6.5 Arisaka Cast load?

[rnkkandrach2@hotmail.com]

I want to load for my 6.5 Arisaka and just bought a Lyman, 140 grn RN, 264 diameter cast. I'd like to use Green Dot, does anyone have any suggestions on a good charge?

[curator]

Try doing a search on this site for 6.5 Jap loads. You may find that the Lyman boolit is a bit small in diameter for your gun. My 6.5 Jap rifles all slug .268+. Green Dot is a fast powder that may make it difficult to find a accurate load since the right velocity may end up with too high chamber pressure for your alloy. The Medford-style rifling seems to require very hard alloy as well.

I cast from wheel weight alloy with 2% tin added and water drop quench for a hardness of BHN24. My slugs cast at .269 and I lube them in a .270 lubrisizer. My best load is 20 grains of Reloder7 or IMR4198, a small tuft of dacron filler and the remainder of the case full with plastic shot buffer to the bullet base. This gives a velocity of 1650 from my M38 long rifle with my 140 grain .268-140 SPGC LBT boolits, and very good accuracy. I have never been able to find an accurate load with other powders and without fillers in my two 6.5Jap rilfes

[dromia]

I want to load for my 6.5 Arisaka and just bought a Lyman, 140 grn RN, 264 diameter cast. I'd like to use Green Dot, does anyone have any suggestions on a good charge?

Can't help with Geen Dot loads, but slugging your barrel and throat will help you get the right boolit dimension for your rifle.

Welcome to Cast Boolits BTW. :drinks:

[rnkkandrach2@hotmail.com]

I am new with casting, will you please tell me what fillers are?

[rnkkandrach2@hotmail.com]

does anyone have any good charges for 140 grn, 264 diameter? I just slugged it and she slugged at 263. Bore & rifle look brand new except mum was taken off.

[StarMetal]

does anyone have any good charges for 140 grn, 264 diameter? I just slugged it and she slugged at 263. Bore & rifle look brand new except mum was taken off.

Wow! .263 You are lucky. Sounds like a nice rifle. I won't be so fortunate to find a good one like that. I do have a very minty 7.7 though. Do you have the Lyman cast manual? There are some good starting loads in there.

Joe

[rnkkandrach2@hotmail.com]

I got very lucky I'll admit. Now all I need is a good powder, charge for the 140 grain lyman cast I ordered.

[StarMetal]

I got very lucky I'll admit. Now all I need is a good powder, charge for the 140 grain lyman cast I ordered.

I shoot in the 6.5 calibers the 260, the 6.5 Grendel, the 6.5x54MS, and the 6.5x55 Swede. Those all have more case capacity then the Jap except the 6.5 Grendel. I also shoot fast and heavy loads. So I can't help you with my loads, but I will be more then glad to give you the loads for a Jap from my Lyman cast manual if you wish, just say so if you don't have that book.

Joe

[georgewxxx]

2 years ago my nephew was given a 6.5 that was brought back from the Philippines from WW2. Mum still intact and like new bore. Most of the loads we worked up were 2000fps to 2400fps area. 26/27 grains of 4895 gave velocity in that area. 37gr of 4895 with the 266469 boolit was humping along at 2330fps and gave a respectable 2" group. With your bore being so small, if you have access to a 25cal 258325, and push it along with 25gr of 4895 as we did, it might surprise you. 3" groups with open sights at 100yds using 6.5 gas checks work just fine at 2100fps from a mould that's not supposed to work. No, there was no leading if your wondering.....Geo

[bruce drake]

10 grains of Unique should give you a start. Or 9gr of Red Dot. I use the Lyman 140gr mold in my two 6.5 Japs with reformed 220 Swift and 35 Rem cases.

Bruce

[StarMetal]

2 years ago my nephew was given a 6.5 that was brought back from the Philippines from WW2. Mum still intact and like new bore. Most of the loads we worked up were 2000fps to 2400fps area. 26/27 grains of 4895 gave velocity in that area. 37gr of 4895 with the 266469 boolit was humping along at 2330fps and gave a respectable 2" group. With your bore being so small, if you have access to a 25cal 258325, and push it along with 25gr of 4895 as we did, it might surprise you. 3" groups with open sights at 100yds using 6.5 gas checks work just fine at 2100fps from a mould that's not supposed to work. No, there was no leading if your wondering.....Geo

That's darn good performance from the Jap and good accuracy. I have a 266469 that is in my opinion undersized and may be just the ticket for the posters tight bore Jap.

Joe

[O.S.O.K.]

Red Dot can give very good accuracy - I'd start at 8 grains myself and see how those do - accuracy and velocity-wise. No fill needed.

I would suggest Lee Liquid Alox for the lube too - has done very well for me.

Good luck and post the results here when you get em!

[Shooter6br]

I just got my Lee 6.5 mold Cast at .270. Weight 170 My Jap carbine is .267 I had used 7.5 g Universal Very mild Working uo tp 9.3 g I am also using 4759 I do not use gas checks so going for max 1500-1600 Use a Lyman 260 M die Does work but has little adjustment for the shooter 6.5 Jap case Have not tried 4759 loads.I am going to check the velocity when I get a niceday in S.E Pa. Rick

[curator]

65. Jap: Green Dot: 8.0 grains 140 grain boolit aprox 1600fps @ 22,000psi
12 grains " " " " 2050 " @ 44,000psi

Your milage may vary

[rnkkandrach2@hotmail.com]

Curator: So here is another question from a newbie, 8.0 grains with Green Dot will be approximately 1600 fps @ 22,000 milage may vary. Is that safe in an Arisaka? If so I will try.

I have another question: I already have a Lyman Cast Reloading Manual. Are there any other good cast reloading manuals out there?

[curator]

Load data taken from old (1965?) Lyman book. Since I don't use Green Dot, I haven't tried it. However, Green Dot is slightly slower than Red Dot, and I have often used up to 12 grains of that powder under a 140 grain .268 gas checked cast boolit, I would feel comfortable with the start charge of 8 grains of Green Dot and work up very carefully.

Personally, I am not a big fan of either Red or Green Dot powders for cast boolit loads, particularly if I can get my hands on Alliant 2400, SR4759, IMR4198, or Reloder7. These powders are slower burning and appear to give better accuracy in my experience. A double charge of any of these is easier to spot as well.

While your 6.5 Jap seems to have a tight bore, I suspect it is also cursed with the usual long, large throating. Very hard boolits (BHN24-30) may be required to get reasonable accuracy. At least with my rifles the slowest powders gave the best accuracy at any kind of speed.

[jonk]

I just tried 20 gr of 4198 with PSB filler. While it did stabilize, it didn't hit much- about an 8" group. Not hideous but not great.

My bore measures .267 or so across the grooves and .260 across the rifling. Near as I can tell with that awful metford style rifling.

My cruise missle is sized to .269 so that should be fine. Will do some more dinking around and see what I get.

If all else fails I have about a thousand pulled .266 Carcano bullets (RN) that shoot great out of it.

[Shooter6br]

I tried 4759 13 to 15g. I used 14 grains.Loads shows promise.

[straightshooter1]

jonk:

You might try 18 grains of 4198, I used IMR 4198 and had some success, 2 1/2-3" groups. Sporterized 6.5 with Lyman aperture sights. I have two of these but only tried it in one of them.

I was going to drop one more grain for the next batch and see.

I did not use a filler. I have never found it necessary with either H or IMR 4198, but YMMV.

Bob