 3800 bar not for higher pressures. Just like 8x57, 7x57 etc have around 3800bar.

edi