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One of Us |
I'm hoping I can sneak this thread in to the Medium Bore Rifles subforum even though it's a tad under .270. I recently picked up a very nice used 6.5x55 Swede and would like to work up some loads for it. It's a modern action--a Husqvarna 1900--and should handle high (but safe) pressures well. Most of the loading data I've seen is very tame, due undoubtedly to the many old service rifles out there in this cartridge, and I'm sure I can better the published velocities by a lot with this modern action. As for powders, the usual suspects in the medium-slow range seem to be generally suggested--4350, 4831, Re22, etc. However, newer powders like Vihtavuori 560, Re25, and Re26 would seem to perhaps offer better velocities, and my work with QuickLoad would seem to confirm this. So that's my question: what have you all found to give you the best velocities in your Swedes? ______________________________ The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. - Bertrand Russell | ||
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Wouldn't you favor accuracy over velocity? You can get about 2700 ish from a 140 grain bullet. What more do you want with an appropriately zeroed scope? | |||
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Sure, I'd give accuracy priority. However, with careful choice of powder, why can't you have both? For many powder choices with a particular bullet, the best accuracy is often obtained with a maximum charge. My experimenting with QuickLoad suggests that in a modern action, 2850 fps should be easily attainable with a 140-gr. bullet from a 24-in. barrel. I'm just interested in hearing what 6.5x55 shooters have found to give the best velocities. ______________________________ The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. - Bertrand Russell | |||
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My hunting partner uses one and he likes the 156 Norma bullets in his. Gets about 2500 or so and calls it good. | |||
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That 156-gr. Norma bullet should be just the thing for larger game like moose, elk, and bears. ______________________________ The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. - Bertrand Russell | |||
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Yes, I think it's a bit hard for deer. He and I both buy the loaded PRVI ammo for the excellent quality brass. He has shot deer with the factory 139 stuff and it works just fine on deer. | |||
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| one of us |
SP Go look in a Nosler #9 manual. There are 5 powders listed that produced between 2700 and 2800 fps in the test rifle. Those powders are imr 4350 IMR 4831 H4831 RL22 and H1000. I have several modern 6.5x55 rifles and have found IMR 4831 and RL19 to be hard to beat accuracy wise with 140 gr bullets. Hope that helps.If you have any questions pm me | |||
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| one of us |
Might also check velocities with Staball 6.5. I've had good luck with it with 6.5 Creedmoor and 142grain bullets and plan to try it in the 6.5 Swede also. | |||
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| One of Us |
I was using the Sierra 140gr Game King over 45.4gr of RL-22 with a Federal 215M primer in Norma Brass. Fired from my CZ 550FS with the 20.5" barrel. I was getting right at 2700fps +/- 10fps. It was a slightly compressed load. It was pretty accurate out of that rifle. I have switched over to the 130gr Swift Scirocco bullets and get 2800fps with my load. I can't remember the load and I don't have the book at the moment. I loaned it to a friend. I believe it was RL-19 with the Norma brass and same magnum match primer | |||
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| Administrator |
First of all I have not seen any of the Husqvarna rifles through here shoot that well. Sorry to tell you this, but this my experience with them. You will get decent velocities if your rifle has a long barrel, as many do. Other makes in this caliber shoot very well. | |||
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Saeed, is that in all calibers or just 6.5x55? Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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The only Husqvarna rifles I have seen were all in 6.5x55. They have quite a few around here, and they are valued very well. They have long barrels, and people actually refer to them as SNIPERS MODEL. I have tried to develop loads for some, but always fell short of achieving very good results. I am not really sure where the faults lies. They have those Mauser actions which are very sloppy, and the triggers are nothing to write home about. | |||
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| One of Us |
Just go and buy yourself some Sellior & Bellot in 140gr and forget about it. It will save you money and shoot as good and will kill everything you should be hunting with the 6.5x55. I shoot one all the time. JP Sauer Drilling 12x12x9.3x72 David Murray Scottish Hammer 12 Bore Alex Henry 500/450 Double Rifle Steyr Classic Mannlicher Fullstock 6.5x55 Steyr Classic Mannlicher Fullstock .30-06 Walther PPQ H2 9mm Walther PPS M2 Cogswell & Harrison Hammer 12 Bore Damascus And Too Many More | |||
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RL 22 | |||
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Agreed^^^ The StaBall 6.5 has been a little easier to get around these parts and I've used it in a 270 Win and 6.5 Creedmoor with excellent results. Nowadays, It's more about which powder you can actually get!!! Zeke | |||
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IMR 4350 and IMR 4064 get me 2780fps with a Sierra Matchking 142 grain bullet. These are my most accurate powders in that rifle and it shoots in the .38" group size. I've never tried more speed after I found this accuracy. | |||
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| One of Us |
Strange they had a commercial in the 1970s what they shot 5 shots inside a box of snus(tobacco 3" at 100m) | |||
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| One of Us |
I wonder if the Husqvarna in this thread is a military or commercial. My Husqvarna in 6.5x55 is a Swedish stamped commercial FN action made in Belgium. Shoot Safe, Mike NRA Endowment Member | |||
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Mine is the later Husqvarna 1900 action, not the FN or small-ring Mauser action of earlier Husqvarnas.  So it's up to higher-pressure loads. After a lot of playing with QuickLoad, it appears that, for velocity, Alliant Reloder 26 may be the best, but I have yet to chronograph any Re26 loads. Anyone else here tried Re26? ______________________________ The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. - Bertrand Russell | |||
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I've gotten 2,710 fps with a 140 Partition using 45.5gr. of RL22. That's as far as I was willing to push it as I was getting some pressure signs in a Merkel Helix. Regards, Robert ****************************** H4350! It stays crunchy in milk longer! | |||
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Surprised you saw pressure signs with 45.5 gr. of RL22 behind a 140-gr. Partition. QuickLoad shows this as generating only 49,800 psi pressure (equal to about 43,500 CUP). I wonder whether the Merkel Helix's straight-pull action could be a factor here. ______________________________ The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. - Bertrand Russell | |||
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