I wrote Federal Cartridge Co. an email regarding making ammo for the 6.5x55 in +P configuration ... with either the 125gr or 140gr Nosler Partion. Maybe driving a 140gr Nosler Partition at 2750 fps. How many of you out there would be interested in seeing the 6.5x55 SE loaded ammo, loaded to modern pressures for new modern rifle actions? Any preferences on bullet weight and make?

Grove,

Premium pre-loaded 6.5x55 ammo is available from Conley Precision Cartridge. They have a widw selection of bullets to choose from and the advertised velocities are fairly accurate,

http://www.cpcartridge.com/

quote:

Originally posted by Grove:
I wrote Federal Cartridge Co. an email regarding making ammo for the 6.5x55 in +P configuration ... with either the 125gr or 140gr Nosler Partion. Maybe driving a 140gr Nosler Partition at 2750 fps. How many of you out there would be interested in seeing the 6.5x55 SE loaded ammo, loaded to modern pressures for new modern rifle actions? Any preferences on bullet weight and make?

Grove you can load your own for a small investment and forget about the factories.
My M-70 has never seen a box of factory ammo.

Argali
That's A good site for 6.5X55 ammo,should be able to find some thing there. But agree with ireload2, and that it is better to roll your own,if you can.

6.5 SWEDE

Vihtavuori shows 140gr at 2770 with N560(not partition). Within pressure limits.

Kimmo

The Norma factory load for many years was 139 gr @ 2788 @ 47100 psi.A pressure that I would hardly call +P !! They later boosted that to about 2850 with a slower powder...The new factory loading are terrible so I recommend the cartridge today for handloading only !!

Well, you guy's bring up a good point in velocities. I am considering getting a light weight 6.5X55, but am having trouble finding stepped up loading data for modern actions. I would use 139grn and up. what are you guy's getting for velocity in 22" barrels.??

Thanks.

I get 2750 fps with 140 grainers over RL 22. This is a very accurate load in two different rifles. No pressure signs.

Geronimo

My load has always been 46 gr of 4350 for the 140s ,giving 2733 in my custom M98 ,24", with no signs of pressure .Work up the loads as there are different chamberings.The American companies use the head dia of .473" rather than the larger proper 6.5x55.It also depends on throat.My rifle is chambered for the very long 160 which provides a good bit of freebore. 1 MOA or less should be easy !!

You would think that the 140's would do 2800+ with ease by looking at case and case capacity..

Ooop's sorry Grove, I just realised I HiJacked your thread..

Mike ... not to worry ... lots of interesting information coming out. I bought my CZ 550 in 6.5x55 SE just before Christmas and just got the scope last Monday ... haven't had time to put it on and boresight it yet.

However, I all ready reload for 5 rifle calibers (25-06, 7mm-06, 8mm Mauser, 45-70 and 375 H&H) plus 3 pistol calibers ... the latest is a 45ACP 1911. I haven't had a chance yet to get dies for this little beauty, and thought I'd put a few boxes of factory stuff through it first, but after doing a little checking, most of the American loadings for the Swede are so low, I found them pitiful.

I am very interested in the new Nosler 130 gr Accubond and the Barnes 130gr TSX, but am concerned about the 1:8.6 twist on this barrel and how it will stabilize these longer bullets.

quote:

Originally posted by Grove:
I wrote Federal Cartridge Co. an email regarding making ammo for the 6.5x55 in +P configuration ... with either the 125gr or 140gr Nosler Partion. Maybe driving a 140gr Nosler Partition at 2750 fps. How many of you out there would be interested in seeing the 6.5x55 SE loaded ammo, loaded to modern pressures for new modern rifle actions? Any preferences on bullet weight and make?

To the original question:

The 6.5 X 55 has becomea popular round and it might be prudent for someone like Ruger to produce a 6.5 Ruger.....whose dimensions are exactly the same as the 6.5 X 55.....and of course have Hornady (when they get around to it) load some ammo to the 65,000 PSI it deserves.

I say this as it's very unlikely that anyone would load the 6.5 X 55 out of SAAMI specs for liability reasons......but a new round like the 6.5 Ruger..............well?

Going to reinvent the 6.5 Rem Mag ?? That was in a 18" barrel and would duplicate a 6.5x55 from a 24 " barrel by burning lots of powder outside the barrel !! And the 264 Win Mag ? Not enough different from the 270 to matter much.....No ,the old 140 with high SD and BC easing along at 2750 does the job quietly with little recoil and great accuracy !

Vapodog ... I don't think Hornady is going to go anywhere with this. I say that because, I emailed Hornady with the same idea as I had with Federal, except to load it to there Light Magnum range.

However, there response was that they had done exactly that a few years ago, but that it did not sell then and that they had no intention of revisiting it again.

quote:

Vapodog ... I don't think Hornady is going to go anywhere with this. I say that because, I emailed Hornady with the same idea as I had with Federal, except to load it to there Light Magnum range.

Hornady will mull it around until he thinks it was his idea.....then possibly it will happen.....

Give it a few years.....in the meantime handloading will do the same for you.

There is already such a critter. I have seen it called the 6.5 SKAN. I don't know if it's factory loaded yet, but it's basically a swede for modern rifles. I agree with the above about loading your own for a Swede. I have military rifles I load for and a Remington actioned F-Class gun that uses a very different recipe. In the Remington-actioned gun I am pushing 142 MK's at 2860, and have been well into the 2900's as well without any problems.

Eric

factory load options...

Graf's lists Lapua in the following weights:
100gr FMJ trainer
100gr HPBT Scenar
108gr HPBT Scenar
123gr HPBT Scenar
139gr HPBT Scenar
140gr Naturalis Solid
155gr SP Mega

That's just Lapua from one outlet.

regards,

Rich
DRSS

SierraGK 140's pushed by 46 grains of 4350(Hodgdon) gives vels in my full military M-96 just shy of 2900fps and in the 22" sporter version M-96 that load goes a little over 2700fps. Short of loading your own +P ammo in the 264WIN range of 65K pressures, as stated earlier, Norma's ammo is a little faster(2800vs2600fps w/140 bullets) than the Swede 140 military ammo. I've not shot any US made ammo but I'm led to believe it would be slower yet. You've probably got a new toy to reload for and to find a speed/accuracy that you'll like. best-o-luck

quote:

Originally posted by mete:
Going to reinvent the 6.5 Rem Mag ?? That was in a 18" barrel and would duplicate a 6.5x55 from a 24 " barrel by burning lots of powder outside the barrel !! And the 264 Win Mag ? Not enough different from the 270 to matter much.....No ,the old 140 with high SD and BC easing along at 2750 does the job quietly with little recoil and great accuracy !

Mete,

No, not trying to reinvent the cartridge. Just looking at bringing it's potential out.. We are all aware of the limitations put upon this already wonderful cartridge by the 1894 action and powder selections of the day..

I'm just sorry Hornady doesn't list it in their light magnum line any more. I'm hording my last few boxes of the 140 and 129 LM ammo.

For those who havent found out yet: there is only one 6,5x55 (the old union cartrigde from the united Kingdom of Norway and Sweden. (thus the 6,5x55 is not "swedish")

When loading for the 6,5x55 one must be aware that the "swede" designation is an indication of cartrigdes made for use in the swedish mauser, meaning lower than modern pressures. Forget all the load data marked "swede" or "krag" og "SE", those names mean lower pressures.

Use load data named "modern" or indicated by the "Scan" designation.