cast loads for 6.5x55 w/ 9"twist

[castshooter-too]

I know lots of data for swedish mausers with the 1 in 7.5 twist
Any interest in asct data for 9 twist barrels?

I own a rem 700 classic and have been messing with Lymans
266469 boolit in hardball or #2 alloy and having great success!

Ny recipe for success is one fired brass of choice
24.5. h4895
140gr. cast bhn 15-16

lit by a fed. 210 primer
seated to ingage rifling
in my rifle=[3.000"]

shoots 2''or>@100yds. w/3x9 leopold installed

Next up is a redfield 6-18 to be swapped off my 22-250








Thanks for your time BRUCE IN NY

[waksupi]

Any idea how fast ya got those puppies movin'?

[castshooter-too]

Waksupi; I figure 1800fps
Lymans showing max at 30grs. But thats for swede rifles.

There is absolutly zero data out there for sporters with 9
twist bbls.




Maybe someone has a clue as to where?





thanks for the reply. BRUCE

[waksupi]

I'd sure like to see how fast you can push them. I'm considering rebarreling an action to that twist, and am very interested in velocity potential with cast.

[45 2.1]

Push it up to book max, just don't use new cases.

[castshooter-too]

A little more details are in order as to not confuse potential users,

started out with a 60% reduction for a max load with 140
jacketed bullets and came up with 24gr. H4895
shot ok but was showing signs of lube on the fired cases.
increased .5gr and fired 10 shots and accuracy improved
and the cases came out dry sealing the chamber.


boolits cast with #2 after 24hrs reached .266dia. and were
lubed with javalina and checked thru a .266 dia. sizing die.
seated in neck sized rem. cases to ingage the rifling when
chambered .
A slight crimp was applied with a LEE factory crimp die.
just enough to iron out the taper.

will probably see how far I can take it without leading the
bbl. Am guessing 2100fps with this alloy.

[45 2.1]

A little more details are in order as to not confuse potential users,

started out with a 60% reduction for a max load with 140
jacketed bullets and came up with 24gr. H4895
shot ok but was showing signs of lube on the fired cases.
increased .5gr and fired 10 shots and accuracy improved
and the cases came out dry sealing the chamber.


boolits cast with #2 after 24hrs reached .266dia. and were
lubed with javalina and checked thru a .266 dia. sizing die.
seated in neck sized rem. cases to ingage the rifling when
chambered .
A slight crimp was applied with a LEE factory crimp die.
just enough to iron out the taper.

will probably see how far I can take it without leading the
bbl. Am guessing 2100fps with this alloy.

You can use the jacketed data for the boolit weight for some guidance. You will usually find that the load reaches a point where the accuracy goes south before you hit the max on the data. That point is well above what has been posted on this site.

You should let your boolits cure and stabilize a minimum of one week, two is better before you shoot them. Try to use as large a boolit as will fit in the chamber neck and throat that is alloyed for the pressure use intended.

Do not use cases that the necks are soft/annealed for trying this. 6.5mms a finicky in this regard.

[castshooter-too]

The problem I'm having is not seeing pressure related data with 6.5x55
cal rifles in 9" twist bbls.

Most pressure related data is for 30 cal being the most popular for CBA
comp. Those individuals who use this cal use lino alloy and shoot with
swede rifles with the 7.5 twist. at nothing faster than 1700fps.

I'm more interested in faster velocities for flatter trajectory.

[Ricochet]

Twist has a very minor effect on pressure. In any case, a slower twist would lower pressure. Probably insignificantly.

[castshooter-too]

Well the only way to find out is to increase the charge like was pointed out
and observe groups size and bore condition.
Should prove out very quickly.

Will increase 1gr. at a time for 10 shot trials. will report back with results.










BRUCE IN NY

[9.3X62AL]

Bruce--

I'm looking on with interest here. I have a Ruger 77R in 6.5 x 55 with this same twist rate, and have limited it to j-words so far. ANYTHING weighing 140 grains shoots well, and 2700 FPS is safely possible. Dunno if I want to "go there" with castings, but I'll at least cheer you on--and might join the race at some point.

[garandsrus]

I have a Swedish CG-63 which is supposed to have 1 in 8.6" (220mm) twist. It shoots cast boolits very well... I size to .268 with a die Buckshot made. I haven't pushed the speed though.

When I get a chance I will cast some new boolits and then heat treat them and see what velocity I can get to while maintaining accurately.

John

[9.3X62AL]

My sole experience with fast-twist barrels is the 25-35 WCF with 1-8" pitch. There is a definite HARD WALL against which accuracy shatters at about 1650 FPS using the NEI 114 grain flatpoint. Below that threshold, things are great.

[castshooter-too]

Velocity on my part will only be a guesstimate.
What I meant by pressure related data was like is printed in the LEE
VOLUME II manual as reguards to alloy limits.

This to me gives me an idea as to where I'm at without instruments
to guide me.

No cronograph or pressure related equipment at my disposal.

[Ricochet]

You can buy a basic Chrony for about $75. That's a very useful device for handloaders.

[Nelsdou44]

Bruce-

If this helps, I found a pretty good load for my 9 twist Swede sporter using 22.0 grains of Benchmark pushing a 140g cast boolit. Benchmark is a little faster than H4895. I'm not a normal user of Benchmark; just happen to take some in on trade and decided to experiment with it to get it off my shelf.

Anyway, I fell in love with a 9.3mm and didn't get back to pushing that 9 twist Swede up any higher to see where she could go on Benchmark. Looking forward to see where you get to using H4895.

Nels

[castshooter-too]

Well I'm back from my shooting trials with the 9 twist 6.5x55 and
the results are not good using H4895 and charges over 24.5 grs.


24.5grs gave me the best accuracy at 2" or < at 100yrds.
25.5 grs and over up to 32grs was all over
the map which was leaving lead smears in
the bbl. and also powder fouling was unexceptable.

Changed to IMR 4198 at 22 grs and shot groups that
matched the 24.5grs of H4895 loads.
am going to see how far this will take me up the velocity
ladder.I'm not giving up without trying all suitable powders
available to me; Varget may be next to try. or possibly
IMR4064.

Bullet fit is perfect with full circle engraving.
ask me how I know?






BRUCE

[Buckshot]

.............It had appeared to me a few years back that a shorter slug in the fast twist Swede showed more willingness to be driven fast then the heavier slugs. And by heavier I had the Lyman so called "Hi Velocity" 268645 two diameter designed 152gr slug, and then the ultimate honking big slug in the Oldfeller 172gr cruise missle.

This isn't really anything earth shaking as I haven't gone to any real great lengths to prove my thoughts one way or the other re: shorter, lighter slugs. What happened was that I'd bought several SC, HP lyman moulds from a friend and one of them was (IIRC) the Lyman 266455 (also a HP design) and of Loverin type. Before selling the mould I had cast up a a bit over 100 of'em.

I don't recall the alloy now but they scaled 127grs and had a rather odd double base. By that I mean it had a kind of uncommon looking GC shank, and right above that the same exact feature. Like you could have ordered the mould to produce an even lighter design by shortening the slug from the base. My favorite load in the Swede is 34.0 grs of surplus WC860 or WC872, take your choice. Both produce very good (consistant 1" 5 shot groups at 50 yards). This from a full military Swede Mauser. From a 29" bbl velocities typicly run about 1650 fps with the 152gr boolit.

What I did was to merely load the same load, but I'd used the little 127gr HP to try it out. Danged if it didn't shoot as well and it was going just short of 1800 fps. Trying out the remainder of these little guys in a couple other Swedes I'd gotten up to about 1850 fps. My main interest at the time was pushing ultimate velocity, but to see if they were as accurate from the other rifles at that speed. As it turned out they were.

That prompted the GB of the Lee 6 banger to produce a lighter FN slug of Loverin type at a similar weight.



LEFT PHOTO: Left slug is the little Lyman 127gr HP. You can see the base feature I mentioned. Next to it is the Jumptrap Lee custom 2 cav @ 143grs, the Lyman 268645 @ 152grs and then the Oldfeller 172gr. An interesting feature of the Lyman is the narrow and fairly shallow lube grooves. As I recall, it also cast rather fat.

RIGHT PHOTO: On the left is the 6.5 Kurtz version to mimic the 127gr Lyman.

When the order came in Lee had done a fine job in producing the moulds. I cast up 3 batches of them in differing alloys with the idea to test them out and see if alloy hardness was a help or hindrance in velocity/accuracy. They were:

13 bhn, 132grs, .2688"
17 bhn, 129grs, .2692"
21 bhn, 127grs, .2712"

They've been aging for about a year and a half now, and should be pretty ripe I've thinned down my Swede herd to a single M96, M38, M94, and a Ag42B. They've all proven very accurate with either cast or jacketed. The M94 carbine is problematic due to it's short sight radius but it's interesting to use as the short barrel will drop 100 fps off the velocity and ditto the M38's 24" tube vs the M96's 29" bbl.

None of these rifles are happy with a slug over .268", as that is about what the throats mike. Apropo is nothing, but one time I tried the M38 with slugs sized .264". Historicly they'd all been lube-sized .266". At the time the rifle had a 4X scope in a scout mount and 10 rounds of each size over the same load was fired at 100 yards, doing my striving best. I'm danged if those sized .264" didn't outshoot the fatter ones.

My Swede shooting conspiritor buddy said, "You bast****, now I'm going to have to buy a .264" die"! Nothing conclusive was really proven as that was the only time I did it and never followed up, so it might have been a fluke. On the face of it though, the slug that was sized MORE, outshot the other by a visible margin. At least that time.

Anyway, one of these days I need to spend the time to do some work with the 3 Kurtz castings to see what they'll do. To date I know they are just as accurate as any other, and with that Lee 6 banger, you can sure make a mess of'em dang quick!



...............Buckshot

[castshooter-too]

Funny thing happened when I was testing the upper loads is
sometimes I would nail the bull dead center then the next shot
I would see double holes in the target 8-10" from aim.

Believe the borerider was parting company after it left the bbl.
possibly a torque issue there!!


Harder alloy neede I believe; might try my hand at wqww's
next.







BRUCE

[Pat I.]

When I was shooting my 6.5 PPC in cast bullet competition I found H4350 to work pretty well. If I remember right it was 24 grs. Twist was 8 and bullet was 170 grs. Velocity 1750. I think with the 9 twist you might get 1850 or so before accuracy goes south but there's no telling.