6.5x55AI load info needed

[swd]

I shoot a 260AI and am switching over to RL23 and used H4831 data minus half grain for my starting load work up. Pressure curve is very similar it seems.

I'd expect @swd to chime in, hes shooting RL23 and 142SMK in his 6.5x55AI

I was right in the middle of a reply when you posted, lol

RL23 works great in the 6.5X55AI. I've shot 140 Hybrids, 142SMK's and 156 Bergers. All shoot great with it. Start down around 45gr which should be extremely conservative and depending on your barrel and bullet expect to be in the 47-50gr range. So far it has been an extremely easy cartridge and powder to work with. I'll be shooting it at out 1K Championships next month. And listen to Rardoin, he knows this case very well.

 

[rardoin]

^^^^ 6.5 x55 BJAI/Lapua brass/ 30" barrel... 142 PB (similar in bearing surface to a 142 SMK) at about 0.012" off lands with RL-23 49.7-50.4gr, depending on barrel and age, yields 2940 fps avg and shoots very well. Most time on a barrel is 1800rds but that one shot a 998-63x at 600yds last outing. It is getting a bit long in the throat but likely has 200+ rounds with acceptable precision left in it....perhaps more.

Robin

 

[glider]

Know this is an older thread, but I've been looking for more information on RL-23, and possibly RL-26. I've got a Bighorn TL2-LA with a 26" 1-8.5tw Bartlein hvy Palma bbl in a McM A5 stock, and a BAT 3LL in a Robertson Composites H&H prone stock with two 30" hvy Palma bbls - one in 6.5x55AI, the other in 284 Win. I also ran my 6.5x55AI reamer into the 30" 6.5x55 Krieger Palma bbl I had done back in 2002 to use on my Nesika K-based Palma rifle. I bought 8lb jugs of RL16, RL23, & RL26, originally thinking that RL23 would be good in a 260 Improved 30* that I was shooting at the time, as well as in 6x47 & 6XC rifles. That was long before I realized how slow 23 actually is, so now need to find out how well it'll work in the 6.5x55AI, and perhaps in the 284 with 180s. At the time I bought these new Reloder powders, there wasn't a lot of info on relative burn rate or flame temp, and they eventually got overlooked by me. I did run some test loads with RL16 in the 6XC over the chronograph, but by that time, I'd settled on IMR4451 for both the 6XC & 260 Imp 30*, and never really re-visited the potential use of RL16 in either of these chamberings.

Noticed you shoot 260 imp 30*.
Have been experimenting for awhile now with this chamber using a.295 nk.turn brass .293.
With h4350 44 gr. Im right at 2900. Shooting 142 SMK . This really shines from 600 to 1k yrds just curious why others have not shown an interest .

 

[flatlander]

My 260 Imp 30* reamer also has a .295" neck; I started out using WW 243 brass, and didn't need to neck turn with it. But when Lapua came out with their 260 Rem brass, and I tried it, I found neck dia with bullet seated was .295", so would need neck turned to work. Mine shot really well; I used it for two seasons of PRS-style matches and had good results with it. I've got a lot of fireformed cases left from that first bbl, and keep thinking about doing another bbl for it, as I liked it better than the 6.5x47 Lapua that I built & shot after the bbl on the 260 Imp shot-out.

And many thanks to swd & rardoin for the info on RL23 in your 6.5x55AIs. Sounds like I need to get crackin' on trying it in both 26" & 30" bbls.

 

[glider]

My 260 Imp 30* reamer also has a .295" neck; I started out using WW 243 brass, and didn't need to neck turn with it. But when Lapua came out with their 260 Rem brass, and I tried it, I found neck dia with bullet seated was .295", so would need neck turned to work. Mine shot really well; I used it for two seasons of PRS-style matches and had good results with it. I've got a lot of fireformed cases left from that first bbl, and keep thinking about doing another bbl for it, as I liked it better than the 6.5x47 Lapua that I built & shot after the bbl on the 260 Imp shot-out.

And many thanks to swd & rardoin for the info on RL23 in your 6.5x55AIs. Sounds like I need to get crackin' on trying it in both 26" & 30" bbls.

Rardoin knows sweed AI well he helped me get started . Im still using 4381SC i have 135 jlks still and there goin out at 3k f/s with 1/2 MOA @1K .
If your interested i have one of two 260 imp 30s
For sale bbl is Kreiger 4r 28" M24 .
After shooting 6.5x47l i needed more spectrum for velocity and bullet wieghts. 260 imp is like a 47l super..
At the moment im waiting for a 6.5sst2 to be spun up .which looks like an all round champ in 6.5 .
Thumbs up to rardoin
Good shootin guys

 

[flatlander]

Thanks for the offer glider, but I do my own bbl work, and have several Bartlein 6.5 mm 1-8tw blanks on hand. Just need to decide whether to build a new rifle from scratch, or re-barrel something else. I've got a good 7mm-08 Imp 30* that I don't shoot much - might just turn it into a switch-bbl rig by doing a 260 Imp 30* bbl for it.

Just came in from firing a FF round of 6.5x55AI into the dirt - loaded 48grs of RL23 under a Berger 140 LRBT in some new/old stock Lapua 6.5x55 brass with F210, screwed a TBAC 30CB9 can on the muzzle, and put the round into the ground. No pressure signs, easy bolt lift, no idea on velocity - just wanted to make sure I wasn't loading too warm before seating bullets on a bunch of charged cases. Case looks nicely formed, so believe pressure is adequate to do the job, and get some velocity data & accuracy info at 600yds. at the same time.