6.5x55 at 1000 yds

[Flouncer]

Anyone using RL-17 ??

 

[rimfiremac]

In a modern action, RL23 may be the ticket. My data shows it as or more temperature stable than H4350, with better max speeds.

 

[ebb]

There was a thread going at benchrest central about this same thing. One of the posters named 2 shooters that are doing well with the 6.5-55 might want to give them a PM .

 

[ebb]

Look at the 600/1000 benchrest heading is still up and one of the shooters that had experience with the 6.5-55 was Dave Tooley. My guess is he is the one to talk to. One of the best gunsmiths in the south.

 

[Will Henry]

I started shooting the 6.5x55 at long range in 1998. I used 4831sc and any 140 and that is still my first choice for long range. I currently use a 6.5x55 for metallic silhouette. I use a mild load with Varget (39 gr) with 108's for chickens, pigs, and turkeys, and 140's for rams. Accurate and plenty of impact to take the rams over.
In the "F" class rifles, I have achieved 2900+ using vv165 but loads which ran around 2825, using 4831sc, shot better.
I also hunt with a 6.5x55 and it's a great cartridge in either arena. WH

 

[Thauglor]

I started shooting the 6.5x55 at long range in 1998. I used 4831sc and any 140 and that is still my first choice for long range. I currently use a 6.5x55 for metallic silhouette. I use a mild load with Varget (39 gr) with 108's for chickens, pigs, and turkeys, and 140's for rams. Accurate and plenty of impact to take the rams over.
In the "F" class rifles, I have achieved 2900+ using vv165 but loads which ran around 2825, using 4831sc, shot better.
I also hunt with a 6.5x55 and it's a great cartridge in either arena. WH

What velocity are you getting with the 108s and 39gr of Varget? My silhouette rifle is also a 6.5x55

 

[huffmanite]

In a modern action, RL23 may be the ticket. My data shows it as or more temperature stable than H4350, with better max speeds.

Posted a reply earlier, mentioning that I had good results for accuracy using Ramshot Magnum. Fellow range member gave me a couple of lbs of RL23 for some rifle stock work I'd done for him. I've used the RL 23 in my 6.5x55 Stevens with decent results for accuracy. Don't have a chronograph so, no velocity numbers to post.

 

[rardoin]

Low to mid 2900's with a 140gr pill should be accomplished safely (in an appropriate action) with Rl-23. In a 6.5 x55 Improved/Rl-23/ Nosler RDF 140 max pressure test I had the 52gr load achieve over 3100fps without any sign of pressure. It was higher than expected and I did not test any higher charge as it was lightly compressed charge and I was looking for the low 3000's node. The BJAI case fits almost 3 more grains of H4831sc (without a drop tube) than the standard Swede. The precision was very good at 300yds but I will shoot it in a 600yd match this Saturday to see the load holds at distance. It averages 3013fps. I would bet a load at about 98% cap. of the standard case will get you 2925fps or a little more with a 140gr. This data is from a 30" barrel.

 

[Michael White]

Low to mid 2900's with a 140gr pill should be accomplished safely (in an appropriate action) with Rl-23. In a 6.5 x55 Improved/Rl-23/ Nosler RDF 140 max pressure test I had the 52gr load achieve over 3100fps without any sign of pressure. It was higher than expected and I did not test any higher charge as it was lightly compressed charge and I was looking for the low 3000's node. The BJAI case fits almost 3 more grains of H4831sc (without a drop tube) than the standard Swede. The precision was very good at 300yds but I will shoot it in a 600yd match this Saturday to see the load holds at distance. It averages 3013fps. I would bet a load at about 98% cap. of the standard case will get you 2925fps or a little more with a 140gr. This data is from a 30" barrel.

I wonder if the load was kept the same but dtopped bullet weight to 100gr. What velocity would it be running at?

 

[rardoin]

I wonder if the load was kept the same but dtopped bullet weight to 100gr. What velocity would it be running at?

I would think Ivanka Trump velocity....smokin' hot.

 

[Liven The Dream]

I have been shooting a 6.5x55 at 1000 for years.
It is my 1000 Prone Rifle Iron Sights.
32" 1-8.5 Obermeyer R-5 .
4831 sc BR-2 142 Match Kings ,140 Berger HB , Nosler RTD . At 2915 Av.
Berger HB the hands down best .
5 shot test a 200 yards 1/2 to 7/16 in. Group .

 

[Bart B.]

i have sure noticed that what i get for a group at 200 on my home range is a lot larger than what i get on the 600 and 1000 yd lines. it shoot about 1.0 to 1.25 MOA at 200 yds but will shoot 0.75 moa at 600 yds

I assume you're shooting at least 20 shots per group at each range so statistical confidence in their accuracy is at hand.

Long range groups have often been smaller in MOA than mid or short range groups for decades. The velocity spread versus where they leave on the muzzle axis upswing makes the slower ones depart later and higher in angle from the line of sight than faster ones leaving sooner and lower. The British folks shooting their SMLE 303's with huge muzzle velocity spreads figured that out in the early 1900's. Nowadays, barrel tuners move back and forth on the barrel muzzle end changing the frequency the muzzle axis whips vertically at to make groups at any range smaller.

It's called positive compensation.

 

[DogBuster]

everyone needs a Swede............here's mine.....

Savage Target.....Pac Nor 28" 8 twist

18#...don't carry it far..........

Bushy 4-30x50........H4831sc.....H4350.......VN560......

Berger 140's........

 

[DRNewcomb]

As long as we're on the subject, does anyone make 6.5x55 brass with a small primer pocket and small flash hole, like .308 Palma and 6.5x47. Would it even be desirable?

 

[Laurie]

As long as we're on the subject, does anyone make 6.5x55 brass with a small primer pocket and small flash hole, like .308 Palma and 6.5x47. Would it even be desirable?

No. AFAIK, there are no cartridges of that case size / capacity that use small primers. Remember too, that small primer brass is a relatively recent phenomenon in cases with the 0.473" Mauser design case-head and was confined to the BRs until recently whilst the 6.5X55 goes back rather longer to 1894. Moreover it was a Scandinavian military / hunting round first, target use very secondary, so ignition reliability in all conditions trumps everything else.

As to feasibility, when Remington made 308 UBBR small primer brass (for reforming to BR), many users who tried it in the off the shelf 308 Win form got unsatisfactory results - producing dire predictions from the old hands about inconsistency with 308 Palma brass based match rounds when it was introduced as a Lapua product (at the request of the US Palma teams originally) less than 10 years ago. It seems powders and SR primers have improved since the 1980s/90s, but another reason may have been that the UBBR case is very thin-walled and therefore relatively high capacity compared to Winchester and even more so so Lapua equivalents. It may be that the extra couple or three grains water capacity just tipped the set-up from works fine to works but not all the time. The 6.5X55 only has a relatively small capacity increase over 308, but it cannot be far from the point where ignition would also become inconsistent. As it is Lapua specifically advises that 308 Palma cases aren't used for hunting ammunition which is presumably related to winter hunting temperatures. I found that I got hangfires and the occasional misfire in the 308 with Hodgdon CFE223 in summer temperatures, so the small primer is marginal with some harder to ignite ball powders.

 

[DRNewcomb]

No. AFAIK, there are no cartridges of that case size / capacity that use small primers. Remember too, .......

So, no on both counts: not made and not particularly desired? While I'm not entirely sold on the small primer idea, the small flash hole has a long history of being associated with improved accuracy.

 

[Will Henry]

What velocity are you getting with the 108s and 39gr of Varget? My silhouette rifle is also a 6.5x55

I have not chronographed this load but it is definitely faster than a load I was using previously (35 of 3031) which I did chrono at 2780. I'm guessing it's approaching 2900 or so. This from a 25 1/2 inch barrel. WH

 

[Laurie]

Donald, when the prototype Palma 308 cases first appeared in the hands of US Palma team shooters, the team captains went public saying that after a year's worth of tests and matches they were satisfied it was an improvement and would adopt it for the upcoming season and international matches. This was announced in the US Rifle Teams Long Range Forum. (Lapua hadn't announced their introduction or put them on sale then - that came a little later.) That was when the ding-dong battle between the team captains and the 'old hands' broke out via forum posts, the latter prophesying it would all end in tears - they had tried small primer 308 back in nineteen oatcake and it was no good. Interestingly, some of the doubters claimed the small flash-hole was a greater issue than the primer itself. Allegedly it had often proven necessary to drill the UBBR flash-holes out to obtain reliable performance. Once done the cases worked OK, albeit giving little or no benefit over regular brass except in being a thin-wall, high capacity case made to high standards. So, although this feature plays a major part in providing small ES/SD values, it in itself apparently degrades the primer flame's effectiveness in igniting the main charge.

 

[SF-Guy]

I know there has been quite a bit posted on this caliber in the past and i have read through quite a bit of it over the years. I'm retired military and have a couple of cracked cervical vertebrae so i have to watch recoil, but also am a life long NRA competitor and enjoy anything from 200 - 1,000 yds. I think my magnum days are well behind me. I also think the days of the 300 WM et al, are past us all too.. today there are just some really good other calibers that will do the trick and some small guys that are performing well too ie 6BR/PPC family, 6.5x47, 6.5 CM and the 7mm's from Ackley to Shehane.

i have a RPA Quadlock in a McMillan prone stock with a 30 Inch Bartlein 1:8" and chambered for the 6.5x55. I have a good supply of Norma brass and since i am shooting 4 other 6.5 Creedmoors, i thought why not get this one shooting too.

So i thought i would breathe some life into the 6.5x55 again and see what interest and information was out there. To begin, i will share that i am loading for the 123 Lapua, the 139 Scenar, and the 140/142 SMK's and my rifle seems to like them all. i have sure noticed that what i get for a group at 200 on my home range is a lot larger than what i get on the 600 and 1000 yd lines. it shoot about 1.0 to 1.25 MOA at 200 yds but will shoot 0.75 moa at 600 yds ( i am a sling and jacket shooter) and this is better than i am getting off the elbow with my 6.5 CM's. Velocities using H4350 and IMR 4350 have been in the 2700-2760 range and i will work them up and run them over my chronograph as well.

_______________________________________________
Last December 2019 I rebarreled my RPA Quadlock flat bottomed action with a 30 Inch 6.5 in 6.5x55 again. 1-8" twist Bartlien. I had 5860 rounds on the older barrel. It was still shooting good but would occasionally drop one for elevation unexplained, so it was time. I have thought about re-chambering it for something else on one of my hunting rifles.

It has a different head diameter so it is sort of by itself in a class. I originally bought this action with a swede barrel and the boltface was open for that so I steyed with it. Glad i did as the brass is terrific and i get lots of reloads on it and only lose 1-2 once in a while.

4831sc and 4350 powders worked best for me. I have a neck injury so i have to be careful shooting big boys or magnums, the swede is not a problem. It recoils mild in my McMillan Prone Stock which has some extra weight i added to it.

 

[drano38]

I have a Pacnor barrel on a Savage action in 6.5x55.
Haven't shot it in a while - now have a Dasher barrel on the rifle.
But for the 6.5x55, I used RL-22 with 140 gr bullets.