6.5 mm

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  • Last Post 02 January 2016
Tom Acheson posted this 27 December 2015

Looking at doing something in 6.5mm with a 6.5 BR. The first question is what bullet weight and companion twist rate are candidates for 100/200-yard bench rest shooting? Converting 6.5mm to inches we get 0.2556...

The other question is which mould? Saeco has a 140-grain mold. Accurate doesn't go that “small". However, NOE has quite a selection of diameters, 258-260", ranging between 80 and 120-grains. NEI has a few offerings but not many, (8) bullets in 0.257", 65-110-grains.

LBT has 0.257” dia. bullets ranging from 90-117-grains. But Veral made a .30-caliber mould for me that I've been using for over 10-years that shoots very well, so maybe a 6.5 version of that design?

Thanks for any feedback!

Tom

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tturner53 posted this 27 December 2015

Sounds like a fun project. I'm no 6.5 expert by a long shot and have no advice. I do have a couple 6.5 molds for my 6.5x55 Swede if you want some samples. I even have the infamous 'Cruise Missle' which is a big fat heavy beast. Also an old Lyman Loverin design.

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Paul Pollard posted this 27 December 2015

Tom,

0.2556 is the bore size. The base band will be in the 266 to 268 range.

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shastaboat posted this 27 December 2015

I worked for two years trying to get my 6.5x55 Swede to shoot accurately. I found the Lyman #266469 (140 gr) to be too long to stand sizing to .266. The bullets would actually bend and keyholed. I found a discontinued 266455 that casts well with wheel weight. Because of the long throat, approx .500 I had to seat this bullet out quite far with approx 1/8” neck contact. Also I had to reduce the velocity to 1700-1750 fps but was able to eventually shoot 1” groups regularly.  I had tried alloying with 30% lino but still had to reduce velocity to the 1700-1750 fps area.

Because I said so!

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John Alexander posted this 28 December 2015

Shastaboat wrote: "I worked for two years trying to get my 6.5x55 Swede to shoot accurately. I found the Lyman #266469 (140 gr) to be too long to stand sizing to .266. The bullets would actually bend and keyholed.”     

If you would like to give that bullet another try, buy a Lee push through die to cure bending problem.  You can then lube in lubrisizer with die of same size or tumble lube.

John

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John Alexander posted this 28 December 2015

Tom, Why mess around with half-vast ideas?  Go directly to 22. LRH is a natural to take advantage of the reduced recoil and twist.

John

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rockquarry posted this 28 December 2015

I did some cast work with a couple of 6.5x55 Swedish Mausers about twenty-five years ago. As I recall, bullets had to be at least .266” for good accuracy. A .267” or .268” bullet probably would have been better, but I never tried such. There were not many moulds available at the time and I think most of those were undersize. The best I found was an NEI that cast a very long 160 grain round nose.

Mould choices/diameters would have to be far better now.

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grouch posted this 28 December 2015

I shoot a sporterized 6.5x55 '96 Mauser, have 4 moulds for it - 2 from NEI(old), and 2 from CBE in Australia. The best in my rifle is CBE 266132, which gives me groups in the 1” - 1 1/4” range most of the time. It's a Loverin type design with the nose and forward driving band .260, the rest 267.

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[email protected] posted this 29 December 2015

I have had good luck in the past with the Lyman 140 grain bullet using Unique powder out to 100 yards or so in both my model 70 and a Swedish Mauser keeping the loads light. I tried medium burn rate rifle powders with a little more velocity with mediocre success. I did shoot some groundhogs out to 100 yards with the Unique loads and had fun.Also won a couple of bucks by placing in the military postal matches with my Swedish Mauser a few years back using the Lyman bullet and Unique powder. It was fun.Gave up on the Swedish Mauser after I Ruined it by using some forgotten concoction of powder and cream of wheat filler. It wasn't even fun!STICK TO KNOWN LOADS AND HAVING FUN!  Flashman  

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Tom Acheson posted this 29 December 2015

John,

The thought of a .22 has crossed my mind. One of our local handgun silhouette shooters has an XP-100 chambered in .22 PPC and it will knock over the 200-meter 50-pound steel ram, believe it or not. Admittedly, the CBA BR match game does not need to have that kind of energy but the accuracy seems to be there.

And yes, the appeal of “lower recoil” is the mystical enticement. Soon I'll need to find a reliable and believable recoil comparison to consider before making a move.

Tom

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 29 December 2015

tom ...if gun weight and barrel length and muzzle velocity are about the same ... recoil is proportional to bullet weight .

if your 6.5 bullet is 140 gr and your 224 bullet is 70 gr., the 6.5 would have twice the recoil .

ken the simplifyer ....

i have a ppg 222 rem tight neck reamer if that would get you a start . oh i have a shilen ss match 222 tight neck barrel already chambered ...remington threaded... just screw it in ... ... you could try it if you let us know how it works ... oh, it is 14 twist, so you would have to use those short bullets ... like those 1/2 minute rimfires have to use ( g ) ... ( rf are plain base ... a big handicap apparently ... ( g ) ) .

let me know .. will send it up ...

ken

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Tom Acheson posted this 02 January 2016

Ken,

Thanks for the offer. I'm still in the mental debate phase on if I'll do anything and if I do, what chambering I'll get into.

Chilly out up here today, 14F.

Tom

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Scearcy posted this 02 January 2016

Tom I have an unfired 8” twist 22 barrel covered with dust. If you take a run at the 22 thing, I'll be happy to share the work and learn along with you.

Jim

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