Have a 6.5x55 swedish mauser. Trip to the range today working on a 100 grain load. Found powder residue on case shoulder and up and down cases after extraction. Haven't seen this before on any rifle I have reloaded for.....is there a problem??
Note: Using 48grains H1000, full length sized cases, 100gr hornady's.

whisler--

That's a sure sign of very low pressure. I don't load for that caliber but that seems like a slow powder for such a light bullet....

The soot is powder gasses that aren't sealed by the expansion of the neck. Low pressure.

W/JB,

There's fouling around the neck on most of the cases I use after firing. It usually runs to the shoulder. Interesting enough, not on .30-30 cases. But most of my loads are pretty hot judging by measuring the case heads, primer appearance, and case life.

Are we describing the same thing?

Whisler:

I do not load with that powder, but it seems like you've got a pretty heavy load of slow burning powder behind a relatively light bullet, resulting in pretty low pressure. You could be getting decent velocity because I'm guessing you're getting a gas seal with the base of the case.

It seems that you may have a cartridge/powder mismatch with that powder being suited more toward "overbored magnums" according to their website. If you want to stick with that powder, I would try backing off the charge a bit and using a magnum primer. That should get things going. Either that, or try a faster powder.

Ryan

Thanks for the info, I was worried about gas leakage damaging the chamber. I have had excellent results with H1000 using the 129, 140 and 160gr but had just started using the 100grs. Will have to change powders for the 100 grain.

As JBelk has stated - Classic low pressure symptom. I used to duplicate this phenomenon all the time with some reduced loads I shot with cast bullets. I don't know of any harmful effects of this event...other than sooty cases.

Perhaps JBelk can tell us if there ARE indeed some undesireable side effects???

Anyway, changing your powder to one more suitable for the cartridge should largely make this matter vanish.

Just my .02 fellas but in my way of thinking a low pressure round would put "some" reward thrust, because the brass is not doing it's job?
Pressure curve to slow?
Jeff

TMan, the 30-30 brass is quite a bit thinner than the 6.5x55 brass, so I would think that it would not show signs of gases leaking past? I had some 223 brass that showed classic pressure signs by measuring the case heads, and it was a definate low pressure> rearward thrust problem. Bumped the charge up some and all the signs went away> BTW these were published loads. The one that showed pressure signs were below a recommended start load.
Jeff

When you get gas staining past the neck it means the case has been forced out of round by the gas. That ain't good for accuracy.

NEVER use light loads of slow powder. NEVER load less than 10% below maximum. Detonation is a *REAL* threat.



I blown up a LOT of guns and seen forty times that many, but I've never seen the lugs sheared off like this one. Broke the action when the bolt handle hit it, too.

JBelk - Please do not post photos such as the above. They give me bad dreams!

Aha. I had been suggesting that it might be detonation that was blowing up double rifles (or ringing the chamber) with insufficient filler or air space in the case on the "What the Ross Seyfried Article Really Says" thread, but it seemed like no one else had ever heard of the idea. A few people could say "leave no air space in the case", and "use enough filler", but nobody could say why. NOW I've got an answer. Thank you JBelk.

I should apologize for my thin library. I did a quick check of my five reloading manuals today, and the only manual in which I could find mention of something like detonation with reduced charges of slow-burning powders is the Speer #11, p.77. On p.76 there is a caution with regard to using Kapok or Dacron as filler...

Trouble is, the Speer is the last place I will go for reloading data. Look at the .44 Mag., 200gr., Du Pont 800X data on p. 428. Those loads will stick a case, and maybe blow up a gun. I have had some trouble with some of the other loads, but that is the most clear-cut problem. Starting loads reduced 10% from the max will stick a case.

Thanks for your help with this.

I'm not about to step up and say there is no such thing as "detonation." (Although some people poo poo the idea) But I will say I think there is more to it than just having a little airspace in a case with slow burning powder.

My standard load for YEARS with cast bullets was 42 grs. of 4831 behind a 170gr cast bullet. I shot THOUSANDS of rounds of this with nothing but the soot blackened neck and shoulder from a low pressure round.

What would have happened with this load if I substituted 165 gr jacketed bullet, which is MUCH harder to push down the bore? I don't know.

There is something evil lurking with this detonation stuff but I don't know of anyone who can duplicate it anytime and anywhere they wish.
I remember P.O. Ackley discussing it and he believed in it but said no one could duplicate it. I believe Ackley felt detonation required not only a reduced charge of slow powder but also a badly over-bore capacity case. One of the cartridges most famous for detonations during that time was the 7x61 Sharp & Hart as I recall.

Bottom line is I don't recommend anyone go looking for this demon. They might find him!

Whisler,

That's a common problem for the 6.5x55 - even some commercial ammunition will exhibit this symptom. The cases are really quite heavily constructed, and don't always obturate adequately.

If it would give you any comfort, I have an article on 6.5x55 handloading which does deal with this a little. I can mail to you if you're interested - just drop me a line.

In my own case, I found that a change of primer helped significantly. A change from CCI to Federal noticeably reduced the problem.

Patrick

[ 12-29-2002, 16:39: Message edited by: Patrick_D ]

JBelk,

There wasn't an eyeball stuck on the end of the bolt when you first saw that action, was there?

You're touching on one of my phobias here.....

Big_R and Patrick_D: You were right. Back to the range today with several test rounds
I changed to IMR 4350, still a slow burner but faster than H1000....same problem. Loaded 4 rounds using mag primer and H1000, loaded one each of 45, 46, 47, & 48 gr. No residue on any of these. Will run the same trial with the 4350. I like the slow burners in the 6.5 to help hold pressures down and the H1000 with 129gr bullets cloverleafs at 100yrds....hard to pass that load up.......THANKS for the help.
also, would have posted this on the reloading board but thought it might be a chamber problem...

Got to love this swedish mauser and the 6.5x55. Outshoots any other rifle I have / had.