Bullet seating in 6.5x55

[w123driver]

I want th seat a bullet in 6.5x55 so that it is off lands by 0.05". How would you do that? I pre-seat the bullet so that the neck barely holds it, than I close the bolt, hoping that it will push the bullet down the neck so that it touches lands. This does not happen. There is a resistance when closing the bolt, but the round comes back the same lenght it was before. These rounds look funny compared with factory loads. It is new re-barrel by very competent smith. What I am doing wrong?... Thank you

 

[Exercion]

First question I'd have is whether your smith throated to the same specs as the military Swedes. Second question, if the answer is no, is what bullet are you trying to seat touching? The reason for the first question is that the original spec was for a 156gr roundnose, and that's an awful long bullet, so trying to get a 140/120 etc. to touch in a throat like that doesn't work well.


Eric

 

[2506]

Take a full length sized case and cut a line down one side of the neck stopping just past where the neck and shoulder meet with a cutting tool like a hacksaw. Now just start your bullet into the case and close it up in the chamber. The cut in the neck will allow the bullet to slide back into the case easy but it will hold the bullet so it will not fall out. Like has been said, if your rifle is throated like the military 6.5X55 Swede you will not be able to reach the lands and have much if any bullet down in the case. Those throats are long for those 156 gr RN bullets that are as long as a golf pencil. For my military Swedes I seat all 120 and 140 gr bullets to 3.050, which is as long as you can seat them and get them to work through the magazine,and they shoot great.

 

[w123driver]

Thank you! will try that. Might be very well military specs reamer; The bullet I am trying to sit is 140gr Game King and 120 Amax. Even as they are not touching lands, S&B and PRVI factory loads with 131gr bullet look like midgets.

 

[bsekf]

I do it the same way as 2506, but be careful, the bullet may stick in the new rifling and pull out a little. You will get a long reading. I spend a lot of time making sure I get the correct measurement. I use a Hornady comparator on my caliper and take many readings with the same bullet/case combination.

Bill