Newbie

[stewie333]

Hi guys.

Is there a special section for those of us who are complete novices to re-loading? I just put together my first attempt at re-loading and am nervous about something I may have missed. You guys speak way over my head most of the time, but I have found this site to be an invaluable resource for information at the same time. My first attempt at this is for the 6.5X55 Swedish Mauser.

Thanks

Stewie

 

[tightneck]

You are here Stewie. You could go to a lot of different sites to get answers, but one thing is for sure, people that reload for extreme accuracy,such as the people that frequent this site) will be able to answer your questions. Ask away..........

 

[USAPatriot]

Not to worry. We know you need basic information so basic answers is what you'll get. I've been reloading for about 30 years but JUST started loading for the 6BR. It's all a learning process. -Rod-

 

[Preacher]

The 6.5X55 is as good a cartridge to load for as any, and will shoot with the best of them if done up right.
What do you plan on using it for ?
A 120 grain ballistic tip will lay down anything you can hit with one, unless it's a very big bear, and even then if it's all you have you will be eating that bear if you put em in the right spot.
I sold one in a XP-100 in a bad moment to a friend, and he stacks up deer like cordwood with it.

 

[stewie333]

Ok, thanks for the replies.

Here is something I don't understand. I have full length formed some once fired cases using RCBS dies basically following the LEE handbook to the letter. So before I did a complete round I did a "blank" one no primer no powder to see how it cycles through the action. This is the part I don't understand, if I just gently extract the round from the camber there are no issues but if I pull the bolt back somewhat harder the bullet will come flying out of the case. I looked inside the case to see how far the bullet is being pressed in and it looks to be about .050" just eyeballing it.
I know these bullets are on the long side but I can't pull one out using my fingers so there is some pressure from the press fit. I am using PPC cases and Speer bullets. Could one of these be a contributing factor? Do I need to completely clean the inside of the necks of the cases to be free of the forming lube also? I read that I do not. How clean do the insides of the cases need to be? Is it absolutely essential to get a Headspace Gauge to verify the shoulder position has not changed from the forming?
Is there a vacuum formed when the case has a primer and power which helps keep the bullet in? I only have about 20 other questions LOL. The bullet coming out of the case has really freaked me out!

Thanks

Cam

 

[Preacher]

It sounds like the bullet is seated long in the case and is sticking in the chamber.
Your die may not be putting enough tension on the neck allowing the bullet to come out easier than it should. If it has powder in it and it comes out you will have a mess inside the action.
Or your expander ball may be to big.
.050 into the case is not enough unless the bullet is so long that you need it like that.
I prefer my cases to be totally clean inside the necks, not polished clean, but squeaky clean, and I clean the cases in a ultra sonic after 5 firings.
If your shooting a bolt gun take the firing pin assembly out and chamber your cases with the empty bolt. You should be able to feel a tiny bit of resistance when the bolt goes down if the cases are just right for your chamber. The bolt should fall of it's own weight when there is not a case in the chamber. You can not feel this if the firing pin assembley is still in the bolt.
No vacumn is involved in keeping the bullet in the case.
Keep on asking and you will have answers........

 

[tightneck]

Stewie, I assume the bullet is "flying" out of the case when the cartridge is being ejected? The bullet is not sticking in the rifling ahead of the chamber? With only .050" of the bullet seated in the case, as you pull the bolt back, it could easily catch on a sharp edge on the chamber or the action and come out of the case. I,m thinking that you need to seat your bullets deeper in the case neck.

 

[stewie333]

I'm an idiot, the OAL is supposed to be 3.000" min which gives about .200" of seat depth. I was going by the Max length of 3.150" when I first set it up. They don't fly out now. I have been to the range using a starting load of 41.5grns of H4350 with no issues so far. I actually shot one good sub MOA group @ 100yds for the first time so I am really happy. What I don't understand is how they can give an OAL with the variety of lengths that are available with the 120grn bullets. Is it assumed that you are using pointed bullets? Right now I am using non "Match" Speer bullets and they have a lead nose that is slightly blunted. I have slight variations in the OAL when I measure with my vernier. Currently I have limited variety for bullet selection if I want to buy locally, but I can order Lapua over the net in Canada. Can anyone recommend a bullet weight for the 6.5X55 Swede with the original barrel shortened to 20.0 inches.

Thanks

 

[tightneck]

OAL listed in the manuals is just a general guide and every rifle is different. The seating depth that you find most accurate in your rifle may be a total dog in another. The easiest method I have found to get my seating depth for a particular bullet is to seat a bullet barely into an empty case and then to chamber the "dummy" round into the rifle. The bullet will be forced back into the case neck when it contacts the rifling in the barrel. I then pull this round out of the rifle and use it to set up my seating die. I like this method because it gives you only one direction to adjust seating depth when fine tuning. You can only shorten the length of the round from this "full jam" seating depth. To find my load, I'll start with a suitable powder and charge, seat to this full jam and shoot a three shot group. I will then seat the bullets in .005 from the original and shoot 3 more. I will continue going in until I find the most accurate depth. Then if I'm not fully satisfied with the groups, I,ll tweak the powder charge up or down until I'm happy. I need to mention here not to measure the your seating depth off of the bullets' tip, but off of the ogive as bullets,especially factory bullets) are rarely the same length and your seater die doesn't seat them from the tip,hopefully). There are many gadgets out there to use with your calipers to do this. Mine is made by Sinclair and cost only a few bucks. One other thing I should mention is that I do 90% of my reloading at the range as I shoot so its very easy to tweak this or that and I dont have to go home to do it. It makes finding a load alot faster. I would recommend it fully if you are able to do so. One caveat about military rifles that I have't mentioned is that if they have been shot alot then the throat of the may be too long for bullets to reach,as it wears with each shot) the rifling. In this case you are limited as to your seating depth but sometimes you can get um to shoot with quite a bit of "jump". As far as bullets go for the 6.5 swede, I have had two of these rifles, one an original Mauser, and the other was a sporterized Mauser like the one I think your describing. The both shot Sierra 120gr hpbt match bullets very well.