I have a 1903 Mannlicher-Schoenauer take-down rifle in 6.5x54. I haven't shot it that much but when I have, I've used the old standby, the Hornady 160 gn round nose projectile. These work well however I'm told they're no longer being made. If this is true, I guess I'll have to find something else. Does anyone who shoots one of these rifles know of an effective substitute (and by this I mean something that cycles smoothly through a Schoenauer magazine)? I quite like the look of some of the lighter 140gn spitzer bullets but I'm doubtful they'd work. Anyone out there know for a fact?

The 156 Norma functions in three of my 6.5s non of which is a 1903. The Normas do not have the accuracy in my rifles ,however, that the 160 Hornady does but good enough for hunting. roger

Thanks for that. I hadn't even thought about Norma. I had a quick look online at there 156gn 'Alaska', which I suspect is the projectile you're referring to. It has a nice rounded tip so I suspect it would work well in my rifle. Interestingly (or not as the case may be) I kept my beloved little M-S in the back of the cupboard for several years after purchasing it because I couldn't get reloads (I didn't have any factory ammo) to feed from the mag properly. I actually reached a point where I actually consulted a gunsmith about the problem - all to no avail. It wasn't until I read a chance comment online that I realized the 160 gn Hornady projectiles I was using had to be seated way out (with the top of the neck sitting well below the crimp groove) before they'd function smoothly through the mag. What an amazing difference that made, but boy, did I feel a complete fool. Needless to say, this is one of those admissions one can only make online.

Be careful. My 1903 MS won't feed anything but 160rn. The 140 sp get stuck /pinched on the shoulder.

Woodleigh makes a 160 RN as well as SP for your 6.5

I have one 1903 carbine and I had an original sporter. Slug your bore first.

They often had the .268 groove diameter.

I use those & they are very accurate and penetrate like crazy on deer. They are available from Hornady.


Check this out

http://www.hornady.com/store/s...ryid[]=377&x=26&y=13

Thanks. I'll check these out. Also, although the rifle seems to shoot pretty well with the .264 Hornady 160 gns, I will slug the bore as suggested. Maybe it would go better with the .268??

Cheers.

quote:

Originally posted by lonewulf:
Thanks. I'll check these out. Also, although the rifle seems to shoot pretty well with the .264 Hornady 160 gns, I will slug the bore as suggested. Maybe it would go better with the .268??

Cheers.

Be very careful if you use the .268 bullets.
They were designed and manufactured for 6.5 Carcanos and have a reputation for being hard to load for without blowing primers.
Read the results with 6.5 Carcano. Its powder capacity is nearly identical to the 6.5 M-S.

I would recommend a major trolling effort for the Hornady 160 grn RN .264 bullets.
If you can turn up 4 or 5 boxes of these even if you have to pay a premium you will be set for a long time. A premium price for the Hornadys will still probably be less expensive than the same quantity of botique bullets.

I bought the last 900 Hornady 160 gr .264 bullets at MidwayUSA last year when I heard they were discontinued.

I read Ken Waters' Pet loads for this caliber. He also used 268 cal projectiles.

I have used them in 2 MS rifles with no issue. Slugged bores of course.

BTW i saw this on the hornady website

http://www.hornady.com/store/6.5mm-.264-160-gr-RN/

Thanks Naki. I saw that as well, which makes me wonder a bit about the whole "160 gn bullets aren't being made anymore" thing. Anyway, I've located a few boxes here in Canterbury so I should be set for a while. I will be slugging the bore of my 6.5 in any event. If it's over sized I'll have a go with the .268s.

Cheers

Check www.midwayusa.com for the .268" bullets on discontinued status. I bought 100 for my 6.5 Carcano. Good luck. Packy

I asked Hornady about the 6.5mm .264 bullet being discontinued.
According to Hornady they have NOT been discontinued.
Here is their response today 5/8/2013

Quote

Yes, we are still making these bullets. Our last shipment of this item went out a few months ago. Some of our retailers that received them were Graf & Sons and MidwayUSA.