6.5x55 reloading

[3175darren 1,100]

I have used 6.5x55 for well over 20 years and love the caliber, however I am starting to get the urge to load some of the heavier loads, ie the 156 grain bullet heads and wondered if anyone had any experience with them, my rifle has a 1 in 7.5 twist so should stabilise them , 

traditionally  I have used 140 grn heads with great success, all the lighter stuff doesn’t seem to do well in my gun, any info would be good , 

[si brown 8,486]

I’ve used the 156grn Sako off the shelf ammo in my 6.5x55 and it grouped great that was with a 1-8.8 twist barrel , furthest shot with it about 250yard and bang on the money. 
I only bought the 156grn as they were in the bargain bucket and I wanted the brass.. been loading 129grn sst since then and never felt the need to change, good on fox and deer and flatter shooting

[3175darren 1,100]

13 hours ago, si brown said:

I’ve used the 156grn Sako off the shelf ammo in my 6.5x55 and it grouped great that was with a 1-8.8 twist barrel , furthest shot with it about 250yard and bang on the money. 
I only bought the 156grn as they were in the bargain bucket and I wanted the brass.. been loading 129grn sst since then and never felt the need to change, good on fox and deer and flatter shooting

It’s a good round I have tried most of the bullet weights, bellow 140 grn, 120 and bellow I have to load it down, with this gun as It can shred the bullet jackets,  if I don’t, I just wanted to hear if anyone had tried and liked the heavier loads, 

 

[KimE 487]

I shot mostly heavy 155gr rounds from Lapua and Norma in my 6,5*55 they shot very well but so did also the lighter bullets. I does seems like something are wrong if your rifle tear up bullets as many 6,5 like the 85-100gr bullets to. Try slow powders as Norma MRP for the heavy ones.

Edited January 1, 2022 by KimE

[3175darren 1,100]

5 hours ago, KimE said:

I shot mostly heavy 155gr rounds from Lapua and Norma in my 6,5*55 they shot very well but so did also the lighter bullets. I does seems like something are wrong if your rifle tear up bullets as many 6,5 like the 85-100gr bullets to. Try slow powders as Norma MRP for the heavy ones.

Gun has been spot on, but the twist is 1 in 7.8 according to sportsman guns, and I find anything over 130 grn is superb never had a need to question the rifle 85 grn are superb on foxes, however the 120 grns I loaded did shed there jackets and on roe deer where not the best, but that could have been the load or the heads themselves , in a twist that fast, the only bullet weight I havnt had the pleasure of is the 150+ grns I have found the 156 grain elite hunter heads and might give them a try, never loaded them heads before, 

[KimE 487]

Never tried a softpointed 120gr only fmj/match bullets the Swedish or Finnish 155gr bullets hold together as they are intended for moose they work on roedeer too. 1-7,8 twist are standard in the 6,5.

Edited January 1, 2022 by KimE

[3175darren 1,100]

9 hours ago, KimE said:

Never tried a softpointed 120gr only fmj/match bullets the Swedish or Finnish 155gr bullets hold together as they are intended for moose they work on roedeer too. 1-7,8 twist are standard in the 6,5.

It could be my bullet choice without doubt, never put FMJ through it, 

gun is a Manlicher stainless synthetic so I assumed the twist would be a standard twist for the caliber but didn’t know, thanks for pointing that out, I am fancying a crack at wild boar and to be fair the 140 grn should do there job from a high seat, I didn’t want to buy another caliber, 

[KimE 487]

Yes a 140gr would work for wildboar but I should have used a 156gr bullet as its the most traditional weight here. A heavy 156gr softpoint punch through an adult moose in 50% of the shots and the rest usually stops near the skin in the opposite side.

6,5 are often used for night time boarhunting at a feeding place in Sweden I suppose its because many hunters have their best scope mounted on their deerstalking rifle and then they use a 9,3 or .30 cal for driven boar or moose with a low magnification scope.

Edited January 2, 2022 by KimE

[3175darren 1,100]

2 hours ago, KimE said:

Yes a 140gr would work for wildboar but I should have used a 156gr bullet as its the most traditional weight here. A heavy 156gr softpoint punch through an adult moose in 50% of the shots and the rest usually stops near the skin in the opposite side.

6,5 are often used for night time boarhunting at a feeding place in Sweden I suppose its because many hunters have their best scope mounted on their deerstalking rifle and then they use a 9,3 or .30 cal for driven boar or moose with a low magnification scope.

I am looking at the 156 grain, and will give them a go as the range wouldn’t be stupid from a high seat, thanks for the advice it is appreciated, what make of bullet heads would you advise, or do you buy them loaded 

[KimE 487]

In my 6,5 I used mostly factory ammo but it was Lapua Mega and Norma Oryx they are sold as components too.

[Sausagedog 7,381]

First thing is they are bullets, not heads friend.

The jackets are not getting shredded in flight otherwise you would hit the target with any sort of group. However the very high rpm from SM6.5 can compromise a bullets integrity. Basically turning a bullet into a varmint bullet on contact with the animal.

Especially with sharp rifling.

My tikka in 6.5swede was fine with 95gn vmax and the long pencil bullets I use to call them.

6.5 SM is one of my all time favourites. 

[3175darren 1,100]

On 03/01/2022 at 13:51, Sausagedog said:

First thing is they are bullets, not heads friend.

The jackets are not getting shredded in flight otherwise you would hit the target with any sort of group. However the very high rpm from SM6.5 can compromise a bullets integrity. Basically turning a bullet into a varmint bullet on contact with the animal.

Especially with sharp rifling.

My tikka in 6.5swede was fine with 95gn vmax and the long pencil bullets I use to call them.

6.5 SM is one of my all time favourites. 

Yes mine too having used one for over 20 yr, and I did assume that the speed of the twist was stripping the jackets ,ie compromising the bullets, sorry for my lack of verbal dexterity, 

it seems though KimE is correct and 1:8 ish is normal twist for 6.5 and I call them heads as that’s what I buy (bullet heads) a component of the round, at the end of the day it should stabilise the 156 grain heads (bullets) well being 1:7.5 twist and I was wondering what experiences if any , any of the members had, which heads,  (bullets ) were best to try or what other people had used, having never gone above 140 grain myself, 

[Sausagedog 7,381]

44 minutes ago, 3175darren said:

Yes mine too having used one for over 20 yr, and I did assume that the speed of the twist was stripping the jackets ,ie compromising the bullets, sorry for my lack of verbal dexterity, 

it seems though KimE is correct and 1:8 ish is normal twist for 6.5 and I call them heads as that’s what I buy (bullet heads) a component of the round, at the end of the day it should stabilise the 156 grain heads (bullets) well being 1:7.5 twist and I was wondering what experiences if any , any of the members had, which heads,  (bullets ) were best to try or what other people had used, having never gone above 140 grain myself, 

Still only bullets lol.

Think it came about via war head.

The only head on a cartridge is the part where the primer is.

Anyway I miss my 6.5. Not jealous at all  

[3175darren 1,100]

10 hours ago, Sausagedog said:

Still only bullets lol.

Think it came about via war head.

The only head on a cartridge is the part where the primer is.

Anyway I miss my 6.5. Not jealous at all  

I thought the primer was in the base

[Sausagedog 7,381]

3 minutes ago, 3175darren said:

I thought the primer was in the base

Lol no. The primer is in the primer pocket. The primer pocket is in the case head lol.

Ever heard of case head separation?