6.6x55 powder preference? Bullet selection?

[huntinfool87]

I have a 6.5x55 swd that was sporterized back in the 60s by Elmer Keith's gunsmith. (Not a bubba job). I use this rifle deer hunting in open country.

Question 1
I have been doing some load development with 42.2 - 43. Of H4831 with 140gr VLD. I'm getting blow back. My manual says to be cautious at max loads because the rifle was not made for today's powder. 43.5 is the max load so I've gotten close but I still get blow back and no sign of over pressure issues. Do I go higher or try a different powder? If so what would be a good powder to try in this rifle?

Question 2
I'm not getting groups under 1.38 inches the hotter the load the group gets worse. I can get 1" groups with factory herters ammo that has 140 gr SP bullets. Should I consider a different pill? Keeping in mind that longer shots out to 600 yards could be needed. What pill would you recommend?

 

[BigBore45]

140-160 grain game king. If that gun is the one I'm thinking of (small ring swedish mauser) it is fine at max loads.

I would personally slug the bore and do a chamber cast. Seems like your not building enough pressure to seal off the chamber

 

[Slamfire]

I wrote a long post about proper reloading of these Swedish military actions in this thread:

6.5 Swede Mauser and loading manuals

I don't really care whom the gunsmith was, that does not change the metallurgy of the action, nor the period process controls the thing was made under. The service round was 46,412 psi, might have been bumped up from WW1. I would keep WW1 era actions to 43,000 psia which was the operating pressures of the 8mm cartridges of the time.

I have had outstanding experiences shooting 140 Hornady bullets with 43.0 grains IMR 4350. According to my data, and my research, that should be equivalent to the service load. Based on my 300 yard shooting, with a M70 and a M700 in 6.5 Swede, IMR 4831 gave better performance at distance and maybe a better powder for this cartridge.

 

[huntinfool87]

I wrote a long post about proper reloading of these Swedish military actions in this thread:

6.5 Swede Mauser and loading manuals

I don't really care whom the gunsmith was, that does not change the metallurgy of the action, nor the period process controls the thing was made under. Nor that the service round was 46,412 psi, might have been bumped up from WW1. I would keep WW1 era actions to 43,000 psia which was the operating pressures of the 8mm cartridges of the time.

I have had outstanding experiences shooting 140 Hornady bullets with 43.0 grains IMR 4350. According to my data, and my research, that should be equivalent to the service load. Based on my 300 yard shooting, with a M70 and a M700 in 6.5 Swede, IMR 4831 gave better performance at distance and maybe a better powder for this cartridge.

Thank you for the info. I put the information about the gunsmith simply to show that it was not a bubba job hopefully ruling that out for the accuracy issues with the handloads.

 

[DocRock]

I have settled on H4350 and 140s as my optimal combo in the Swede. I experimented with IMR4831 and got somewhat higher velocities, but recoil seemed much stiffer and accuracy was not as good as with H4350. I also have a good IMR 4064 load with 123 grs Nosler match bullets.

 

[Jessesky]

I try to duplicate the m41 load. 2,625 fps with a 140gr boat tail. I use H4350for this. Even though this load was developed for the sniper rifle, it was used as the standard for the army with the m94 projectile (not a boat tail) also. But I use it because the rifle I use was developed around the cartridge, so all the sights are doped for it

 

[2ndtimer]

It might sound counter intuitive, given that most people recommend 140 gr (or heavier) bullets and slow burning powders like Reloder 22 or H-4831, but my best results with the Howa 6.5x55 I had were with the 120 gr Sierra Pro Hunter and IMR-4064 (40.0 gr). It was by far the most consistent load I ever came up with. YMMV.