Anyone worked up any loads with the 130-140gr bullets yet using Reloader 17?

I shoot 140 vld in the swede and by switching from 4350 to r17 my es tightened to single digit and average mv Climbed from 2550 to 2750 with pressure signs !

I am trying 120 ballistic tips now hoping to break 3050 with safe pressure so my mean killing zone without hold over stretches to 300 yards

quote:

Originally posted by londonhunter:
I shoot 140 vld in the swede and by switching from 4350 to r17 my es tightened to single digit and average mv Climbed from 2550 to 2750 with pressure signs !

I am trying 120 ballistic tips now hoping to break 3050 with safe pressure so my mean killing zone without hold over stretches to 300 yards

What was your max charge weight?

londonhunter what is your barrel length?

None of my books list R17, not one. 19 and 22, yes. IMR 4831 works great. 2650 w/ a 23.75" barrel. Lighter bullets shoot very well w/ 4064.
Velocity is not everything,

quote:

Originally posted by Jpat:
None of my books list R17, not one. 19 and 22, yes. IMR 4831 works great. 2650 w/ a 23.75" barrel. Lighter bullets shoot very well w/ 4064.
Velocity is not everything,

I would normally agree with you on the velocity statement. But were loading up 130 & 140 gr. bullets for 700-800 yards at the Holland Shooting School in September. The extra 150fps would save about two minutes of wind correction at that distance.

The current load is 50gr of VV N560 with the 130gr Berger VLD's. They make right at 2900fps. If we could make that with the 140's or top 3000fps with the 130's, it would be a big help.

F224

I was cautious and started low and worked up.

If the end it was exactly the same weight as 4350 or vit 160 which I also tried. 46.0 grains of Reloader 17. But as you know every rifle is different.

PS my barrel is standard Blaser profile and length but screw cut for a silencer.

Hope this helps

Yes the reduction in drift and drop is significant for me.

By changing from 140 to 120 grain and changing powder to Reloader 17 the rilfe now is virtually flat (OK 3 inches) if I zero 1 inch high at 100 and 3.7 low at 300) as you said wind drift is insigificant - i.e. just point and shoot to 300 yards or metres ........

Ι've experimented with RL17 in my 65x55 and managed to get 2850fps from 43.4gn using the 129gn Interlock. Which is a good speed as far as I am concerned, particularly as it gave me good accuracy as well.

Interestingly, it is 0.2gn below the Quickload suggested maximum for this bullet, so I am a bit surprised to read about 46gn behing a 140gn bullet...

My gun is a Sako 75IV hunter with a lothar Walther 1:8, 22 inch barrel, in a magnum sporter profile.

best wishes,

Finman

f224,

Unless I missed it, no one has given you any start/max charges yet.

I've read that one should treat Rel 17 like a 4350 as it's in that burn range. I did just that in my little 6.5x47 Lapua and 140 Berger VLD's with 37 gr and up to 43.5 where I was getting a skootch of hard bolt lift and 3021 fps in a 26" Broughton barrel. Cases, as is the norm with the little -47 case, don't really show pressure signs in my Pierce action unless you measure CHE. Even if they do show some expansion, the thicker head of the -47 case just sneers at pressure and asks for more. I'm sure your -55 case won't act in the same manner. My VLD's are 10 thou into the lands.

Any way, hopes this helps to give you an idea of where your ceiling might be.

Alan

Glanced at Alliant site today and happened to notice R17 load data for the 6.5x55 Swede....but footnote said only for commercial actions.

one of their loads was with 140 gr Speer bullet
with 38.5 gr listed as max load

120 gr Speer had 41.5 gr listed as max load.