which powder for 6.5x55

308mate

Well-Known Member
hi Guys,
For the last 10 years or more I've used Viht N160 for my 6.5x55 however for whatever reason Viht powders seems to be unavailable here in N.Ireland so the question is what else works well?

I use Reloader 15 in my 308 and am very pleased with it. I only shoot 120gr soft points and Nosler BT's in my 6.5 and have them go about 2800fps which seems to perform perfectly for what I need.
Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated


Aaron
 
.308mate

I use RL17/RS60/Elcho 17 with 140 SST to good effect

Also look at RS70 or RL22 both good powders with the Swede but may be a little too slow for 120 grain bullets
 
Thanks, Ive been looking into reloader 19 and 22 I suppose there's only 1 way to find out what works!
 
Have a look at the viht burn comparison chart. It's in the free online manuals.

Rl19 works but not a fan of the chunky sticks.
 
This will sound like it's out of left field, but the best powder I have used with 120 and 140 grn in several 6.5x55's is IMR 7828 SSC. I don't know if it's available to you but I have found it to be superb in this cartridge. Hodgdon's web site has data.~Muir
 
What barrel lengths do you run on your 14-15 6.5's Muir? I was considering trying IMR 7828 SSC (on your recommendation some time back) but I then read someone else claiming that it was too slow to fully deliver with shorter barreled 6.5's (I have a 20" barrel on my Sako)

PS still using your previous preferred powder IMR4350 and that works very well for me.
 
If you can find a source of reloader Swiss.. RS60 is the perfect 6.5x55 powder..
 
thanks for the help guys, the problem is there is only 1 dealer bringing powder into Norther Ireland and for whatever reason he isn't bringing in Viht so it looks like the reloader powders are the easiest to get at the mo
 
thanks for the help guys, the problem is there is only 1 dealer bringing powder into Norther Ireland and for whatever reason he isn't bringing in Viht so it looks like the reloader powders are the easiest to get at the mo

Aaron, there was any amount of N560 plus primers (£84 per kg) in the Moy last week. If you are stuck I can give you some Re17 to keep you going. N560 is excellent in the 6.5.
 
As above I use N160 , with 120 grain but also use swiss rs60 with 120s and 140grain bullets to great affect
 
All but three of my X55's are military Model 96. I shoot cast bullets through them when I shoot them at all. Two Winchesters and a FN Commercial are the ones I run the 7828 SSC through. The FN is 24" the Winchesters are 22". If IMR 4350 works then that is great. I stumbled on 7828SSC because no one was buying it at the beginning of the powder shortages a few years back and it was cheap and plentiful. I decided to give it a toss and it worked really well; better than anything else. It is a magnum powder (developed for the 7mm Rem Mag, I've been told) but it seems to give plenty of juice from the aforementioned rifles. I wouldn't go way out of my way to try it if you are happy with what you are using, but it is an option.~Muir
 
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