Sweedish 6.5 x 55 Cruise missile load ?

[danyboy]

Anyone got any idea as a handload suggestion for the 170 gr. cruise missile in a M96 sweedish 6.5 x 55 ?
Thanks

[danyboy]

I did search through this forum prior to writing this post and didn't find any load data, mostly problems and 'out of the mould' measurements, etc...

[Larry Gibson]

I finally got around to double sizing the driving bands so I can seat them with the GC at the base of the case neck. I've test loads for RL22 loaded but haven't had time to test yet....

Larry Gibson

[Baja_Traveler]

I just wish I could find a cruise missile mold that works. The newer molds from midsouth absolutely suck and are unuseable in my rifle. I've read that RL22 is an excellent powder for the 6.5, but I have been using 2400 and the BRP 140 grain mold with excellent results, tack accurate and light recoil...

[waksupi]

Baja, try bumping up the nose just a bit on your cruise missile. A bit more alignment help may be all it needs.

[45 2.1]

I just wish I could find a cruise missile mold that works. The newer molds from midsouth absolutely suck and are unuseable in my rifle.

Current GB going on...... Cut to original specs!
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=150107

[Aloxite]

Forgive my ignorance but what does waksupi mean by bumping up the nose?

[HARRYMPOPE]

Forgive my ignorance but what does waksupi mean by bumping up the nose?

it can be done with a custom swage/bump die for the lubrasizer or better loading press(bullet run in nose first)or just sizing it and giving it a bit of a squish to swell the nose in your lubresizer.You can use washers for spacers over the sizer die to set the bump amount.I have 22-30 and 35 for both press and sizer and all do a good job.In pinch the simple "nose squash" while not as precise will tell you if the bigger nose is an improvement anyhow.I ahvent played with 6.5 cast lately(16years) but standard .257 to .258 sizer may bump up the nose like you need.i have used a .277-.278 sizer for my 7mm bullet noses.

PS-
got some 6.5 x 55 brass i i will send your way next week.Not sure how much its at a buddies house.

George

[Aloxite]

Cool, thanks George. I love that old Swede I got from you. Can't wait to load it.

I figured he was talking about squishing the boolit somehow to make the nose swell, but I couldn't think how it could be done with any precision.

[Nobade]

I size the CM to .259", paper patch it back up to .265", and load it over 45 gr. Retumbo plus .3cc BPI shot buffer in cases sized with the Lee collet die. This load duplicates the Swede military ball ammo for groups (around 1.5 MOA) and tracks with the sights at least to 750 yards. (as far as our range allows) It works amazingly well! I have tried shooting that same boolit naked with gaschecks and without, cast out of all manner of alloys, every trick I could come up with and it was awful. No joy at all. Then I started patching them and it came alive. I am done with load development in the M96 now!

[Larry Gibson]

The nose on my CMs run .264 and don't need bumping up. The problem with my CMs was the long bearing surface of the driving bands when sized at .268 (.272 unsized) preclude them from seating into the .266 throat unless the bullet is seated too deep with the GC and 2 lube groves into the powder space. I solved this by sizng, nose first, the 1st two driving bands into a .266 sizer. This allows the bullet to be seated so the nose ogive is slightly engraved by the leade on chambering. The top of the GC is just at the juction of the neck and shoulder. How this works I haven't found out yet. Hope to test them this week.

Larry Gibson

[danyboy]

Went to the range today and tried my Lee 170gr cruise missile boolits, sized to
.266, Alox lube, 8gr. of Unique, COL:2.160", OAL:2.925", cotton puff fill: good enough results for me. At 50 yards, twice 2 bullets in the same hole, .75" groups. Speed recorded on 17 bullets was 1082 fps average.
So my conclusion: unlike any other caliber, forget the casting and reloading basic rules for a minute like having .003" over groove diameter, etc... This fast twist of 1-7 1/2" makes this bullet spin so fast that high speed will make it hit the target sideways and make it fly all over north america.
I had tried 11 gr. of Unique yesterday and got lots of keyholes on the target.
I will try next at 100 yards and may be try some other powder I got in stock. Not having any hint or chart for this bullet makes it a slow process.

[45 2.1]

So my conclusion: unlike any other caliber, forget the casting and reloading basic rules for a minute like having .003" over groove diameter, etc... This fast twist of 1-7 1/2" makes this bullet spin so fast that high speed will make it hit the target sideways and make it fly all over north america.

As you say, your conclusion............. but not mine or some others.

[HARRYMPOPE]

[QUOTE=
So my conclusion: unlike any other caliber, forget the casting and reloading basic rules for a minute like having .003" over groove diameter, etc... This fast twist of 1-7 1/2" makes this bullet spin so fast that high speed will make it hit the target sideways and make it fly all over north america.
I had tried 11 gr. of Unique yesterday and got lots of keyholes on the target.
I will try next at 100 yards and may be try some other powder I got in stock. Not having any hint or chart for this bullet makes it a slow process.[/QUOTE]

I agree you have try things out for yourself. I have placed well in many registered cast bullet matches matches going against the "party line" on cast bullet basics.Nose dia to small-"over" sizing .009.--Shooting plainbase without GC as a PB......

Example from today- i was out with cast roundballs in a 50 caliber caplock with a 1-32" twist with moderate loads. It out shot my good shooting 1-66" gun consistently.If i believed everything i read on the 'net(and Sam Fadala) i was wasting my time with a 1-32 and roundballs.
So i learned something by being a contrary. It may not shoot hot RB loads(i will try it later) but offhand to 50 yards its fine.


George

[danyboy]

As mentioned by '45 2.1', I agree a lot of people might disagree with this 6.5 x 55 cruise missile problem (seems to me a lot of people have a hard time with it) BUT it worked for me.
Dutchman explains well the odd side of this caliber in the following topic: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...missile&page=2


I loaded for odd old military calibers like the Schmidt Rubin 1889, Swiss Vetterli and the old Mauser 71/84 but this 6.5 x 55 cruise missile drove me nuts for a while until last sunday. Loading .003" over groove size made it impossible to chamber unles seated very deep inside (down to the last groove).
Bore was pretty filthy; must be this Unique powder again.

[calkar]

danyboy, anyone who tells you that the cruise missile shoots great, ask them at what distance and show us your groups.

[10 Spot Terminator]

Was perusing a m/96 thread one day and ran accross this one. From the original group buy mold with an alloy of 16/1 pb/sn , Hornady GC , Lapua case , 16.5 grs. of XMP-5744 powder, Win "large pistol" primer and seated longer than the magazine so as to hand feed one at a time he posted pics of .766" at 100 yd. grouping. No chrony was figured to be appx 1,600 fps.
Fella said this was the most accurate load he has ever put together for his old Gustaf and was amazed it was from a cast bullet.

10 Spot

[Hang Fire]

Knew I had posted before, this is how I handled the fat nose problem so could seat the CM further out.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=99730

12-05-2010, 05:17 AM #17
Hang Fire
Boolit Master

"Fat nose on the CM can be solved by nose first into a .258 sizer, followed by same for finishing in a .264 sizer up to first drive band. works for me, but being retired, time doesn't matter. "

[45 2.1]

Knew I had posted before, this is how I handled the fat nose problem so could seat the CM further out.

The easiest way to handle the fat nose/band problem is to not buy the Lee version. There is a GB going on in the Active GB section where the mold maker is MiHec who is going to cut it to the original specs. Oldfeller babyset Lee on the original GB to get the dimensions right. Lee specs of -0.000" to +0.003" do not get you there very often.