6.5 carcano loads?????

[leadhead]

OK, Ihave everthing ready to go on my really great looking 91/38
short rifle. New Graf brass, Lee dies with the .268 dia decaping
pecker, and the new 6.5 SWED Lee mold.
Bore slugs out at .268 dia. so I made a sizing die that sizes the
slugs at .270 Bullet weight is 170gr. after gas checking and lube.
Now the big question is what powders do you guys use?
Been leaning toward 2400, but have a ton of 2230C that I've been
using in 8MM and 30/06 with good results. I'm a little leary of trying
it in the carcano as there doesn't seem to be much info on it.
What do you guys think?
Any sugestions on what to use?
Thanks,
Denny

[bruce drake]

Here are the loads in Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook.

Not much to start with but here you go:

6.5 Carcano

Bullet Weight Mold # Powder Powder Range Velocity Range
119gr 266324 Unique 9.0-11.0gr 1445-1615fps
119gr 266324 2400 21.0-23.0gr 1960-2114fps
129gr 266455 Unique 8.0-10.0gr 1351-1529fps
129gr 266455 2400 19.0-21.0gr 1901-2040fps
143gr 266469 Unique 8.0-10.0gr 1296-1481fps
143gr 266469 2400 15.0-18.0gr 1545-1763fps


Bruce

[leadhead]

C'mon guys, doesn't anyone load for the carcano?
Denny

[straightshooter1]

I fairly recently sold my two Carcanos because I "had too many guns" and was moving from St. Petersburg to Seminole. Yeah, I know...can't have too many.

I had a couple of good loads and will try to find them tonight if someone doesn't post before that.

I am sure you will be surprised at how accurate the Carcano can be, especially with all the badmouthing one hears about the gun and the inevitable "only dropped once."

More or less accidently I discovered that .264 jacketed and .266 lead would shoot really well in my guns. I didn't have any .268s so I loaded some bullets I used in my Swedes and took the guns along just to see if they shot. One was full military (a rifle) and the other was a sporterized carbine with a really old peep sight brazed (I think that's the right description) on the receiver.

I was shocked. Both shot really well and the carbine put five in about an inch and a half three times during the session (100 yards) with the jacketed and both shot about two inches or a bit less with the .266 lead boolits. I guess my main impression was the consistency of the lead boolit groups.

Later, I got some Hornady .268s but didn't notice they shot any better in either gun. The carbine could do an inch and a half and the rifle a bit more. I never got any .268 or larger cast boolits for it.

I never slugged the bores on either gun, but have no reason to think they were anything but run of the mill Carcanos.

So I have been in the new house 19 months, started picking up more rifles again, and you have me thinking about another Carcano.

And dies. And boolits.

Bob

[bruce drake]

C'mon guys, doesn't anyone load for the carcano?
Denny

Nope,

My only 6.5 rifle is a Type 38 Arisaka which is an adventure in itself. Just gave you the Lyman Loads to start since you mentioned 2400.

Bruce

[SaMerch666]

I have had good luck with 12gr to 15grs of AA5744. Bullets weights between 140grs to 160grs I have 3 moulds that will cast at lest .268 and two that go .270.The grove Dia. on my 6.5 Carcano is .268 the throat is .270. So far I have not seen any differents in accuracy. I plan to boost up the velocity in the near furture.That was the main reason I bought it in the first place was to see if it would hold its accuracy at high velocity account the gain twist rifling. Back in the early 90s I worked with the 6.5 swede and at about 1600fps it seamed to get tough to hold the accuracy account the fast twist rifling.

[straightshooter1]

And I can't find the load data for the Carcano that I used. I can't believe I threw it away, but.... If I find it I will PM what I have to you. But it isn't looking good.

Bob

[Buckshot]

............Okay, went out and got my notebook for the M91/38 Moschetto TS in 6.5. Don't know how much good it will do as either the slugs are NLA or the powder is surplus.

140gr (Jumptrap Lee) FN sized .266", SR7625, 13.0grs 1575 fps
140gr " " " " " " " 'As Cast .270", SR7625, 12.0grs 1448 fps

152gr Lyman 268645 sized .266", SR7625, 13.0grs 1469 fps
152gr " " " " " " " " ", SR7625, 12.0grs 1348 fps


152gr Lyman 268645 sized .266", 32.0grs surp 4895, 1813 fps

140gr (As Above) "As Cast .270", 31.0 surp WC872, 1260 fps
152gr Lyman (As Above) 31.0 surp WC872, 1208 fps
140gr (as Above) 32.0grs WC872, 1391 fps
152gr Lyman (As Above) 32.0grs WC872, 1324 fps

152gr Lyman (As Above) 34.0grs surp WC872, 1413 fps

167gr (Oldfeller Lee custom) Unsized .270" , 37.0grs surp WC852, 2023 fps

167gr (Oldfeller) Unsized .270", 34.0 surp WC872, 1428 fps.

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