Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

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

Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

Post by juststarting » 01 Feb 2017, 1:56 am

Hi All

So as regulars know, I am looking for my first rifle - for 2017 :) In fun 7.5x55 Swiss caliber. While I hunt for one, I am thinking about reloading...

Wondering about:

projectiles - I am seeing a lot of people saying that it will shoot 308 well. Is this the case or does it eat something else? I will buy couple of factory boxes to start with and measure them just in case, but I'd like some opinions.

sights - I am reading that the rifle is sighted in for 200m. Since it has iron sights and I am not scoping it, what's the approach here to shoot under that. I understand holdovers are possible and I may very well start with that, but is there another way? Perhaps a new taller front sight/blade (I prefer not to, but...). Thoughts?

gotchas - any gotchas or experiences you'd like to share? You know, those lessons that you rather learn from someone else :thumbsup:


Cheers
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Re: Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

Post by Gamerancher » 01 Feb 2017, 10:59 am

What rifle are you looking at? Straight pull Schmidt-Rubin? If so, yes they take .308 caliber projectiles. Although the cases are totally different in dimensions, the round can be loaded to duplicate the .308 Winchester in that rifle.
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Re: Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

Post by juststarting » 01 Feb 2017, 11:03 am

Gamerancher wrote:What rifle are you looking at? Straight pull Schmidt-Rubin? If so, yes they take .308 caliber projectiles. Although the cases are totally different in dimensions, the round can be loaded to duplicate the .308 Winchester in that rifle.


Yes, at this stage I am leaning to Schmidt-Rubin 1911
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Re: Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

Post by TheDude » 01 Feb 2017, 2:37 pm

I've got a k31, haven't started loading for it yet as I bought several hundred highland/PPU factory rounds cheap that I'm still working through.

As has been said above they take 308 projectiles and can be loaded to similar velocities as the 308. The older 1911 and k11 aren't quite as strong as the k31 due to the longer bolt with central locking lugs so start lower and work up. The old issued GP11 ammo was 174gr at about 2600fps.

Once I burn through what I've got I'll work up loads with Nosler custom comp 168gr.

From other forums, the 1911 is apparently a little more accurate due to the longer sight radius of the 30" barrel over the k11 and newer k31 carbines.
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Re: Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

Post by No1Mk3 » 02 Feb 2017, 5:21 am

G'day juststarting,
If you buy a K11 or G11, you can load to the same specs as the K31 as they were all built to use the same ammo. If you buy a G89/11 you will need to load down for it as the 1889 action was designed for semi smokeless. As others have stated, .308 is correct for the GP11. Your sights start at 100m, and you should take a 6 o'clock hold with 2650+ fps ammo. My load for AR2206H and 168 Nosler CC is 47.0g for 2680fps, and for AR2208, same pill, 43.0g. Haven't clocked the 2208 but point of aim hasn't changed. In any event, you should consider 45000 psi as a maximum, Cheers.
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Re: Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

Post by juststarting » 09 Feb 2017, 10:55 pm

@No1Mk3
I did buy a K11. Iron sights start at 300m. So I am thinking, last thing I want to do is change sights, if I want to start at 50m - 100m... Any suggestions, other than 'aim low'?
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Re: Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

Post by Supaduke » 10 Feb 2017, 5:54 am

Hold the rifle upside down and aim high....
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Re: Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

Post by juststarting » 10 Feb 2017, 6:29 am

Image
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Re: Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

Post by Supaduke » 10 Feb 2017, 6:41 am

O.G.!
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Re: Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

Post by juststarting » 10 Feb 2017, 6:51 am

Meh, I'll just learn the holdovers :) or find a replica front post. But probably holdovers.
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Re: Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

Post by juststarting » 10 Feb 2017, 7:34 am

Yep, my OCD is in full swing. Next, I'll need those waxed feeding clips
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Re: Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

Post by TheDude » 10 Feb 2017, 7:52 am

juststarting wrote:Yep, my OCD is in full swing. Next, I'll need those waxed feeding clips


https://www.firearmsales.com.au/swiss-products.php Has some, a lot on eBay too. There are also polymer ones around. Not authentic but might be good if you think you'd use them often.

There
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Re: Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

Post by juststarting » 10 Feb 2017, 7:56 am

Nah, I probably wouldn't use them but I need to have a full set lol. Actually, clips I know I can find... GP11 ammo on the other hand may be a little harder. I really want a couple of packets though. One to shoot and one to keep :)
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Re: Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

Post by Manimal » 10 Feb 2017, 9:01 am

juststarting wrote:Nah, I probably wouldn't use them but I need to have a full set lol.


Gotta catch 'em all :lol:
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Re: Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

Post by wanneroo » 18 Mar 2017, 1:06 pm

I'm in the middle of reloading for the first time for 7.5 Swiss for my K31 which I intend to shoot in Swiss style matches. For right now I have a few cases of GP11 set aside, but I don't want the brass to go to waste, so I'm going to load the brass. I intend to use Reloader 17 and .308 168g Sierra Match Kings. Brass has been resized, now need to trim it and seat the Berdan primers.

Overall it seems to be a fairly straightforward rifle to reload for, but there are some differences in dies and slight chamber differences between K11 and K31 rifles.
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Re: Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

Post by No1Mk3 » 18 Mar 2017, 4:25 pm

G'day wanneroo,
Any die differences are most likely manufacturing tolerance variations as they should made to form the GP11 cartridge, the issue round for both rifles. Chamber variations however, may be due to the K11 chamber having been modified from using GP90/03 or GP90/23 to GP11. Look forward to hear your opinion of RL17, as it is not available here, nor it's European version EI Niesen 145. Cheers.
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Re: Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

Post by TheDude » 18 Mar 2017, 5:57 pm

Most of the 7.5x55 dies are for the k11 spec chamber which is a bit tighter than the k31. Can use them for k31 brass but you are working it a bit more. Redding and I think Hornady make both 7.5x55 and specific k31 dies.
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Re: Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

Post by wanneroo » 19 Mar 2017, 8:37 am

My understanding is that the K11 chamber is a little tighter at the shoulder than the K31 chamber. I ran into this when I bought the World's Finest Trimmer for 7.5 Swiss and they cut their case holder for the K11 chamber, so my resized brass would not fit at the shoulder. I now have to send them some resized cases and the trimmer so it can be recut to K31 specs. The Redding die itself is cut for the K31 chamber. Other dies are for the K11 and will work for the K31, but it just works the brass a tad more. The Swiss Rifle Forum has a significant debate on all of this complete with pictures and measurements.

But I am no expert so it's all a learning process. I will be using GP11 brass with berdan primers. I have already successfully loaded 1970's Hirtenberger 7.62 NATO berdan brass, so I do have some experience with berdan primers. Reloder 17 was recommended by many at Swiss forum so I decided to try that but it looks like several other powders should work too. I have a couple of thousand Sierra Match King 168g 308 bullets sitting on the shelf so that will be the bullet I'll use.

Right now I am finishing up a few thousand 9mm rounds and then I will swing back to getting the 7.5 Swiss rounds loaded, hopefully next month.
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Re: Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

Post by juststarting » 03 Apr 2017, 12:53 am

So, having no freaking clue about what I am doing with my K11 - took No1Mk3 advice and started working up to 43gr of AR2008. Case capacity and volume of powder, just eyeballing it and having experience with handful of other 30 cal. it looked safe, so I could have just started there. But from what I've read and I think No1Mk3 pointed out, the case head in Schmidt Rubin K11 is not fully supported, so I thought - easy does it and worked up from 41 grains. Looked like my face and fingers were alright, so I moved on to 43gr (using ADI AR2208)

First photo, at 50m with iron sights that start at 300m. Expected to shoot high, so aimed low, arrows indicate where I was aiming. First group is missing a hole, that's because I looked away from the rifle when I pulled the trigger on 43 grains hehehehe.

Bottom group, I was holding at the base of the target frame to see if its more or less consistent, which it was. I didn't really focus on anything specific at the base of the frame, so they are spread out horizontally a bit more than they could be. I actually struggled with the overall contrast of that Hornady target with iron sights at 50m. Doubt that I need glasses, but I didn't find it easy. A thought has crossed my mind, if only I had a scope, then I mentally slapped myself for even thinking about it.

Image

So I ghetto-upped the target (something I wanted to test for a while anyway, shoot-n-see DIY) and moved out to 100m.

Image

Still not great, but knowing it shoots high, about 40cm I believe, I aimed at the base of the frame to the right. Top 2 holes, not sure what I did there, but they are not fliers, I think I may have been aiming at something else.

Bottom group is all me, which I think is alright... Could be a lot better, but I like it.

Purple area at the bottom left indicates I need a haircut.
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Re: Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

Post by juststarting » 03 Apr 2017, 12:54 am

N.B.
Never buying those shoot and see targets again, DIY seems to work a treat.
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Re: Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

Post by Supaduke » 03 Apr 2017, 6:23 am

Not too bad. Might need to hone the trigger actuator. :)
Did they all extract reliably?
Did the ol Swiss gal function smoothly and reliably?
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Re: Reloading (and shooting) 7.5x55 Swiss

Post by juststarting » 03 Apr 2017, 9:27 am

Trigger actuator needs a bit of work... Rifle - flawlessly.
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