I'm gonna try some Hornady V-Max 95 grainers in my 6.5x55.

Anybody shooting these?

Powder recommendations?

TIA,

flaco

I've used this bullet in a number of 6.5x55s with good results, and while Re-22 is my usual go-to powder with normal 140 grain hunting loads, the 95 grain V-Max has done best with Re-15.

What do you plan to use this bullet for?

Bobby Tomek-

It's a little bit of silliness, I guess.

Up until now I've used Hornady A-Max 140s in my 6.5x55, with results so good I'm a fool to try anything else.

Still, I had a hankering for a change.

A close friend has a Sportsman's Warehouse nearby, and offered to pick up some bullets for me.

My fist choice was the Lapua Scenar HPBT 123.

They didn't have those.

My second choice was the Berger VLD Match 120 HPBT.

They didn't have those.

My third choice was the Sierra 123 Match King.

They didn't have those.

In fact, other than premium hunting bullets, and a few brands I wasn't interested in, well, the only bullet that peaked my interest was the Hornady V-Max 95.

Now... this seems a little short to me (especially in comparison to the long 140s), god knows it will be a big jump to the lands, but I've had good luck with Hornadys, and my reasoning was that if Hornady advertises this as a premium varmint bullet, it should be accurate.

As I'm only killing paper, I don't care about frangibility.

As to powders, I've also been using the Reloder 22 with the 140s.

I don't have Reloder 15, but I looked at the burn rate chart, and it seems like the closest powder I have is Varget.

But not enough to make it worth working up a load.

I have IMR 4064--a little faster--and I have IMR 4350, a little slower.

Hornady shows best velocity with the 4350, but I prefer accuracy over velocity.
My barrel is 25.5", so perhaps long enough to take advantage of a slower burning powder.

Also what I don't have is VV N150, which would probably be another good candidate.

Obviously, this thread might be more appropriate for the reloading forum, but since these are varmint bullets, I thought I'd ask the varmint specialists.

Thanks,

flaco

Flaco...
I don't care for the 95 grain V Max myself...

however with the bullet weights in that range.. I shoot a lot of 100 grainers...

4064 and Varget are good choices if you have those...

if you have any H 414, give that a try also...

don't know your barrel length, but 3400 is possible with a 24 inch barrel or better

oh and also consider Benchmark if you have any of that on hand.. just use the 260 Rem data for it and the 95 grain VMax....

best of luck
and happy holiday wishes..
seafire

I've never shot the 95s but have the 85gr Sierras. They always worked well with IMR3031 out of my sportered Swede.

H414 or Winchester 760 (one and the same) Max 49.5 grains.


Your results may vary.

I use them from prairie dogs and they work great out past 700 yards. Lapua brass, Federal match primes and 41gr of VV N-150. It breaks 3100fps in my 22.5" Blaser R93 semi-weight barrel and shoots sub 1/2moa groups all day long.

flaco wrote:

quote:

Up until now I've used Hornady A-Max 140s in my 6.5x55, with results so good I'm a fool to try anything else.

Flaco - Hey, I try new loads all the time when the "old" ones are perfectly fine -- but of course, I am not saying anything about my sanity...

In my 7mm Bullberry carbine, I used what I thought was the PERFECT load: 32 grains H335 under a 130 grain Sierra SSP for 2505 fps from the 20 1/8th inch barrel. I used it for several years with complete success and swore I would never, ever change it. I had plenty of the Sierras on hand, but when I heard they were being discontinued, I just HAD to try something else. Now, I have a load with the 140 grain Nosler Solid Base that shoots even better (I didn't think that was possible), and with a MV of 2480 fps, it shoots plenty flat as well. So sometimes doing "foolish" things does pay off...

quote:

Originally posted by seafire/B17G:
Flaco...
I don't care for the 95 grain V Max myself...

however with the bullet weights in that range.. I shoot a lot of 100 grainers...

4064 and Varget are good choices if you have those...

if you have any H 414, give that a try also...

don't know your barrel length, but 3400 is possible with a 24 inch barrel or better

oh and also consider Benchmark if you have any of that on hand.. just use the 260 Rem data for it and the 95 grain VMax....

best of luck
and happy holiday wishes..
seafire

Hey Seafire,

Have you tried any sierra 100 gn HP's from that 260 of yours? I was thinking of trying some and making it my designated Varminter.

I also have been knocking around the idea of trying them with some ramshot Big Game powder, I really like the metering characteristics of that stuff. Any experience, good or bad with it??

I havne't used the Ramshot powders...

I have used the 100 grain HP from Sierra..

My load is 43.5 grains of IMR 4064, with a large rifle primer...MV is 3350 in my Ruger with a 22 inch barrel and 3450 out of my Rem 700 with a 26 inch barrel...

I have also taken two blacktails with that load...

One guy at Sierra told me that it was a Big Game bullet and another one told me that the previous guy who told me that was full of shit...go figure...

So I switched to the 100 grain SP Hornady... like the Sierra HP, and the Nosler Ballistic tip, all thru are very very accurate and very flat shooting with the 4064 load, which I found more accurate than the Benchmark load recommended with the 95 grain V Max...

another good varmint bullet in 6.5 is the 90 grain TNT by Speer...It USE to be reasonably priced.... but the price increases in bullets, is getting ridiculous, like the price of gas....as corporations screw us over and then blame it on the Chinese.. or some other un verifiable sources...

So.

Tried a variety of loads with the 95 V-Max yesterday.

Since I already had some, I chose to start off with IMR 4064.

The range was about 44* when we arrived, fairly calm, but the wind increased during our stay.

I loaded ten rounds each of 39, 40, 41, 42 and 43 grains. According to the Hornady book, these loads should range from about 2,850-3,100 fps.

I shot five shot groups, and right off the first three loads--39, 40, and 41 grains--went an average of .750"

Adequate, but not impressive.

Obviously, I'll try and fine tune these loads, but don't really know where to start as they all grouped similarly.

Also, I'm wondering about the effects of the wind on the heavier loads. Which didn't group nearly as well.

How susceptible to the wind is a 95 grainer at 3,100 fps? At 100 yards.

I'm really wondering if it was too windy for load workup.

TIA,

flaco

The wind should not have been that much of a problem at 100 yds...

As for accuracy in your 6.5 x 55... did you seat the bullets out to magazine length? they will be sticking way out there... but you will find your Mauser being long throated, that your groups should tighten up....

I have run IMR 4064 as high as 47 grains with 100 grain bullets... and long throated so seated out there...and they were very accurate...

Not seating bullets out on a military Mauser is the cause for a lot of 6.5 swedes not appearing as accurate as their reputation states....

I seat those bullets down about an 1/8th of an inch and that is it...

Well.

Made it to the 200 yard range this morning, and it looks like I've found my load.

With IMR 4064 at least.

Best group, .675", five shots, 200 yards, 95gr V-Max, and 40.5 gr IMR 4064.

This is well sub- 1/2 MOA, and I'm pleased.

flaco

quote:

Originally posted by flaco:
Well.

Made it to the 200 yard range this morning, and it looks like I've found my load.

With IMR 4064 at least.

Best group, .675", five shots, 200 yards, 95gr V-Max, and 40.5 gr IMR 4064.

This is well sub- 1/2 MOA, and I'm pleased.

flaco