6.5 x 55mm cast OAL

[Ball Caster]

Over a year ago I mentioned that I tried to get my cast bullet to shoot accurately out of my 1944 vintage 6.5 X 55 mm Swedish Mauser. So far I have been unsuccessful. Jacketed bullets shoot okay.

Recently when I extracted the cartridge the bullet stayed in the chamber. When I pushed it out with a cleaning rod the rifling was cut into the nose.

I took another cast bullet in an empty shell and chambered it; the over all length was 2.975 inches. The minimum bullet OAL is supposed to be 3.032” or so.

Looking at the molded and sized bullet, it is a Lyman #266469 143gr with gas check and 6 lube grooves. It appears that after sizing, the bullet is basically a cylinder with a round nose and no ogive taper in the tip. I can chamber a longer 150 grain jacketed bullet seated 3.035" okay but the tip has more of a taper.

I am going the try these cast bullets seated to 2.935” which puts the base about 1/16th inch below the shoulder. I am starting with 21 grains of IMR 4895 at perhaps 1500 fps.

I was curious if anyone else has had this problem.

[Dutchman]

Seating depth is an individual thing. I seat mine to touch the rifling but with the one on the left, 266673, I never did get it to touch and yet it shoots 5 rds into 1 hole @ 50 yds. Bullet on right is 266469. Both are sized .266".

A great deal depends on how much wear your barrel shows. The two rifles I primarily shoot now have excellent to like-new bores. There are Swedes out there with a lot of wear showing. Yours is a Husqvarna [probably] m/38. Both of what I'm shooting are Carl Gustaf rifles.

Best cast bullet I've shot so far in 6.5x55 is Lyman 266673 .266" 153 grs. Drops from the mold .255" nose, .266" body. I lube with BAC (beeswax-allox-carnuba) from White Label.

http://images28.fotki.com/v988/photos/2/28344/1676633/DSCF2109cb-vi.jpg

http://images56.fotki.com/v701/photos/2/28344/1676633/DSCF2111cb-vi.jpg

[zomby woof]

Lyman 266469 OAL is 2,950 for me.

[Larry Gibson]

I would suggest a starting load of 19 gr I MR4895 with a 1/2 - 3/4 gr dacron filler and work up from there. The dacron filler will improve the ignition consistency of the IMR4895 at the low psi's you will be using.

Larry Gibson

[Ball Caster]

Well I had a bit of success with and OAL of 2.935 on cast 143 grain bullets. It was encouraging enough for me to continue. Perhaps I should present more details about my setup.

I was wrong about the rifle’s age, it is a Carl Gustaf made in 1917. I bought it in the late 1960’s. I assume the working pressure is 46,000 CUP.

It is a re-stocked carbine with an 18 inch barrel and a 1 in 8” twist. It was a Herter’s 2.75 x 20mm scope.

I cast, sized and lubed the bullets in the early 1970. The lube is the old Lyman black stuff and it is just as slippery now as it was back then.

I have not shot this gun very much but I thought it might be fun to bring it out of retirement and see what it can do. I bought a can of 4895 and started with 20 grains. I also have an old can of 4227 that I can try.

Thanks for the info and any additional information would be apprieciated.