Range report with Swedish M96

[Gunfreak25]

Beautiful day on the 1000 yard range. Nobody but myself and 78 degree sunshine camping at 100 yards.

I suspect the bore is getting a little tired on this rifle. Original barrel all matching, with signs of being used in competition in it's Swedish civilian life. It gauges a 3 on the disc.

The loads for each target are the same. Except the left were uncrimped, the right target moderate crimp with the Lee FCD.

34.5g H4895
140g Speer SP flat base
Surplus brass mixed, berdan primed.


I suspect a better quality boat tail bullet and some slower powder like RL22 would shrink things a bit. Maybe sorting headstamps too.

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[Dan Cash]

The factory crimp die surely did not improve things.

[oldblinddog]

Load some of these: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/74...ose-box-of-100 if you want to shoot jacketed bullets.

42.0 gr of H4831 works well. (This is almost max.)

[Gunfreak25]

Those would fill the throat up nicely like the original 6.5 round did before they went to Spitzer style. I'll bet they shoot well indeed

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[curator]

Reloder22 really shines in the 6.5X55 Swede. I have a couple of them and they shoot better with flat base bullets seated out to just touch the rifling leade. The original sights are a bit fine for my eyes so I fitted the M96 with a swedish micrometer rear sight and cut group size in half. Great rifles!

[RPRNY]

Iron military sights at 100 yards? Not bad at all!! I agree that a slower powder might help tighten things up, though mine loves Varget with 140s and 129s. But nothing shoots as well as 160grs RN over H4350.

[Adam20]

78 degrees and sunshine, it will be 6 months before I see that. Nice shooting,

[largom]

Wish my old eyes would allow me to shoot open sights. First, I would separate my brass. After sizing and trimming I would weigh the cases. Case weight = thicker or thinner brass which dictates case volume which effects pressure which effects velocity and group size. With all that said your shooting was pretty good with what you were working with.

[Mr Peabody]

IMR 4831 does a nice job in that cartridge too.

[Gunfreak25]

I wanted to note this rifle has the old style sights regulated for the older m94 round nose ammo.

All rifles in service received a decal or plate to give the correct sight corrections when the Army went to the flatter shooting m41 ammo.

The decal states that with the new M41 ammo at 100 meters, one must hold 3 decimeters low. Which is around 12 inches low. Which is exactly how low I placed my bullseye. Pretty cool.

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[boatbum101]

My 96/38 preferred 45.5grs IMR 4350 or 48.5grs RL19 with 120gr jacketed , with 140gr jacketed it preferred 45.0grs of RL19 or 46.5grs of RL22 . Best results with 160gr jacketed were 45.6 or 44.0grs of H4831SC or 46.0grs of RL22 . Stock sights are set for 300M zero , you can get a taller front sight for 100yd zero . They also made a peep type rear sight that'd replace stock & depending on aperature size would reduce groups considerably . Cast loads with the Lyman 266469 13.5 to 19.5grs of SR4759 , 20 to 21grs IMR4895 or 23.5grs of H4895 gave best results .

[Uncle Grinch]

I had to reread your post a couple of times.... 1000 yards and with iron sights! Then I finally saw the 100 yards. Man I sure jump to conclusions. None the less you sure can make that Swede shoot!

[Gunfreak25]

I want to work up to 1000 soon. I will post it here when I do. My 300 yard target opened up to a sheet of printer paper size. White paper on a faded brown cardboard target stand I just couldn't make out my bullseye.

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[blikseme300]

I recently added a no-drill mount and a cheap LER scope to my 1909 CG rifle and now I can finally see and shoot with this rifle. It's accuracy blows me away for such an oldie. I have less than $200 in it and it will be used soon when I go out for Nilgai.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/atta...6&d=1512354671

[Yodogsandman]

Love that Speer 140gr SP over 43.0gr IMR4831 in both my Swedes. The 140gr Nosler Partitions shoot to the same POI with the same load.

[Gunfreak25]

We just got a Sportsmans Warehouse here so the bullet selections are incredible. The Speers were 17 cents a pop, Sierra Fmjbt 20 cents a piece. I draw the line at 30 cents a pop. That's when the Lee 20lb pot comes out.

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[swheeler]

We just got a Sportsmans Warehouse here so the bullet selections are incredible. The Speers were 17 cents a pop, Sierra Fmjbt 20 cents a piece. I draw the line at 30 cents a pop. That's when the Lee 20lb pot comes out.

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Sportsman must have been having a Grand Opening sale, that is a good price on either of those bullets! I think I pay about 30 c for Hornady and 70 cents for hunting bullets, Nosler partition.

[dogmower]

fwiw, the hornady 6.5 140 grain bthp bullets are $25/100 anywhere. I shoot them over imr 4831 (more often shoot cast in this caliber) when I shoot jacketed bullets. nice, flat load. sometimes you can see the bullet splash at 500 meters on the rams! love the Swedish mausers.

[quail4jake]

Ja! Alskar min svenska mauser, skjuter NOE 270-149RN mycket bra!

[Budzilla 19]

I’ve shot SMK 6.5 -140 grain over both 4350 and 4831 (of both varieties) and when I scoped this rifle, and glass bedded the action,it really let it shine accuracy wise! (I can’t shoot open sights well at all!) Any thing I’ve ever shot it with has went down in one shot! Nothing else to say, I guess.