6.5x55

[farmer44]

Picking up a 6.5x55 30" barrel 1-8 twist. Don't have any load info. or an idea where to start. I will be using 142 gr. bullets the powder I have on hand is H1000, Varget, and H4350. If anyone has any suggestions let me know and thanks in advance.

 

[DOGCAPPER]

My load is IMR 4064 37.0, Nosler Comp 140, CCI large rifle. Tried lots of other, this works best..BUT my 6.5x55 is an original 1896 Swede military Mauser..This will be a moderate load in a modern 6.5..LT (wins an occasional monthly military match)

 

[joejo]

4350 should be fine. I use varget in a short 24 inch sporter Remington for deer hunting pushing the 130 bergers at 2800.
I plan to use 4831sc in my f-class 6.5x55 imp with 140 bergers. I am hoping for 3000+.

in a barrel of 30 inches, varget is just too fast burning in my opinion, I have no experience with h1000. but in my 260 f-class rifle I can easily get 3100 fps with 123 lapuas with 45 grn of 4350.

i'd say start around 42 grns of 4350 and work up.

 

[260Ravage]

Over the years, I have owned several swedes. Each one, without exception, performed best with stout loads of RE22. I realize this doesn't fall into the powders you have on hand. I simply thought I would share. BTW: you are gonna love that gun!

 

[farmer44]

Thanks everyone for the reply's and it looks like I need to get some IMR 4064 and get the thinking cap on. If anyone else has any info. please pass it on and thanks again.

 

[wyoming .260]

My brother used 52 grs. of H1000 in his swede for 2800 fps in a 23 inch barrel.

 

[WyleWD]

If you can find it, N560 worked REAL well in a friend of mines 6.5x55 with the 140gr class bullets. It gave him the most speed AND accuracy. WD

 

[2506]

I use 45 grs AA 4350 with 140s out of a 29" barrel 96 Swede Mauser 6.5X55 and get a touch over 2800 fps. This is supposed, according to AA's ballistics person that I talked to on the phone, be under 46,000 CUP load for the small ring Mauser. With a modern action you can go hotter. Either one of your powders should work well. Try the H4350 first.

 

[farmer44]

Thanks I have lots of 4350 so I will give that a shot.

 

[Hopkins]

I started at 44gr.s of IMR 4350 and 140gr. Amax jammed for 2700 fps out 28" 1in8" 5R Krieger. Bullets and barrel hBN'd. Low ES's and very satisfactory accuracy, just a little slow.

 

[BoydAllen]

A couple of things that you might want to consider are case filling and it relation to keeping ES down, and that loads that can look very good at the ranges that surplus Mausers are shot, may not pass muster at longer ranges due to problems with excessive ES. I have loaded for 6.5x55 for a number of years, first for a modern actioned custom and later for a couple of unmodified surplus military Mausers. When I started the only data that I had was an old Sierra manual that had used a Swedish Mauser model 1894 carbine to test. Those had very short barrels, and the slowest powder was something on the order of 4064 or 380. Neither of these powders will come close to filling the case when combined with the heavier bullets that go with long range use of this caliber. Eventually I settled on a couple of powders. IMR 4350 (This was a long time ago.) and for the heaviest bullets, IMR 4831. I should mention that 4350 will take you to very modern velocities, for a case of that size, with a 100 gr. Sierra HP, and so I think that it is an unlikely candidate for full cases that seem to go with low ES, if 140 grain bullets are to be used. These days I would be looking at something like H4831 SC or something in the same burning speed range for the 140s, something that filled the case near the pressure limit that I wanted to use, and gave the best accuracy and velocity, I would not be looking at anything faster. This is not to say that faster powders would not give good accuracy at shorter ranges. One little tip for the stock military Mausers...with open sights, shooting at small targets at long ranges is not practical, so really BC is not a consideration. I have gotten my best accuracy with a couple of these rifles with the 100 gr. Sierras and 160 grain Hornadys, the latter seated to the cannelure.

 

[farmer44]

Thanks again and by the way Hopkins I am going to start there also I have a 30" 1in8" 5R barrel so that should be a good starting point with the IMR 4350.