Gentlemen,
I have been working with a 6.5 that I have, and am wondering, do any of you use IMR 4895 or Win 748 in them? I happen to have some of both of those, and wonder how they work for you. I have read that Seafire/B17G has used IMR4895, and maybe if he sees this he will respond. Where do I start with that powder? I don't find it listed in the Hornady book that I have been using, so I just wondered.

Also, How much difference will it make to change primers from Win WLR to CCI 200 in the same 6.5? I will have to re-develope the load, I know, but is that something that will "tune up" an already good group, or is that a major change, like one powder to another?
thanks for your thoughts,
Regards,
Graham

What bullet weight?

I'd call a primer change major.

Jaywalker

Depends on what you're going to use the load for, hunting or target shooting (I exclude plinking). For hunting purposes I would go for a more massive bullet like the 160 grs Hornady RN or the 155 grs Lapua MEGA. These bullets require very slow powders like RL 22, MRP (2) or, even better, N 165. The latter behind the MEGA gives me about 1 MOA.

On the other hand, it is not unwise to use these powders behind 140 grainers as well like SRA MK, HDY SP or HDY A-Max. It very much depends on what YOUR rifle likes. Give it a try.

More than that, there is a numerous community which uses faster powders like Varget or N 140. Discontinuing a long standing recommendation, Vihtavuori is not giving any load data for N 140 + 140 grainers anymore. But it works, and this with great accuracy.

There is no problem to use a faster powder with 120 grainers. My two pennies: try and try again. Somewhere in some unexpected range with some not considered powder or load it will work. And all Garand or Nagant etc. shooters will envy you at the target change ...

I've had my best success under 140gr bulets with R-22, others I know do very well with H4831SC. The Swede seems to really like the slow powders. Especially with the long barrelled M96's.

Eric

My baby,M38, loves re19 with 120s and above. It likes IMR3031 with the lighter stuff.

The rifle is a M70 FWT Classic with a 22 inch barrel, and the bullet is a 129 gr. Hornady sp. Thanks for the ideas.
Regards,
Graham

With 140s and 160s, I've burned everything from 4895 to 7828 and my Swede like the slow burning powders best. The beauty of the beast is that the Swede does well with just about any powder.

mine is not a Swedish 6,5 (6,5x55) but the very similar 6,5x57.

with light bullets like the 100gr Partition, a splendid performer in smalish deer, I get best results with Norma's 203-B, a European powder comparable to Reloader 15.

when hunting large-for-the-cartridge species I rather load premium bullets that penetrate deeply, that the heavier 140-160 grainers.

like that I've experienced very good results with the 130gr TSX behind Norma's MRP which is comparable to Reloader 22.

my gun is a very petite single shot, recoil is noticeable lighter than with the heavier missiles, it shoots flatter, and I tell you you'll nead a lot of animal to stop one of these TSXs.

my 2 cts.

montero

I've got a few full millitary Swedish Mausers, a Remington Mdl 700 Classic and a 15" TC Encore pistol barrel in 6.5x55.....as you can see I'm rather fond of the round.

I've worked with bullets up to 140gr and my experiences have been that no matter what the bullet weight or barrel length the 6.5x55 seems to like the slower powders best.....RL-22, H4831SC and IMR4350.

Ike

quote:

do any of you use IMR 4895 or Win 748 in them?

No. I suppose those powders would work, but IMO the Swede works best with slower propellants, starting with the 4350's, and going down to H4831 and RE 22..........

These powders will permit higher velocities within the pressure limitations of the Norwegian Krag and the Swedish Mauser. But of course, this is not a consideration if you are using a Model 70!

2 different 140gr. bullets **47 gr. Accurate data 86, avg.fps. = 2735. Both super accurate. roger

140grs bullet 45-47 grs of N160 Vithavuori, depending from the case that you are using. I use Lapua and use 46 grs of powder.
120grs bullet 48-50 grs of Norma Mrp, depending from the case that you are using.

quote:

Originally posted by bartsche:
2 different 140gr. bullets **47 gr. Accurate data 86, avg.fps. = 2735. Both super accurate. roger

Out of a 22" Howa barrel, Hornady 129 gr SP, 48.0 gr Accurate Data 86, RP 9½ primer, Lapua brass, about 2650 fps, 2 5 shot groups at 100 yds. avg 1.14" at 100 yards. Temperature was about 45° F.
Accurate Data 86 is very close in burn rate to Accurate 3100 or IMR-4831. Works very nice in the Swede, as well as .243 Win and .270WSM.

I long ago figuired out that my M38 Swede
also liked the slower powders....

IMR4350, RL19 and RL22 appear to be the best
with either 120gr or 140gr bullets.

I've never had any luck with lighter bullets
in my M38.

AllanD

quote:

Originally posted by M70classic:
The rifle is a M70 FWT Classic with a 22 inch barrel, and the bullet is a 129 gr. Hornady sp. Thanks for the ideas.
Regards,
Graham

I have the same rifle and have used IMR 4350 for everything. That being the 129gr Hornady, 140gr Hornady and the 140 gr Speer. Have 4831 and R22 but haven't tried either.

I took the advice on the uses of RL-22 in the 6.5 x 55. I loaded 49gr of it in Win cases with a 129gr Hornady bullet and Federal match primer. It shot 2,885 fps out of my Win model 70 featherweight with a 22 inch barrel. Does this Velocity sound right? I loaded some at 48gr and they shot under one inch Should make a very nice deer load. Thanks for the advice on RL-22.

From a 22" barrel almost 2900 fps sounds way too fast for the Swede. The cartridge isn`t a speed demon and 2700 2800 from the old military 29" barrel sounds more like it. I`d look for ~2750-2800 fps from your 22" and call it good. I used 47.5 gr R22 in mine under a 129 with a WLR primer and ran it just under 2775 fps in my old 24" barreled Mark X.

I disagree. I think that is a very reasonable load in a model 70. My son has a model 70 Featherweight in 6.5X55 and the load I worked up was 49 gr. RL 22 with 140 gr. Swift A-Frames at 2775 fps. and very accurate. He killed all manner of plains game with it in Zim lst year. No pressure signs, moderate load.

Geronimo

I know the Swede action can be pushed way past reasonable or moderate loads(don't ask how I
know). I also can see military 140grainers going about 2600 fps in the 29" Swede and the same weight in load tables for a 26" 264WIN MAG goes 2900 to about 3100fps, tops.

A 140 grainer at about 2800fps from a 22" barrel may be a good load for your gun, but it could hardly be called a moderate or reasonable Swede round. best-o-luck

My best hunting load for my 6.5x55 is the
125gr Nosler Partition with 49 grains of
3100. Flat shooting, accurate, and oh so deadly.
It's a .270 in disguise.

Gentlemen,
Here is a quick update. I was reading my Hornady manual (fifth ed.) the other day, and I realized that I had started my load development at Max for IMR 4350 and went up from there. No wonder the recoil was a little sharp!
Anyway, I developed a load with 44.0 gr. IMR 4831, and last Sunday it placed 5 shots in .656 inches, with a flier that I called. I also tried a more moderate load with the IMR 4350, and I actually had 5 groups (3 shots each) that were below.75 of an inch. I would probably say that I have found the load(s).
Thanks for the input,
Regards,
Graham

quote:

Originally posted by M70classic:
Gentlemen,
Here is a quick update. I was reading my Hornady manual (fifth ed.) the other day, and I realized that I had started my load development at Max for IMR 4350 and went up from there. No wonder the recoil was a little sharp!
Anyway, I developed a load with 44.0 gr. IMR 4831, and last Sunday it placed 5 shots in .656 inches, with a flier that I called. I also tried a more moderate load with the IMR 4350, and I actually had 5 groups (3 shots each) that were below.75 of an inch. I would probably say that I have found the load(s).
Thanks for the input,
Regards,
Graham

Just curious how much IMR-4350 you are using in your moderate load and which bullet? My experience indicated that 42.5 gr with a Hornady 129 gr SP was very mild recoil wise and more accurate than heavier loads. Chronographed about 200 fps behind the 46 gr load, though.

2ndtimer,
My first load development with IMR-4350 was 43-46.0gr, every half grain. The smallest group was about 1.2, at 46.0. It seemed that it would just about put two in one hole, and throw either the second or the third about 2 inches away.
At any rate, the best load for IMR 4350 within book limits is 41.5 gr behind a Hornady 129 SP. That was right at .75 inch. There were other groups that were smaller, but they would have been too slow. My 42.5 gr. load printed a 1.5 inch group. The load development went like this:
IMR 4350
Hornady 129 SP
Winchester case
Winchester WLR primer

37.0 1.522
37.5 .745
38.0 .485
38.5 1.260
39.0 .700
39.5 .567
40.0 2.062
40.5 2.347
41.0 1.158
41.5 .771
42.0 2.500
42.5 1.510
That is max, according to Hornady's fifth ed.
43.0 Sighter. never actually measured
43.5 1.273
44.0 1.504
44.5 2.418
45.0 2.540
45.5 2.656
46.0 1.180

You are most definitely correct. The 42.5 gr loads were a lot lighter than the 46.0 gr loads, but they were heavier in recoil than the 37 grain loads by a noticeable margin. How long is your barrel, and what might I be expecting out of my 22 inch tube? Also, any idea what I am getting from 44.0 grains of IMR 4831 with all the same components? I don't have a chrony, and the book says it should be a couple hundred fps faster. Just wondered what your experience was.
Regards,
Graham

Thanks for the reply, Graham. My 22" barrel is a Howa 1500 and has a very long throat, so my velocities could be lower than yours, depending on what you are shooting. My 42.5 gr load of IMR-4350 consistently clocks around 2425 fps and is usually sub MOA, if I do my part. My 46 gr load ups the average to around 2650, yet still groups less than an inch and a half. Probably closer to inch and a quarter. Because of my rifle's long throat (at least that is my theory) it will not shoot bullets lighter than 120 gr with any degree of accuracy. It also doesn't seem to like the Sierra 140 gr BTGK. It likes the Hornady 129 gr and 140 gr spire points the best, and tolerates with varying degrees of success, the 120 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip, Speer 120 Spitzer and Sierra 120 gr MKHP. Thankfully, it does appear to like the Accurate Data 86 powder from powder valley (basically a bulk version of Accurate 3100 that I purchase for less than $10 per pound delivered).

And as for your question regarding switching primers, I have never noticed any big change in velocity or pressure, but then I rarely am loading absolute maximum loads. I freely switch between CCI-200, WLR, RP 9 1/2, and Federal 210 without reworking loads. If I decide to try a Magnum primer like Federal 215, WLRM or CCI-250, I would probably back off 2 or 3 grains and work back up. Good luck with your 6.5x55 and let us know how it works out.

Graham, Mauser 1909 with 26" Schultz & Larsen barrel and Hornady 129 grs. SP, my best loads: WW-WW brass, Fed 210 primers, IMR 7828 - 50 grs., O.A.L. 74,70 mm (3 shots at 150 meters: .802")
Hector

I got a 3 shot group under .5" with 40.5 grains of IMR 4064 and 120 grain sierra flat base spitzers. Rifle was a CZ. Haven't tried much else.