6.5 Carcano

[theindianabriklayer]

Hello,
Got a 6.5 Carcano and can't find a mold or factory projectiles(all to small .264).
I have slugged the barrel and it is .2685.
Does any one have a source for some .270-.271 cast boolits?
Also on load data;Can the starting load data for the 6.5 sweed be uses less about 10% to start? Or point me in right direction for Data.
I have about 6 reloading books and nothing on the Carcano for lead loads.
Thank you for any assistance,
Theindianabriklayer

[elk hunter]

IIRC at one time Graffs had the correct size jacketed bullets for the Carcano. I've thought about sizing down 270 bullets, they're .277 in jacketed and likely somewhat larger in cast. That would require custom sizing and lube dies and it just hasn't risen to the top of the to-do list.

Can't help with load data. Hope you find what you're looking for.

[Conditor22]

I just went through this with 2 6.5x52 Carcanos that slugged out at: .269, .2695.

Mold -- 271-149-RN 3 NOE

Boolit sizing die NOE .270 enlarged to .272

Gas checks 6.5 Credmore work

neck expander NOE .278 sanded down

The seating die RCBS 30-06

Crimp die -- first one I drilled a hole in a flat bar and tapered the entrance then polished it --- cumbersome so I grabbed a lee push through sizing die that cam with a deal and enlarged/polished it to the right diameter apr .297

http://personal.stevens.edu/~gliberat/carcano/
https://surplused.com/index.php/2012/07/31/terminology-a-quick-and-dirty-guide-to-carcano-rifle-models/
http://personal.stevens.edu/~gliberat/carcano/parts.html
https://personal.stevens.edu/~gliberat/carcano/ammo/reload.html
https://www.sagesoutdoors.com/6-5-mm-264-caliber-gator-gas-checks/

load data
http://marvinstuart.com/firearm/Manuals/Bullet%20Casting/Lyman%20Cast%20Bullet%20Handbook%20-%203rd%20Edition%20-%201980%20-%20Reduce.pdf

I tried unique and 4895 and settled on 9 grns unique (YMMV) worked in both of my guns.

Brass 6.5x52 PPU is much cheaper than Norma, both are hard to find

STRIPPER CLIP, 6.5 & 7.35, 6 SHOT, STAMPED STEEL, NEW REPRODUCTION $6.50 https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/499620

[DonHowe]

My recent copy of the Midsouth/Lee Cruise Missile drops bullets of #2 alloy at .2715/.2720.

[softwarejanitor]

Hello,
Got a 6.5 Carcano and can't find a mold or factory projectiles(all to small .264).
I have slugged the barrel and it is .2685.
Does any one have a source for some .270-.271 cast boolits?
Also on load data;Can the starting load data for the 6.5 sweed be uses less about 10% to start? Or point me in right direction for Data.
I have about 6 reloading books and nothing on the Carcano for lead loads.
Thank you for any assistance,
Theindianabriklayer

There is a thread on the NOE Bullet Molds forum asking them to do a run of their 269-163-RN bullet molds. This design should work well in a Carcano. Please sign up over there and join the thread and hopefully they will make some molds.

https://noebulletmolds.com/smf/index.php/topic,3007.0.html

[gwpercle]

There is a thread on the NOE Bullet Molds forum asking them to do a run of their 269-163-RN bullet molds. This design should work well in a Carcano. Please sign up over there and join the thread and hopefully they will make some molds.

https://noebulletmolds.com/smf/index.php/topic,3007.0.html

Yes ... NOE Group Buys are a good way to get a mould . Set up account , join group buy ... as soon as the minimum number is met a run will happen .
Gary

[gwpercle]

Dig out your Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook - Third Edition - 1980
and turn to page 155 It says "6.5 Italian "... under that in small print it says
6.5 X 52 mm Mann. Carcano
They have cast boolit data for 3 boolits :
119 gr. RN PB , #266324
129 gr. RN GC (Lovern) , #266455
143 gr. RN GC , #266469

Not many powders are shown ... Unique and 2400 ...but at least it's a start !
RCBS Manual #1 had ...nothing at all .
Good luck,
Gary

[15meter]

If you have a standard 6.5 mold, search for "beagle" or "beagling" a mold. I've done it with Lee cruise missile and a couple of Lyman molds with good success in the Carcano.

[softwarejanitor]

Yes ... NOE Group Buys are a good way to get a mould . Set up account , join group buy ... as soon as the minimum number is met a run will happen .
Gary

We should be pretty close to getting a run of the 269-163-RN molds soon. Hopefully a run of the sizing die tools too.

[Sam Hamburger]

My 45th edition from Lyman (1970) has loadings for 8 bullet weights. Jacketed from 85gr. to 160gr. and from 119gr. to 143gr. in cast. Lyman has specific instructions to slug the bore due to wide variations.

I am not comfortable listing loadings that are 50 years old with the possibility of powder formulas being changed.
If anyone would like me to make a copy PM me with your mailing address. Don’t send any money, this my pay forward.

[theindianabriklayer]

Ok,
I have signed up to the NOE site and will join the tread.
Thanks to Conditor22 I have this sorted for now.
I will need advise on ordering or making a .271 sizer at some point going forward. With the state of things it may be sometime before I can source a mold.
Thanks for all the help!

[muskeg13]

I got my RCBS style .269 sizer from Buffalo Arms. Buffalo makes custom sizers to order. I don't see a .271 listed now, but their website says to call if you need something not listed. If the size you want isn't in stock, you have to call to place the order anyway to back order/establish a work order. I think it took about a month to get mine.

https://www.buffaloarms.com/270-custom-sizing-die-for-ly-bac270.html

[Conditor22]

NOE has .270 sizing bushings you polish out to .271 (wrap wet/dry sandpaper around a section of a bore cleaning rod, slide it through the die, and roll the die on your leg. ---- check the size often.
or
https://noebulletmolds.com/site/shop/sizing-tools/bushings/270cal-bushings/270cal-271-nose-bushing-n271/

https://noebulletmolds.com/site/product-category/264-6-5mm/270-151-rn-bb5/

[frkelly74]

I have a mold that makes these:
282050

They are about 132 gr and measure .270 to .272 . PM sent

[frkelly74]

here are some that I powder coated and the diameter increased to .274 +/-282051

[Conditor22]

271-149-RN 3 NOE


https://i.imgur.com/NYSuzGy.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/XJyLNeS.jpg

[softwarejanitor]

271-149-RN 3 NOE


I'm trying to get the NOE 269-163-RN GC 5 cavity mold if they will do a run. I have the same gas checks from Sage Outdoor also. I plan to powder coat which should take bullets up to .270 maybe .271 which I am hoping should be about right for my Carcano.

[theindianabriklayer]

Update:
First I would like to thank everyone for their help.
I got this little rifle shooting Ok using cast .271 form Conditor 22.
What I learned along the way. The 300 yard battle sites are not friendly to short range shooting.
I installed a red dot, much better now. however it does limit this to under a 100 yards.
Now I found that using a Lee factory crimp die. It is very easy to over crimp and hurts accuracy.
My best groups where to only expand the case just enough to seat the projectile without shaving the lead.
Now to just find a good mold!

[DonHowe]

I have an old Lyman single cavity 266469 (143gn) that drops #2 alloy at .270". Good boolit if you can find a mold. I suspect the old molds drop larger than newer ones.
My Dutch Mannlicher needs a .272 bullet. I have the Crjise Missile but may try a Lee .278 130gn sized down.

[15meter]

There is a thread on the NOE Bullet Molds forum asking them to do a run of their 269-163-RN bullet molds. This design should work well in a Carcano. Please sign up over there and join the thread and hopefully they will make some molds.

https://noebulletmolds.com/smf/index.php/topic,3007.0.html

There were some in stock last week, at least they were when I ordered my 4 cavity on June 30th.

Got here July 2nd.

Probably cast some tomorrow.

[15meter]

There were some in stock last week, at least they were when I ordered my 4 cavity on June 30th.

Got here July 2nd.

Probably cast some tomorrow.

Cast up a small batch yesterday, 50/50 WW and some Dead Guy Lead(from the deceased's son) plus a goodly chunk of pewter tossed in for fillout.

Cast some of the prettiest boolits I have ever cast. Dropped out of the mold with perhaps a light tap.

Diameter at . 269+, haven't checked weight yet supposed to be 163 grains.

Should work in the Carcano, the Swedish Mauser, 6.5x53R and the 6.5x54.

Great when one mold feeds multiple rifles.


Weighed some this morning, 162.5 grains, close enough for the kinda shooting I do.

[softwarejanitor]

There were some in stock last week, at least they were when I ordered my 4 cavity on June 30th.

Got here July 2nd.

Probably cast some tomorrow.

I ordered a 5 cavity with GC and got it the other day. Forgot NOE doesn't include mold handles and none of the ones I had will fit, so I am waiting on a set of mold handles to get here. Supposed to be here tomorrow. I'm hoping to have time to cast some over the weekend.

I'm new to bullet casting and powder coating, so this will be an adventure.

[15meter]

I ordered a 5 cavity with GC and got it the other day. Forgot NOE doesn't include mold handles and none of the ones I had will fit, so I am waiting on a set of mold handles to get here. Supposed to be here tomorrow. I'm hoping to have time to cast some over the weekend.

I'm new to bullet casting and powder coating, so this will be an adventure.

Ought to put your location in, there might be someone in your neighborhood you could look over their shoulder to see how they do it.

In an ideal world, it would be several someones. Not everybody does it the same, it would give you a chance to cherry pick what would work best for you.

I've mentored a number of reloaders over the years. It makes the learning curve bunches flatter.

And follow the NOE break-in will help you get the most out of the mold.

I've got a dozen+ NOE molds they all drop beautiful boolits.

[softwarejanitor]

Ought to put your location in, there might be someone in your neighborhood you could look over their shoulder to see how they do it.

In an ideal world, it would be several someones. Not everybody does it the same, it would give you a chance to cherry pick what would work best for you.

I've mentored a number of reloaders over the years. It makes the learning curve bunches flatter.

And follow the NOE break-in will help you get the most out of the mold.

I've got a dozen+ NOE molds they all drop beautiful boolits.

I'm in the Austin, TX area.

I bought the NOE 269-163-RN GC 5 cavity mold with the intention of using it for 6.5x52 Carcano, but I shoot two other 6.5 calibers... 6.5x55 Swede and the much less common 6.5x53R Dutch. I think the latter two are probably better served by a .264" 6.5mm bullet than the .269" that is recommended for Carcano. I am thinking though I might be able to buy a .264" sizer bushing for my NOE sizer kit (I bought .269" and .270" dies already) and maybe that would let me use the mold for those others also. I guess I need to slug all of them and see what they measure.

[Conditor22]

" I guess I need to slug all of them and see what they measure."

That's the best place to start, let's you buy the right size the first time out.

[DonHowe]

I'm in the Austin, TX area.

I bought the NOE 269-163-RN GC 5 cavity mold with the intention of using it for 6.5x52 Carcano, but I shoot two other 6.5 calibers... 6.5x55 Swede and the much less common 6.5x53R Dutch. I think the latter two are probably better served by a .264" 6.5mm bullet than the .269" that is recommended for Carcano. I am thinking though I might be able to buy a .264" sizer bushing for my NOE sizer kit (I bought .269" and .270" dies already) and maybe that would let me use the mold for those others also. I guess I need to slug all of them and see what they measure.

I shoot 6.5x53R as well. Mine slugs .270" groove dia and shoots a .272" cast bullet. A friend has one that slugs~ .2685". I think they are/were mostly .268" + wear/neglect.
The M96 Swede 6.5x55 in the safe slugs .266".

[softwarejanitor]

I shoot 6.5x53R as well. Mine slugs .270" groove dia and shoots a .272" cast bullet. A friend has one that slugs~ .2685". I think they are/were mostly .268" + wear/neglect.
The M96 Swede 6.5x55 in the safe slugs .266".

Well, I definitely need to slug it then, because if it is .268-ish, then this NOE bullet mold might be perfect.

[1hole]

I have no experience with the Carcano but I once knew a guy who had one. I meditated on what I would do IF he wanted me to reload some cheep plinking ammo in that odd bore size for him.

Thankfully, he never asked for that but I was going to try paper patching a standard .264 cast bullet if he did; figgered about two turns should do it. ???

[Conditor22]

case forming and finding a die to crimp a case with a.272 dia boolit is the hard part.

The mold and boolit sizing die was easy :)

[15meter]

I'm in the Austin, TX area.

I bought the NOE 269-163-RN GC 5 cavity mold with the intention of using it for 6.5x52 Carcano, but I shoot two other 6.5 calibers... 6.5x55 Swede and the much less common 6.5x53R Dutch. I think the latter two are probably better served by a .264" 6.5mm bullet than the .269" that is recommended for Carcano. I am thinking though I might be able to buy a .264" sizer bushing for my NOE sizer kit (I bought .269" and .270" dies already) and maybe that would let me use the mold for those others also. I guess I need to slug all of them and see what they measure.

Too far for me to help.

For the 6.5x53, is this going in a Mannlicher with the rotary magazine?

The 163 grain boolit mold may be the ticket. Those were really finicky about nose length AND profile.

I load for two of them, one feeds like a dream with most anything but the rotor has been modified.

The second one the rotor looks like it hasn't been touched since it left the factory.

160 round nose or nothing.

[softwarejanitor]

Too far for me to help.

For the 6.5x53, is this going in a Mannlicher with the rotary magazine?

The 163 grain boolit mold may be the ticket. Those were really finicky about nose length AND profile.

I load for two of them, one feeds like a dream with most anything but the rotor has been modified.

The second one the rotor looks like it hasn't been touched since it left the factory.

160 round nose or nothing.

The Dutch rifle I have uses a Mannlicher style magazine that looks similar to the one used in a Gewehr 1888 Commission Rifle or an 1891 Carcano. Pictures I've seen of military surplus 6.5x53R Dutch ammo the case looks like a shortened and necked down .303 British and the bullet is a long round nose.

I think the one that used a rotary mag was rimless?