6.5mm mould suggestions

[klausg]

Hey gang-

Anybody out there have a favorite bullet in this caliber?? My nephew has my .260 REM, (ballistically a close cousin to 6.5X55mm) on a semi-permanent basis and I'd like to load some plinkers for him, PB is preferable. Any ideas??? Thanks much

-Klaus

[Calamity Jake]

Don't know of a PB 6.5, but I have a Lyman 266465 and a Saeco 6.5, both about 142gr's. and gas checked, I will send you a few if you want to try some.

[Jumptrap]

Ahhhhh, the 6.5 rears it's ugly head again!

Might as well go ahead and try it, get it done and over with......everybody else has including me.

Way back.......how long ago now Buckshot? I played bullet designer and had a couple 6.5 molds made. Decent bullets.....the fast twist just refused to cooperate for satisfactory results. I was shooting a 6.5x55 with a steep twist.....the 260 isn't so bad. But, I just tossed the whole shebang and moved on to things more productive.

Me thinks the one positive thing that came from experimenting with a 6.5, is the appreciation curve for such critters as the 30-30 and 45-70 takes an immediate upward swing on the scale. Trust a semi-crusty fat man on this, a properly loaded 30-30 with a cast bullet will smoke the 6.5's loaded with the same. Using jacketed bullets....well, the 6.5's move into a new dimension of performance....but we ain't talking jacketed bullets.....are we:)!

[Buckshot]

...............Yup, with the 6.5mm's speed is the handicap and the twist is the villan. It's no harder to get a 6.5 shooting well then it is most any other cartridge. It's just that if you want to shoot it fast it won't do well over about 1650 fps.

I have no experience with PB's in the 6.5 and am not aware of any PB mould for that groove size as ever having been made. Although Lyman sure might have in their long history.

http://www.fototime.com/8B8B8013CDC151A/standard.jpg

On the left is an old Lyman 122gr RNHP. Next is the Jumptrap 1st edition Lee custom @ 140grs , then the NLA Lyman 268645 @ 152grs and finally the Oldfeller cruise missle. You can still buy the later at Mid-South. Mine run about 170grs.

In some early tests of the little Lyman Loverin (I'd sold the mould, but cast 100 some slugs first) I'd got some up over 1850 fps and they were still accurate. At least at 50 yards they were :-). They prompted a 6 cavity custom run from Lee. Naturally they were NOT hollow points, and ran about 135grs.

I still haven't gotten around to doing a test but I did cast up 3 substantial batches of 3 different hardnesses to try.

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

[HORNET]

klausg,
You may regret bringing this up since 6.5 threads tend to get a little out of control at times.[smilie=1:
Lyman made a couple of 6.5 plain bases. they had a 266324 (119 GR) and a 266386 (105 gr - originally for the 256 Newton). Don't have the 266324 but the 266386 runs about 107 gr from my soft alloy and does about as good as I can see with iron sights from my old 6.5 Jap/Roberts at moderate velocities.:Fire:
IIRC, 45_2.1 was trying to track down a 266305 (101 gr GC) to play with and there may be a chance of a group buy if he's successful. There seem to be a lot of 6.5's rattling about.:bigsmyl2:

[9.3X62AL]

There seem to be a lot of 6.5's rattling about.:bigsmyl2:

Few truer words have ever been posted.

When I got back the Ruger 77 in 6.5 x 55 earlier this year I decided that it would be "j-words only", owing to the travails and angst caused by its quick twist rate and castings. Consistency is the final refuge of the unimaginative, though--so it was only natural that I give 22 centerfires another go-round, in 1-9" pitches to really turn the project into a masochistic cluster-blank. Yeah, makes perfect sense, don't it? Anyway, if the 22 caliber "Dark Side" project bears fruit, maybe the 6.5 x 55 will get the nod for poured ones later.

[felix]

Al, the 22, being a smaller diameter, has less of a problem in rotation because of its lesser inertia. However, the other side of the equation becomers more significant. Holes, microscopic or otherwise, introduced into the lead by our casting methods are the same size without regard to boolit diameter. Therefore, 22s have a severe balance problem from the get-go. Another catch 22 for the board to contemplate today, and, in this situation, a little more literal. ... felix

[9.3X62AL]

I would bring on the references made to the use of vibratory elements in another thread to resolve base fillout issues--this to try dissipating the air bubble issues you present--but that whole vibrator thing could go galley-west in a hurry. I won't go there.

[felix]

Me neither, Al. Too much work for cast. Much mo'betta' to go to swaging techniques. ... felix

[StarMetal]

I think it was the NRA that said something about when you're casting and you just filled the mould to tap the handle hinge repeatly gently until the sprue freezes. This is suppose to make the bubbles, if there are any, travel out. If you do this too hard or too long the sprue will crack right at the narrowest spot and you won't have a good flat base.

I don't know, there's something to the 6.5 cast shot out of the Swede, a mystery like the UFO theories. I've shot some 70 cast out of my 1 in 7 twist AR15 at over 3000 fps and although their group wouldn't win any benchrest matches, they stayed on the target and none of them flew off into wonder-where-world. Now 70 grain cast in a 22 is getting up there and getting to be quite a loooong bullet...and 7 twist is mighty damn fast. Their has to be something going on with that 6.5 cast bullet. Even my 1 in 9 twist 260 Remington gives me fits with cast bullets. So does that eliminate one thing from the equation, the fast twist in the Swede? I know Waksupi recovered some 6.5 cast slugs out of snow bank after it melted and they were curved or banana shaped as he would say, but until someone shoots a few straight up into the air, off shore Florida where the water is only a foot deep or so for a vast area and only in certain areas; and recovers the bullet....only will I believe they are bending. I couldn't bend over an inch long 22 cast bullet out of my 7 twist AR15 at over 3000 fps. How do I know this? All of them hit the target paper and none of them were even keyholed.

Joe

[C1PNR]

Few truer words have ever been posted.

When I got back the Ruger 77 in 6.5 x 55 earlier this year I decided that it would be "j-words only", owing to the travails and angst caused by its quick twist rate and castings.
I don't have the Ruger, but I do have the Winchester 70 Featherweight in 6.5. And danged if I can find the twist rate right now.:???:

What is the twist rate in your Ruger? I wonder if a more "friendly" twist rate in either your Ruger or my Winchester might just result in a little more velocity with "good" results in this most interesting calibre.[smilie=1:

[StarMetal]

CIPNR

I believe I posted in my post about my 260 Rem Arisaka having a 9 twist and it doesn't seem to help alot over the faster Swede twist.

Joe

[Pepe Ray]

Starmetal
did you rebbl the Jap or just rechamber?
Pepe Ray

[StarMetal]

Rebarrel

Joe

[C1PNR]

CIPNR

I believe I posted in my post about my 260 Rem Arisaka having a 9 twist and it doesn't seem to help alot over the faster Swede twist.
Joe
Now that you mention it Joe, I think I do remember. Rats, I guess "Hope springs eternal" with the 6.5 Swede.:roll:

Looks like maybe I'll end up using FLGC from the Winchester and just be satisfied with modest speeds and cast out of the Swede 96 and 38.:confused:

[jhalcott]

the 260 rem I have (made by browning) has a chamber too short for most molds, and many jacketed bullets longer than 140 grains must be seated DEEP.

[StarMetal]

the 260 rem I have (made by browning) has a chamber too short for most molds, and many jacketed bullets longer than 140 grains must be seated DEEP.

So did my custom Arisaka until I got a throat reamer and reamed it out were it was suppose to be. Also the Arisaka was designed for a longer cartridge and I can even load 160 grainers out there too. SAAMI spec chambers have too short a throat.

Joe