6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Reloading equipment, methods, load data, powder and projectile information.

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by bigrich » 11 Nov 2018, 9:05 pm

SCJ429 wrote:I ran out of room using 2213SC with a speed of 2840 fps, no pressure signs. I could cram a little more in but I have gone back to 2209. This has gone to 2881 fps, I will continue testing with the goal of 2900 just around the corner. I think that 2950 is likely to be achievable with the ELDX.


out of curiosity , how many grains are you loading of ar2209 ?
User avatar
bigrich
Brigadier
Brigadier
 
Posts: 4483
Queensland

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by SCJ429 » 12 Nov 2018, 7:10 am

Please don't use this without working up to it in your rifle, we got 2881 fps from 46.9 grains of 2209. Will probably try a little over a grain more to see what she does. This should give me about 92% case fill. Hopefully we can find a node around 2900 fps.
SCJ429
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
 
Posts: 3208
New South Wales

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by bigrich » 12 Nov 2018, 7:48 am

I ran up to 46.5 gn of ar2209 in my model 70 Winchester but it didn’t give me the accuracy that I get with 47.2 gn of reloader 22. I should get around to using a chrono on this load, as it is my accurate hunting load with 140 sst’s or 140 Nosler Partitions . I got talking to a fella at the range who was running 47gn of ar2209 through a 1913 Carl Gustaf ! Shot one hole at 100 with no pressure signs. Not something I would do with a 105 year old Mauser but ! I shot some target loads I had for a 6.5 Husqvarna yesterday out of my Winchester. Not being serious about it, I got 5 shots under a inch, put 2 bullets through the same hole twice! It’s mild but accurate load for the Swede, 44 gn of reloader 22, 142 Sierra MK seated at 3.100” my Winchester only has a 3-9x 40 vx-2 Leupold on it. Shoots great for a wood stocked hunting rifle
User avatar
bigrich
Brigadier
Brigadier
 
Posts: 4483
Queensland

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by No1_49er » 12 Nov 2018, 8:55 am

For anyone who has doubts about the strength of the "old" Swede service rifle, check what is said here about proof loads.

6-5 x 55 SKAN proof load.JPG
6.5 SKAN proof load
6-5 x 55 SKAN proof load.JPG (68.15 KiB) Viewed 7429 times

This includes the M94s, some of which still exist, but even I would probably only be looking for an accuracy load rather than "full house"!
Proud member of "the powerful gun lobby" of Australia :)
No1_49er
Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
 
Posts: 823
Queensland

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by bigrich » 12 Nov 2018, 9:20 am

Yeah, I’ve heard and read about the over proof loads and that the old Swedes are stronger than people give them credit for, but loading up full house loads in a 100 plus year old rifle isn’t something I want to put to the test . I have heard of receivers being stretched from heavy loads
User avatar
bigrich
Brigadier
Brigadier
 
Posts: 4483
Queensland

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by SCJ429 » 20 Nov 2018, 6:35 am

Finished up testing with 2962 fps, still had a little bit in it but I could see a reason to chase it. There appears to be a node around 2930 so I will start load development around there.
SCJ429
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
 
Posts: 3208
New South Wales

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by bigrich » 20 Nov 2018, 9:11 am

SCJ429 wrote:Finished up testing with 2962 fps, still had a little bit in it but I could see a reason to chase it. There appears to be a node around 2930 so I will start load development around there.


That’s pretty awesome results. Keep ya posts coming :thumbsup:
User avatar
bigrich
Brigadier
Brigadier
 
Posts: 4483
Queensland

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by gunnnie » 13 Dec 2018, 9:32 pm

Have just got my hands on an 1899 Model 96 Swede so am interested in the loads developed.
gunnnie
Corporal
Corporal
 
Posts: 289
Queensland

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by bigrich » 14 Dec 2018, 4:47 am

I worked up a really accurate hunting load for my 6.5x55 Winchester . 49 gn reloader 22 with a 120 Nosler bt is silly accurate. chronoed at 2950 FPS more accurate than 140’s for me. I put it down to the 1-8 twist barrel :thumbsup:
User avatar
bigrich
Brigadier
Brigadier
 
Posts: 4483
Queensland

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by SCJ429 » 14 Dec 2018, 7:00 am

You got a nice amount of speed out of RL 22 which is pretty bulky. I ran out of room using Shortcut which is slightly faster. What size groups are you getting with Noslers?

We are doing some load development this weekend, hoping for some good results.
SCJ429
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
 
Posts: 3208
New South Wales

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by bigrich » 14 Dec 2018, 8:38 am

The only pic I got on my iPhone is from two weeks ago. This was shot straight up on a cold clean barrel at 100.Ya gotta remember this is out of a model 70 Winchester hunter, on a fold out tripod rest with a 3-9x40, and a 50 year old with glasses . I got better groups pics on my home computer
Attachments
D352B2D7-D817-4097-A22F-CA67A58DF06E.jpeg
D352B2D7-D817-4097-A22F-CA67A58DF06E.jpeg (1.29 MiB) Viewed 7327 times
User avatar
bigrich
Brigadier
Brigadier
 
Posts: 4483
Queensland

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by bigrich » 14 Dec 2018, 6:00 pm

Couple more pics
Attachments
CB19D3A5-8D28-4D04-A612-58F88E405150.jpeg
One of the better 120 gn Nosler groups at 100 when I got my mojo going
CB19D3A5-8D28-4D04-A612-58F88E405150.jpeg (1.25 MiB) Viewed 7319 times
User avatar
bigrich
Brigadier
Brigadier
 
Posts: 4483
Queensland

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by marksman » 14 Dec 2018, 7:07 pm

bigrich wrote:Couple more pics


thats good shooting bigrich :thumbsup: :drinks:
“If you do not read the newspapers you are uninformed. If you do read the newspapers you are misinformed”. Mark Twain
User avatar
marksman
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3660
Victoria

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by duncan61 » 14 Dec 2018, 11:14 pm

Its been cool following this thread
.22 winchester .22hornet .222 .243 7mm rem mag cbc 12g
User avatar
duncan61
Officer Cadet
Officer Cadet
 
Posts: 1905
Western Australia

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by bigrich » 15 Dec 2018, 6:08 am

marksman wrote:
bigrich wrote:Couple more pics


thats good shooting bigrich :thumbsup: :drinks:


unfortunately i can't shoot like that all the time. :D i'm still coming to terms with how my rifle behaves now. i'm thinking cause this 120 load is going a bit quicker than my old 140 gn loads, it's generating more heat in the barrel cause the groups start to open up a lot quicker these days if i don't give it a longer rest than when i shoot 140's. copper equilibrium is something i'm taking into consideration as well. the rifle just seems to behave differently with this new load. it got the load data from old nick harvey's book who had loading with RE22 and the 120's. min load is 46.5, max load is 50 gn. loads where tested in a custom mauser 96 apparently. i load mine to a COAL of 3.050" in my 1-8 twist madco barrel . measured COAL in the barrel is 3.095" with these projectiles. long way of the lands, but it works. 6.5 swede doesn't seem to mind bullet jump , cause of projectile length i'm guessing. i bought some discounted sako target ammo that made one hole. these were 139 gn "racehead" COAL was 3.000". in a old millitary rifle thar's a big jump, but my m38 shot them real nice as well . bottom line, for a cold clean sporter barrel to do this is impressive to me. :thumbsup:
User avatar
bigrich
Brigadier
Brigadier
 
Posts: 4483
Queensland

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by SCJ429 » 16 Dec 2018, 9:05 pm

Completed the initial load test today, it was windy with gusts around 25 to 30 kph. Obviously had a lot of horizontal dispersion. Best group had an ES of 20 and a SD of 9.5, speed averaged 2,950 fps. Best group size was .413, unfortunately they were not the same group.
SCJ429
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
 
Posts: 3208
New South Wales

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by bigrich » 16 Dec 2018, 9:35 pm

SCJ429 wrote:Completed the initial load test today, it was windy with gusts around 25 to 30 kph. Obviously had a lot of horizontal dispersion. Best group had an ES of 20 and a SD of 9.5, speed averaged 2,950 fps. Best group size was .413, unfortunately they were not the same group.


wind can be a pain when ya want to do load developement . what are your load specs mate ? :thumbsup:
User avatar
bigrich
Brigadier
Brigadier
 
Posts: 4483
Queensland

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by SCJ429 » 17 Dec 2018, 6:09 pm

I am way over the book value so use this with caution, using 47.7 and 47.9 grain of 2209 to get single digit SD. Hope to bring the ES down with some fine tuning. The wind was making things interesting but the standard 223 Tikka shot a group of .221 using 55 grain Noslers. It was my best group by far.
SCJ429
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
 
Posts: 3208
New South Wales

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by bigrich » 17 Dec 2018, 6:26 pm

SCJ429 wrote:I am way over the book value so use this with caution, using 47.7 and 47.9 grain of 2209 to get single digit SD. Hope to bring the ES down with some fine tuning. The wind was making things interesting but the standard 223 Tikka shot a group of .221 using 55 grain Noslers. It was my best group by far.


what weight projectile ? bloody tikkas, damn things shoot better than a rifle has a right to ! :D :drinks: :drinks: :thumbsup:
User avatar
bigrich
Brigadier
Brigadier
 
Posts: 4483
Queensland

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by SCJ429 » 17 Dec 2018, 6:47 pm

Sorry it is a 143 ELDX, Lapua brass and CCI BR primers.
SCJ429
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
 
Posts: 3208
New South Wales

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by bigrich » 17 Dec 2018, 6:58 pm

yeh, that's a bit of speed with 143 gn. .what rifle ya shooting again ?
User avatar
bigrich
Brigadier
Brigadier
 
Posts: 4483
Queensland

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by SCJ429 » 17 Dec 2018, 7:56 pm

The humble Tikka T3.
SCJ429
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
 
Posts: 3208
New South Wales

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by bigrich » 17 Dec 2018, 8:09 pm

SCJ429 wrote:The humble Tikka T3.


makes me wonder what a top line sako could do . i'll probably never own one. i have a A7 in 308 . . very accurate, made one hole for three shots @100 on the weekend with handloads. the finns know how to make a rifle don't they :D :drinks: :thumbsup:
User avatar
bigrich
Brigadier
Brigadier
 
Posts: 4483
Queensland

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by bigrich » 17 Dec 2018, 8:13 pm

the main reason i bought my mod 70 chinwester 6.5x55 is so i could load it up to modern loads. i would probably have a sako or a tikka laminate in 6.5 if i didn't like my winchesters so much . hmmm , sako barvarian, no sights, no set trigger. dreamin' :roll:

:drinks: :drinks: :thumbsup:
User avatar
bigrich
Brigadier
Brigadier
 
Posts: 4483
Queensland

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by SCJ429 » 18 Dec 2018, 6:36 am

bigrich wrote:
makes me wonder what a top line sako could do . i'll probably never own one. i have a A7 in 308 . . very accurate, made one hole for three shots @100 on the weekend with handloads. the finns know how to make a rifle don't they :D :drinks: :thumbsup:


It must be the Sako barrels that make these rifles shoot, I do not see any technical advantage to the Sako 85 recoil lug design or three lug bolt. The Sako TRG recoil lug looks more like the Sako 75. I will be accused of being a Sako wannabe but I love my Tikkas and tell everyone how good they are.
SCJ429
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
 
Posts: 3208
New South Wales

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by bigrich » 18 Dec 2018, 9:20 am

Nothing wrong with Tikka mate. I’ve got a mate who’s got t3’s in stainless/synthetic in 223 and 300 mag , and they don’t get looked after, but their accurate and keep working. I love my sako A7.stainless synthetic, It’s a slick as three lug , awesome trigger, but what I really like is metal feed lips on the mag and you can top load as well
User avatar
bigrich
Brigadier
Brigadier
 
Posts: 4483
Queensland

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by bigrich » 26 Dec 2018, 4:37 pm

ok fellas, i need some opinions on barrel life when pushing 6.5x55 . i've got a great accurate load with 120 nosler bt's running at 2950 FPS . bin contemplating how much i'm gunna shorten barrel life running this fast. wondering if i shouldn't drop back to the 140's at 2750 FPS . the 140's don't seem as accurate as the twist is 1 - 8 .any thoughts or experiences on this subject ? i stop shooting at the range before the barrel gets too hot to touch and clean after every shoot . out in the field i might only take a couple of shots a day
User avatar
bigrich
Brigadier
Brigadier
 
Posts: 4483
Queensland

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by SCJ429 » 26 Dec 2018, 8:57 pm

If you don't shoot long strings and you polish the throat regularly then I don't see barrel life being particularly short. It will also depend on what is acceptable accuracy to you. If you need half inch then barrel life will be shorter that if you are content with one inch groups. You should be able to keep one shooting fairly accurately if you take care for about 2500 rounds. The pressure generated when shooting 120s at 2,950 is not particularly high.
SCJ429
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
 
Posts: 3208
New South Wales

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by bigrich » 27 Dec 2018, 6:08 am

SCJ429 wrote:If you don't shoot long strings and you polish the throat regularly then I don't see barrel life being particularly short. It will also depend on what is acceptable accuracy to you. If you need half inch then barrel life will be shorter that if you are content with one inch groups. You should be able to keep one shooting fairly accurately if you take care for about 2500 rounds. The pressure generated when shooting 120s at 2,950 is not particularly high.


Thanks for the advice SCJ, looking into premium factory loads for 270 and 30-06 they run just as fast and aren’t known for being exceptionaly hard on barrels. I’m going to try out some 125 partition today to see if I can find a middle ground :thumbsup:
User avatar
bigrich
Brigadier
Brigadier
 
Posts: 4483
Queensland

Re: 6.5 x 55 Swede Top Speed

Post by SCJ429 » 27 Dec 2018, 8:07 am

High intensity cases like a 300 RUM can shoot 220 grain projectiles at pressures in the low 60,000 psi and with care you can get more than 1,000 rounds through them. The Swede only creates pressure in the low 50,000 psi with is much less likely to cause excessive throat erosion. Are you running a factory barrel? If you are looking for an excuse to move up to a aftermarket barrel you may have a fair bit of shooting to do before you shoot the factory one out.
SCJ429
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
 
Posts: 3208
New South Wales

Next

Back to top
 
Return to Reloading ammunition