6.5x55

[hankie]

Hello, I am new on here. I have gotten a Ruger m77 in 6.5x55 Swede recently and am going to try Berger 130 grain VLD hunting bullets in it. Will be using Winchester brass and CCI 200 primers. I was wondering if anyone on here has any suggestions on a load. I am looking for a good hunting round. Thanks.

 

[Kachok]

Using 130gr class bullets I have had my best luck with 45.5gr of RL19, the speed is pretty modest but it shoots one hole groups. My favorite hunting load in my 6.5x55 is 46.5gr of RL22 and a 140gr SGK/SST easly under 1/2" and it hits really hard. If you want a 6.5x55 to mimic 270 win trajectory the 120gr Nosler Ballistic tip can be driven to those speeds with even better ballistics using that RL19 powder.

 

[hankie]

Thanks for the input. I'll have to give RL19 a try. I have had good luck with it in my 243 with 95 grain bullets.

 

[dubbleA]

I cant help with the Berger 130gr VLD but I have been running the Berger 140 gr hunting VLD in my 6.5 swede, 260 Rem and 6.5x284. Was skeptical at first but that bullet has shot very well on paper and has performed good on game. Have been using H4350 , Federal 210M's along with Lapua brass with the smaller cases with good results.

This 140lb'er was taken a couple of weeks ago at 366yds with 140gr Berger /6.5 Swede. Pass through the front shoulder, left a decent blood trail and piled up 60 yds later.

 

[NCsmitty]

Welcome to THR, hankie.

The information that I have is that the Ruger uses an 1in8" twist and should handle 130-140gr Boattail bullets well. The 6.5x55 responds to the slower burning powders, like Rel-19, Rel-22, the 4350 class of powders and the 4831 family. With the modern M77 action, you can push the envelope a bit, as most loads listed are designed to work in the older small ring Swedish Mausers which limits the pressures a little.

I have a M38 Swede Mauser, and a custom M98 Mauser, and I use Rel-19 in the old Swede Mauser, and Rel-22 in the M98. I use Lapua brass in my M98, and Prvi-Partizan in the M38. American brass often is undersize compared to the design dimensions of the 6.5x55.

Here's a site with some loads developed in a modern CZ. Like always, back off 10% and work up for safety.
http://www.realguns.com/loads/655mmswede.htm


NCsmitty

 

[Float Pilot]

Congrats of owning a 6.5x55mm, which is probably the best shooting cartridge ever developed.

I have more than a few....

A couple points...... While Winchester brass is OK.... It is slightly undersized as are ALL US made 6.5x55mm brass casings. PMC is the worst,,, wel no I take that back,,, Igmann brass is the worst... Followed by PMC which is super undersized. and of course the crappy Remington brass.

The best brass for the wonderful 6.5x55mm is LAPUA, closely followed by Norma. Then Privi....
So you will look up the price for LAPUA brass and about have a heart attack. But remember ,,,, it is a 100 round box and they can be reloaded 10 to 14 times... About twice as much than Winchester brass, because they do not stretch in the case web area.

CCI -200 work great... Even better is the CCI BR-2 match primer.

The length of the bullet and not the weight is the issue with rifling twist rates. The Berger's are long, but your twist will handle them just fine.

Also remember that the 6.5x55mm is usually loaded with the bullets further out of the case neck than you see on most modern cartridges.


BERGER 130gr VLDs 3.140 inch COL.
47.0 grains RL-19
Lapua CCI-200
CG-63. 3.0 inch group, 2,850 fps

46.5 gr RL-19 1.0 inch group
3.110 col 2,790 fps

here are some loads from my 22 inch barreled M-70 featherweight


6.5x55mm Winchester MODEL 70 LOADS ONLY

Federal factory 140gr Soft Point:
= 2,375 fps, 0.50 inch group.

120gr Nosler Ballistic Tip: 46.5gr RL-19, Lapua, CCI BR-2, 3.085 col
= 2,560 fps and a 1.0 inch group

120gr Sierra Match King: 46.0 gr RL-19, Lapua, BR-2, 3.085 col
= 2,508 fps and a 0.50 inch group.

120gr Hornady A-Max, 48.8gr IMR-4831, ww,ww, 2.964 col
= 2,925 fps and a 0.75 inch group Lee Crimp. High Pressure

129gr Hornady SST, 47.3gr IMR-4831, WW, WW Stand, 2.942 col
=2,808 fps and a 1.5 inch group. no crimp. Cratered primers

140gr Rem Accu-Tip, 47.0gr RL-22, Lapua Brass, CCI-200, 3.970 col
= 2,640 fps and a 1.0 inch group

140gr Nosler Partition, 47.0gr RL-22, Lapua Brass, CCI-200, 3.950 col
= 2,569 fps and a 1.5 inch group

140gr Hornady Soft oint , 47.0gr RL-22, Lapua Brass, CCI-200, 3.850 col
= 2,575 fps and a 2.0 inch group

140gr Hornady SST. 46.5 gr RL-19, Lapua, CCI-200, 3.090 COL
= 2,570 fps and a 1.0 inch group

140gr Hornady SST, 44.5 gr H-4350, Lapua, CCI-200, 3.090 col
= 2,608 fps and a 1.5 inch group

140gr Hornady SST, 44.5gr H-100V, Lapua, CCI-200 3.090 col
=2,669 fps and a 0.50 inch group.

140gr Sierra Game King, 44.5gr H-100V, WW, WW, 2.930col
= 2,675 fps and a 0.55 inch group Lee factory Crimp, no pressure signs

140gr Hornady Soft Point, 44.5gr H-100V, ww, ww, 2.945 col
=2,680 fps and a 2.5 inch group. Lee Crimp. Some pressure signs

140gr Hornady R. N. 44.5gr H-100V, WW, WW 2.975 col
=2,620 fps and a HUGE Group, lee Crimp

140gr Hornady SST, 46.5gr IMR-4831, ww,ww, 2.995 col
=2,700 fps and a 0.75 inch group, primer flow

160gr Hornady Round Nose: 45.0 gr RL-22, PMC, Rem 9.5, 3.100 col
= 2,288 fps and a 1.5 inch group

 

[Kachok]

I have treid other powders in 140gr but RL22 still reigns as king, 2740fps and deadly accurate with not even a hint of pressure. Only powder that some claim can move a 140 any faster is H1000, I bought a pound but have not experemneted with it yet. The first deer I ever killed with a handload was a 120gr Ballistic tip over a charge of IMR4350 that is a good load too.

 

[GJgo]

I settled on H1000 for my M70, either with the 120gr TTSX or the 140gr Amax. H4831SC was almost as good but H1000 gave me the same speed with a lower SD & better case fill. To the OP I would try the Amax & see if it shoots before dropping the extra cash on the Bergers, they can be better but they can also be very picky.

 

[hankie]

Thanks for all the help. I have often wondered if the Lapua brass would be worth it, most of the time you get what you pay for. On my Ruger it looks like there is a spacer in the magazine, I wonder if it could be removed to allow for longer coal?

 

[Kachok]

I thought about Lapua brass since it is proper sized unlike some others, but I could never find it and went with the Norma brass instead. Norma makes some real high quality stuff, not one defect in the 250 I have seen, better then Rem brass and WAY better then Winchester.

 

[hankie]

Okay just checked COAL with Berger touching rifling was 3.155 and it fits in the magazine. If I load the new brass touching rifling would that help prevent stretching in the web area? Since I have winchester brass.

 

[Float Pilot]

The stretching comes from the brass not being big enough in diameter at the case head. On the Lapua or Norma brass the case walls are up against the chamber walls, so during the firing they grab the sides of the chamber for a micro second until the pressure drops back down...
The undersized brass stretches some to the rear and even forward which makes the neck grow forward. The Winchester brass will still give you 5 or 6 reloads.
I like to load them right at 3.100 to 3.125 inch COL. You want at least a calibers worth (.264 of an inch) of the flat part of the bullet being gripped by the case neck.

How long is your barrel ? Ruger's can be rather rough at times so do not be surprised if it takes awhile for her to start shooting better groups. I had to lap the bore and action of my Ruger M77MKII in 350 Rem Mag since it looked like sand paper.

 

[Kachok]

Prvi brass is some good brass too, I have some bulk 139gr SP that I use for plinking and have used the brass many times, it is thick and hard to FL resize but seems to last forever. Some of my best shooting I have done with Prvi brass, shame they don't sell is as a component, but at $13 a box the loaded ammo costs about the same as my Norma brass, shoots pretty decent too about 3/4" in my Tikka. Works well on deer too even at the slow 2550fps, the one we have taken with it was hit on the onside shoulder socket shattering it into a thousand pieces and still punched though leaving a silver dollar sized exit wound, the deer did not make it 10 feet. Would not hesitate to use them again, but I still prefer my faster more powerful handloads.

 

[Float Pilot]

I once bought Privi brass as a component, but cannot remember how... I think it was a bulk buy with some other guys at the Swede Military collectors site on Gun Boards.
I have not found any since...

Midway USA Lists:
Norma Brass for $79 for a 100 pieces
Lapua is on sale right now for $67.50 for 100 pieces

They now have one less box of Lapua for sale...

 

[WYOMan]

HEY dubbleA !! I LOVE that rig ! What combination are you running there? Or is that a factory rig?

 

[ProfessrH]

source for Prvi brass

For what it's worth, coming so late to the thread, I buy Prvi Partizan brass for my Husky m38 at Grafs.com -- $50 for a bag of 100. (I just checked; of course, they're out of stock). For loaded Prvi Partizan ammo in metric calibers, I go to Aimsurplus.com; their 6.5x55 soft point ammo goes for about $14 a box of 20.

Hoping this helps,

JH

 

[Kachok]

Ammotogo used to sell it for $13 a box if you bought 100. That is where I got mine, but that was a few years ago.

 

[hootcrichton]

just me but i use winchester brass/ 130 VLD / 45.5g veht N 160 / CCI 200
my tikka eats it like candy