I've been shooting 120 grain bullets out of my Swedes with decent accuracy very huntable but really wanted some tack driving loads and I think I'm finally close.
2 different loads turned out 5 shot groups that are .75" at 100 yards.
Both loads are not fast (2650) but they are accurate, here's the recipes.
140 grain Sierra Matchking, 39 Grains IMR 4064, Speer case, WW primer.
Next load
140 Grain Sierra Matchking, 43 grains IMR 4350,
Speer case, WW primer.

Rifle is a sporterized 96 with military barrel turned down and a 3-9 scope.

I wonder how people are doing with the 6.5x55 with American cases .473 " in a European chamber .479" Can't be good as the cases will rattle around.
I see the Winchester 1885 Low Wall is now available in 6.5x55.What chamber do they have ? I would think it would have to be .479" to fit all cartridges.

I've only used 2 different brass makers in my 6.5's ( we have 3 sporterized 96's) Speer and S&B. I see no difference in them other than some of the S&B are a tight fit in my #2 RCBS shelholder and the S&B is wearing out quickly and I am getting rid of it.
Bought the Speer brass on E-bay a few years ago new and I really like it good quality brass.
The rim size is the biggest difference I see, should measure them up to see if the body shows any difference.

I forgot to add -in my custom M98 I always used
Norma brass, 4350 [46 gr for 2750 ,the original pressures] Norma 140 gr with CCI primers.Somewhere around .75" or better !! Many deer !

I don't have much experience with Quickload but it says my load is 53,323 psi thats 43 grain IMR-4350 and 140 grain Matchkings at 2.95"oal.
It shows your load at 65,007 psi assuming 2.95"oal.
Not sure how accurate quickload is, also not sure how far to push a 6.5?
Any pressure signs on your load?

I love the Swede. But I've never even tried to reload for mine. I found out that mine loves the Seller & Belloit 131 gr factory load. It groups way less than an inch at 100 yards in my rifle. I got into a bunch of it at Natchez Shooting Supplies when it was on sale for less than $9 a box and I laid in a huge supply. Enough to last me a long, long time.

You may want to get a box of it and shoot it through your rifle. It isn't flashy or fancy but every muile or pronghorn I've hit with these bullets just go all wobble legged and fall over. And I'm not about to argue with a winning combunation.

Flags
That is where I got my S&B brass is from that same ammo you shoot.
I bought 100 rounds when it was cheap but I burned through it and have been reloading the brass since. When I went to buy more at the cheap price it had doubled!
Didn't stay cheap for long.
I'm never satisfied just shooting factory, I have to burn through it and then work up my own, I know its a sickness.

I understand. I reload for everything else I have. I've even got a set of dies for the Swede. But it seems when I want to go shooting with it I just grab a box and go. I've got around 500 factory rounds of it and that will last quite awhile for me.

Now, my 1903 Mannlicher Schoenauer in 6.5x54MS is another story. I load it to factory specs with the 160 Gr Hornady round nose. Had to lay in a bunch of those bullets when Hornady was getting ready to cease production.

Hey I saw those 160 round nose bullets for 18$ per hundred the other day at Grafs or Midway, they were discolored, blems.

Reasonable load for the 6.5x55 is 2750 with 140 gr.The old Norma data was 2788 with 139 gr with 46.6 gr Norma 204 .47,100 psi.24" barrel.
My rifle has 24" barrel , throated for 160 gr.
Absolutely NO signs of pressure ,case barely warm when extracted.I doubt my loads were more than 50,000 psi.

I don't doubt your loads are safe I am new to using Quickload and seems like all my old favorite loads show high pressure according to Quickload!

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:
Hey I saw those 160 round nose bullets for 18$ per hundred the other day at Grafs or Midway, they were discolored, blems.

Be very very careful about those Graf's bullets. They are .268 for the Carcano and will cause great harm in a rifle chambered for anything in 264. Even if you seat them with enough jump to overcome the starting pressure, you still have a jammed neck that can't let go of the bullet. You will damage SOMETHING. Also, they have no ogive to speak of. Just a round cylinder with a spherical tip. So they seat extremely deep. I suppose if you have the dies to swage them down and give them a useful point they'd be fine but you'd have to buy a bunch of them to get your money back.

Good point I didn't even look at that.
I don't need a heavy bullet for my 6.5 needs anyways so I didn't really look at them.
Thanks

I have some older load data from the 60s on the Swede.. lord knows what the pressure is running on those, but my rifles seem to hold it fine..
a Ruger, a Custom barrel on a Model 70 and a 1919 built Swedish Sniper version with a 29 inch barrel...

since the 160s sadly went byebye, I pretty much run the 120 ballistic tips and the 140 SP from several sources..

If I play around with the Swede on loads, I just usually use 260 Rem load data.. start a little lower and work up for those who don't have the experience to know what is safe and what isn't...

all of my rifles are long throated...so I can use the entire magazine length to seat 140 grain bullets on...

for accuracy and not having to worry about anything, I just load 40 grains of IMR 4064 with 140s...

if I am using 4350, I run the 44 grains listed for the 260 with 140 grain bullets..although I have pushed them hotter in the Swede case... but that isn't really needed..

old data listed a max of 47 grains of 4350.. use at your own risk..but it works fine in my rifles..and work up for the in the audience..

for 120 grainers, 44 grains of 4064, IMR 4895, H 380, or RL 15 all give great velocity and high accuracy...

for a nice 30/30 speed load...30 grains of RL 7 with the 120s, 140s or 160 RN...got that out of an old cast bullet manual... makes the Mauser seem like a pop gun...

for an American push feed rifle, I have found that Remington's brass is the easiest to use, as it has a .474 rim instead of the correct Swedish one...

however as incorrect as it may be, it is the most reliable for ejection out of an American pushfeed bolt face...

the Ruger or the Mauser, it doesn't matter....

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:
Hey I saw those 160 round nose bullets for 18$ per hundred the other day at Grafs or Midway, they were discolored, blems.

I bought 300 of the discolored blems from Midway a few months ago. Run them through the case tumbler and clean them well and away we go.

Just thought I'd throw my two pence worth in.
My accuracy load for a Tikka T3 is 44 gr H4350 under a 140gr SMK at 3.1". Performs brilliantly from 100 to 1000.
Trying to duplicate it with N160(cheaper) but it's not quite the same..

44grs of N160 behind any 140grs bullet.

M

Been shooting 39 grains of IMR 4064 for years in a M-96 and a Encore custom shop barrel.

140 grain Hornadys drop them in their tracks...

Both rifles will group .75 to 1.25 depending on how well I pull the trigger.