Lead boolits in 6.5 Swede.

[Four Fingers of Death]

At the gunshop about 80 miles down the road there is a swede which has been sporterised and an old Redfield click adjustable peep has been fitted.

I've never dabbled with 6.5s apart from reloading some jacketed stuff for a friend. am under the impression that they can be challenging to cast for, given the long throat and tight twist. Is this the case? For lead boolit use would it be better to rechamber and reduce the freebore?

Mick.

As I'm not et up for 6.5, I think I'd be better off buying it, removing the sight and fitting an old 4x scope I have and sell it to a pig shooter and use the redfield sights on something else.

[Buckshot]

...........Once I learned "The Rule" I've had no problem getting any of my Swede's to shoot cast, and do it very well. It is no more difficult then any other cast boolit shooting rifle. The limitation is the tight twist, which does unkind things to cast lead. ANY fast for caliber twist will do the same. In the 6.5 Swede you may find your threshold for scattering to be somewhere in the 1650 to 1700 fps area.

The higher end of that spread might not give you consistant accuracy too. However the very high BC's of the long 6.5 boolits kind of make up for the lack of velocity a bit by taking what they do have, to longer ranges. A 150gr .265" diameter slug at 1600 fps MV, will be doing better at 200 yards then a 150gr cast .308" boolit launched at the same velocity.

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

[KCSO]

I am finding that a tighter throat and a slower twist are not cure alls for the 6.5. I am now working with alloys in search of the elusive 1" group. I will say this...
I have guns that shot the first thing I tried in them and shot them well, those guns were not near as much fun as the 6.5. When you go to the range and shoot that first sub 2" er you know you have LEARNED cast bullets. This is the one that takes attention to detail, the right alloy, the right load. This is a real learning cartridge. By contrast I have a 7.5 Swiis that will shoot anything I put into it, or so it seems. A good gun, but no challange.


Go for it!

[dessert skipper]

...........Once I learned "The Rule" I've had no problem getting any of my Swede's to shoot cast, and do it very well. It is no more difficult then any other cast boolit shooting rifle. The limitation is the tight twist, which does unkind things to cast lead. ANY fast for caliber twist will do the same. In the 6.5 Swede you may find your threshold for scattering to be somewhere in the 1650 to 1700 fps area.

The higher end of that spread might not give you consistant accuracy too. However the very high BC's of the long 6.5 boolits kind of make up for the lack of velocity a bit by taking what they do have, to longer ranges. A 150gr .265" diameter slug at 1600 fps MV, will be doing better at 200 yards then a 150gr cast .308" boolit launched at the same velocity.

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

and here too Buck...the "rule" is . . .?

Skip

[Dutchman]

and here too Buck...the "rule" is . . .?

Skip



The limitation is the tight twist, which does unkind things to cast lead. ANY fast for caliber twist will do the same. In the 6.5 Swede you may find your threshold for scattering to be somewhere in the 1650 to 1700 fps area.

Dutch

[Tedly]

I shoot 6.5x55 M38 & M96 both with #266469 ACWW GC & 19.0 gr 4895. I use Berdan military cases and PMC primers. It does good enough to practice with in place of jacketed.

[Four Fingers of Death]

WOW! A thread seven years old and for the life of me I can't remember that rifle or this thread. I know I didn't end up buying it though the rifle though.

I currently have a swede Milsurp rifle, but haven't got around to firing it. I must get on it as I have hundreds or milsurp and factory rounds that I have picked up in trades, etc.

I don't know why, but the Swedes have never really pressed my buttons. I know thay are a brilliant bit of kit and very accurate, butttttttttttttttt.

[Ed in North Texas]

WOW! A thread seven years old and for the life of me I can't remember that rifle or this thread. I know I didn't end up buying it though the rifle though.
snip

Amazing, isn't it? I guess folks do a search and post before they notice the previous posting dates. Sometimes, though, the resurrection of the thread results in some good new answers.

Ed

[waksupi]

The threads are always available to breathe life into. Otherwise, why keep them around? I wish more were revived, than rehashed in a new thread. Makes finding info so much easier!

[mustanggt]

I thought I'd write a new thread on this but searched first and saw this so I'll add to this and see where it goes. I bought the NOE group buy mould for this round and am going to cast for it today for the first time. It's not got the same load info on it as the 30 cal and seems to be more challenging which I like. Is this one of those cartridges that will get the most benefit from the 16grs. of 2400 military rifle load? Anyone have any sucess loading cast for this cartridge? I have a M96 with a pretty French walnut stock on it. It shoots like house afire with jacketed. I love this rifle.

[45 2.1]

Quote:
The limitation is the tight twist, which does unkind things to cast lead. ANY fast for caliber twist will do the same. In the 6.5 Swede you may find your threshold for scattering to be somewhere in the 1650 to 1700 fps area.
Dutch

Oldfeller said that the Swede was the PHD level of cast reloading......... He was right in that respect, but there are other things equally as hard. Unfortunately, the number of PHDs that are able to do this here seems to be quite limited. 1700 fps is grade school or junior high level........... as most everyone can get good results there. Above 2000 or 2100 fps in high school......... college level can do the normal lighter boolits above that. The cruise missle is for college graduates....... all assuming under 1.5 MOA groups.

The limitation is the tight twist, which does unkind things to cast lead. ANY fast for caliber twist will do the same
This from the above quote goes hand in hand with the level someone is at in cast boolit school also.....................

[waksupi]

Don't start in on this again, unless you care to state the methodology. Otherwise, it is just trolling.

[45 2.1]

Don't start in on this again, unless you care to state the methodology. Otherwise, it is just trolling.

You remember the "Milk Jug " thread Ric? It was a sticky, then it wasn't. The methodology was there, in steps with instructions (which weren't followed BTW), and the PTB decided to let it bury itself deep in old threads. Admit to some blame there.

[Char-Gar]

Some things never change.

[swheeler]

Some things never change.:groner:

[geargnasher]

It's stated within this thread, in plain english, several times. IIRC Joe listed over half a dozen loads to try with several boolits, as well. Disregard my ignorant posts. :D
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=70923&highlight=milk+jug&page=14

Gear

[waksupi]

If a sticky was unstuck on this board, it would have had to be requested by the original poster. Once they are stuck, the staff could care less if they are there, they are not a problem for us.

Looking back at that link, that thread was started by Joe, and as I recall he was in a bit of a huff when he last left us. Wanted all of his posts removed from the board. Too bad, the posts belong to the board once they hit the electrons.

I re-stickied the thread, by the way. Too much interest in it to let it fade away

[David2011]

Just in case anyone is interested, there are a couple of choices for 6.5 Swede brass. Standard 6.5x55 Swede brass has a .480" rim diameter compared to the "standard" rim diameter of .473". Most brass will be the larger and slightly thicker .480 size. Remington's 6.5x55 uses a standard case head at .473".

When the Mauser '98 I built into a 6.5x55 had feeding problems I started using the Remington brass which fits the 8mm Mauser bolt face better than the .480. The issue was more the additional thickness of the Swedish rim than the diameter. The bolt face is plenty roomy for the .480 case head but the extractor likes the thinner Remington rim better. I'm not where the numbers are available but it seems like the Mauser rim is about .001" to .0015" thicker than the standard 8mm/.308 size rim.

David

[Four Fingers of Death]

My friend whpo lives in my town and posts on this board has had excellent results shooting boolits cast from an Aussie built CBE mould.

Milsup Swedes bring pretty incredible prices here. I was thinking of selling mine and buying a Zustava 6.5x55. They sell for a ridiculously low price here, especially with the polymer stock. That way I could use a scope.(My yes aren't up to the sights, they were designed for a 19 year old soldier unfortunatey, I can use them, my eyes aren't that bad, but it is a bit of a challenge and the results are pretty ordinary. I have a sealed brick of 200x Swedish mil surp to sweeten the deal and I feel that I should get enough to buy the Zustava outright. With a low powered old Weaver scope that I have, I should end up with a nice useable rifle.