6.5x55 Reloading
 

I am looking at reloading for my Tikka 6.5x55, will be hunting Deer and Elk, maybe Black bear.

Im completely new to reloading but have done some research on bullets and think I will be using 140gr nosler partitions or barnes TSX.
Firstly, would anyone have any other recommendations for bullets?

Secondly, what powder and quantities etc would be best coupled with the bullets?

how does twist rate correlate to what you do while reloading?

Also, some guys I spoke to recommended 130grain barnes TSX for Elk because they shoot faster and penetrate deeper, but is 130 too light for elk?

any and all info is welcome,

cheers,

130gr is plenty for elk. My 6.5x55 likes R-22.

Another couple powders to try would be H4831 or H4350 or even H4895.

What is your rifle's twist rate? generally longer and heavier bullets need more twist (1-8, 1-10) than lighter bullets which need less (1-12, 1-14)

LC

thanks guys, twist rate is 1:8 I believe. it is a tikka T3.

is it easy enough to reload? I have a friend who has a reloading kit, he is fairly new to reloading as well.
Im I going to make a dogs breakfast out of my first try or is it pretty straight forward stuff?

also once you have some loads done up how do you determine to performance of your loads? FPS etc?

cheers!

If it is a 1:8 twist then you can shoot up to at least 140gr bullets. To determine the speed you need a chronograph or you are just guessing.

Better yet shoot the rifle with your proofed 100yrd/M load at different distances to know EXACTLY what it does...stick to ranges you can maintain a good group at.

Yes it is easy to reload but I have been doing it for over 20 years....if you are starting out read as many manuals as you can and follow all safety rules...then read some more manuals and have an experienced loader show you how...

LC

Going through the same thing right now - with the same caliber.

According to this guy - the 140gr Nolser partititon is the choice.

http://www.ballisticstudies.com/Know...se/6.5x55.html

According to Nosler:

http://www.nosler.com/65x55-swedish-mauser

Factory Ammo:

http://www.tradeexcanada.com/content...rvi-139gr-sbpt 2700 MV claimed on website
http://www.tradeexcanada.com/content...sler-partition -2690 MV claimed on website
http://www.cabelas.ca/product/31120/...77259004701304 -2650 MV claime son website

I am a totally new to shooting in general - so take this for what you will. I am tempted to just order a couple boxes of PRVI to test it out.

Read less, and shoot more.Too

Read less, and shoot more.Too much reading will just confuse you.

Very true - sometimes the OCD gets me.

Wish I could shoot more, unfortunately have to read more and try to weed out the good the bad and the bull****.
I saw what looked like a pretty solid experiment and guy had done on this subject ( shooting multiple rounds into deep layers of wet newspaper) and the Barnes tsx penetrated deep and retained more bullet weight than the nosler partitions. How critical is weight retention? Also what are the pros and cons between 130gr vs 140gr when hunting elk out to say 300 yards? Is the extra speed of the 130 mort important than the extra weight of the 140?

EDIT: this is the data from the guys testing...

Also any likely difference in accuracy and recoil between 130 and 140? Cheers all round!

I've shot 120 and 140 grain bullets back to back and did not notice a difference. All I know is that shooting pretty much ANY load out of my 6.5 and then shooting my 30-06 makes me wonder why I even bother with the 06..

Quick question, I've got an old Swede Mauser and I wanted to reload some lighter bullets for it, I was told by a few people that the twist rates in these military surplus rifles is sometimes incompatible with lighter bullets, any truth to that? Also, if I was going to try using the same powder with both the 6.5 and my .270 what would be my best choice?

Barnes reccomends that when loading their bullets that you step down in weight, so it you were going to run 140gr lead bullet go with a 130gr Barnes. This helps keep velocity up which the Barnes bullets need to open up.

If you are looking at a specific bullet and email Barnes they will e-mail you back a list of reccomended powder / loads, usually with-in a day. It is always a good idea to have the manual for the bullet you are loading.

I found YouTube helpful for learning the steps of reloading, but you have to sift through some junk on there, thats for sure. Nothing beats having a reloading mentor to walk you through things and answer questions as they come up. Once you load a couple batches on your own things become much clearer.

Hard to say if there will be a difference between 130 and 140gr bullets as far as accuracy goes, each gun likes what it likes. I would say recoil would be very close.

Look on page #2
 

Under 6.5 130gr Nosler Accubond...........I posted a target and other data for a 6.5x55 T-3 I load for my son.He planted a 14" antelope with it earlier this week. The only powder you will need is RE#22 or IMR 4350 for the heavier slugs.With a 140gr Partition and 47gr it went right through both sides of a moose last fall.This is also typical with 156-160gr bullets.The T-3 wasn't stabilizing the 160gr but would the shorter SAKO 156gr.Harold

If you are going to use monometal bullets like the TSX/TTSX, be aware that they perform much better at higher velocities, and they can fail to expand adequately when the impact velocity drops below 2000fps. That is the actual impact velocity, not the muzzle velocity. As such, I don't even bother with the monometal bullets with the 6.5x55,if the ranges could be longer, preferring the Accubond instead. The 130gr Accubond does well below 1/2 moa in my hunting partners T-3.

Is there difference between acubond and partitions?

They are entirely different bullets. The Accubond has a slight boattail, and has a bonded core, while the partition is flat based, with two separate cores, separated by a partition. The Accubond has a higher B.C. and a poly tip, while the Partition has a lead tip.

Yes, one is bonded and one is a modified cup and core.

LC

You should have also mentioned shoot more and spend less time talking to people on shooting forums. Trying to interpret the information you receive on most forums will confuse you.

Any thing from 120-140grs will make a great all round bullet

If you want a short range bullet (old school) go with a 160RN.

I use 95gr. Hornady bullets on anything smaller then deer IF I don't want to keep the hide.

The 6.5 caliber is accurate and with the right load will take any thing in North America but I would go up a caliber or 2 if the game could bite back.

When I load Barnes bullets for the 6.5X55 I like to go lighter, 120's, because they work better when they are pushed faster
if I am using cup and core bullets, 140's, unless I am going with my all time favourite bullets, the 158 Norma Alaskan or the big 160 SMP Sierra!!:sHa_shakeshout:
Dump a bunch of H4831 behind a 160 and moose and elk fall down dead.:)
The standard caveat , of course, is you have to hit them where it counts!!
Cat

moose loads
 

For years I loaded 42gr of either IMR 4350 or N-204 and Hornady's 160gr or the SAKO 156 RN. Also great in the Swedish mausers with their 1-7.25 " twist.Never recovered a bullet from any moose regardless of angle.It will shoot through two moose and a fire hydrant........literally...........Harold

Swedes
 

My Tikka will put out anything 95 to the 160's. I have three swedes and they like the 140's and 160's too but at a bit slower speed. I think I pushed a few 160's out a bit high in the Tikka by powder weight mistake [like 45 gr of imr 4350] and they still put them on the mark. My old Swedes are all iron sights, one has peep sites and they will print 2" at 100M, OK it is a match presentation rifle, more than a match for me.
6.5's don't kick at all I find, just saying. Not like shooting a box of 300WM 190's. Cheers, just shoot more.

recoil
 

Whats the recoil of the 6.5 swede comparable to? if you didn't know which was which, could you tell the diff between a 6.5 140gr vs a 150 gr .308? both shot out of say a 8 lbs rifle ?

Way more felt recoil on the 308 rifle, my Steyr 6.5x55 doesn't even come with a recoil pad. FS

If your rifle doesn't shoot the light bullets its more of a long throat issue than a twist problem. I had a couple M96 rifles that shot 85 gr bullets extremely well. Never know until you try.

Logic? and math say they should recoil about the same: but I tend to find that the .308 does kick a bit stiffer then my .260 or my 6.5x55. BUT I am now the proud owner of a Savage model 99 in .308 which seems to be quite comfortable in the recoil department. So fit and ergonomics play a HUGE role in perceived recoil! I still feel however that I can fire my 6.5 rifles from the bench for a greater period of time then any of my.308 calibers.

x 2 on the 160 gr. I lost a nice whitetail with a 129 gr. It whistled right through at 150 yards.

Did you ever find the deer, to determine for sure where the bullet struck? I have tracked down a few deer that the shooters claimed were lung shot, yet the recovered carcass proved otherwise. Many people find it easier to blame the bullet, than to consider that the bullet placement may not have been adequate.

Anybody seen the Sierra 160 SMP in stock anywhere? They no longer appear on Sierra's web site, have they been discontinued?

ARG