Hi mates, I need advice on this subject.
any safe handloads for a old rifle (in VGC)Which will be a good book to start or a good web page?

Cheers
Arthur

G'day Arthur, I use one for C/F silhouette and load near "top of the shop" but only after my gun-plumber gave the OK. My advice is to purchase a couple of reloading manuals. Lyman do a good one with data on a variety of pills and powder. Probably the other one from your favourite bullet maker.

Most of the published data for the 6.5x55 is designed for the milsurp.

http://www.hodgdon.com/ has some data for you.

You'll enjoy the Swede... wonderful gun, wonderful caliber.

I got this off an older Accurate Reloading pamphlet.... but it does a good job with very low recoil...

160 grain Sierra RN,
30 grains of RL 7
MV about 2200 fps...

very accurate and very low pressure for even those older rifles...

cheers and good luck
seafire

This is merely one mans opinion, but I find the M96 actions as strong as most of the others. I have three of them from 1900, 1907 and 1917 and reload for all three. I don't load over max, but I don't scrimp on the loads either. They're dependable and strong enough for reasonable powder charges. I also have a 6.5x55 in a newer Remington Classic, but that's one of the strongest actions made. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

quote:

Originally posted by Arthur Plottier:
Hi mates, I need advice on this subject.
any safe handloads for a old rifle (in VGC)Which will be a good book to start or a good web page?

Cheers
Arthur

Arthur great choice of rifle and calibre I would suggest starting with 42gn of AR2209 and a good 140gr bullet
do a search for ADI and check out there website you should also be able to purchase the ADI loading book from your local gunshop they are only $3.00 or so

Kimber sold a bunch of these rechambered for .308. If a commercial gun builder isn't afraid to do this, I wouldn't worry too much about the action.

Besides the other 308 based cartridges, like 243 and 7-08, Kimber also had available M-96 conversions in 22-250. The Swede's mil proof loads went into the mid 60's range in CUP not psi. Strong actions indeed.

I think that the issue with the pre-98 Mausers is that they don't have the bigger gas shield on the bolt, so if you do rupture a primer or have a case split, you could get more gas and brass in your face. I guess that the thing to do is to keep an eye on your brass and keep your loads at least 5% under the book max.

Jeff

load up as you should, but a stiff yet still safe load of h4350 and a 125gn partition or 129 hornady is deadly on animals up to 300lbs or so. It carries close to 1500ftlbs to 300yds and is relatively flat. capt david

The gas handling of the Swede and similar actions is no worse (probably better) than the pre-64 Win Model 70 and I don't see aqnyone afraid to pull the trigget on 63,000 psi loads in them?

Gentlemen, please just don't confuse the Carl Gustav mausers with the FN made Husqvarna rifles. The former are military surplus or sporterized (sp?) military surplus rifles, almost always made on the Mauser 96 system and the latter are true Mauser 98.

The Carl Gustav rifles made on the 96-system are indeed not as reliable as a 98 or a pre-64.

As theese old rifles are very common here in Sweden, I reccoment you to look at Norma's webpage but that of course only if you have access to Norma powder. http://www.norma.cc

Or are you talking about a Carl Gustav 1900? Not a mauser system at all but a push feed, but they would surely compare to any other modern sporting rifle when it comes to preassure.

I guess you all know the difference, just wanted to be sure. Sorry if I state the obvious.

Regards,
Martin

While the Gustav may not be as ?RELIABLE? as the 98 or pre-64, and the 96's gas escape system may not be as good as the 98's, it doesn't change the fact that the older and weaker and maybe less reliable 96's were proofed by Sweden somewhere in the mid 60K CUP range. I believe some countries proofed their mauser 98's at less pressure than the Swede. Maybe my proof info is bogus. My info came from a couple of Swede sites. Does anyone have any confirming or conflicking info as to the proofing of the Swede 96 action? Best-o-Luck