Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 6.5x55 data for Woodleigh 160 PP

I have a 98 Mauser with 8 twist Shilen and have ordered Woodleigh 160 gr. PP's. Those bullets have a .509 B.C. and I'm looking for data from anyone who's worked up loads in a modern rifle.

DF

This round is still common in Scandinavia, so look to Norma and Vihtavuori perhaps.

Vihtavuori Some loads reach 2400 fps with a 156/160gr bullet

Norma loads Some loads hit nearly 2600 fps with a 160gr bullet. Warning: work up! Norma does not seem to be much afraid of American lawyers.

Lots of dead moose to this round and 156-160gr bullets over here!

John

DF, Shot same bullet in 8 twisted 6.5-06. Sub .5 moa and good velocity with H1000. Thought I read that H1000 was good to go in 6.5x55 as well, but can't offer much more than that. Great looking bullet though.

IIRC Woodleigh suggests knocking off an extra 5% from the charge weight for that bullet. Seems it builds pressure pretty impressively. I may be remembering incorrectly, but I'd double-check with Woodleigh on suggested powders & charge weights.

A very good idea, Azar.

I always work up with each bullet switch even if of the same weight.

I learned my lesson -- but thanks to Paul Mauser I still have both eyes!

John

John,
I like the cartridge with the heavy bullet too and it is indeed effective on moose unless you hit the neck, spine or brain. But when body shot is chosen it is rather a lost animal. It lacks on diameter and weight. Sure you can have a handy rifle with low recoil but I would rather see it used for mouflon, fellow deer and such.

CZ

From Woodleigh's website:
6.5 x 55mm Swedish
Woodleigh 6.5mm .264� 160gr PP SN #80A
Powder Type
Powder Weight
(grains)
Velocity
(fps)

ADI AR 2213SC/H4831SC
44gr
2325


48gr
2525

ADI AR2217/H1000
45gr
2265


50gr
2520

I went back and studied the excellent expansion experiment on 6.5mm bullets. The 160 Woody sure looks good on paper (wet newspaper, that is).

Check out this link.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/6851954/1

DF

Woodleigh 160gr Weldcore
Average Penetration (inches): 12.8
Average Weight Retained (grain): 148.9
Average Weight Retained (%): 93.1
Average Expansion (inches): 0.915




These 160 gr. Woody PP's seem to expand better than most other bullets in the 6.5mm bullet test. Penetration was about par, but the .915" expansion is way ahead of the others.

Impact velocity, around 2,500 fps.

I'm going to see how they shoot and if they'll group, I'm going to put one thru a whitetail this fall.

DF

I tested some 156 Lapua megas in my 6.5x55. I will look at my notes. I had a hard time finding info so I kind of started with the Hornady and Sierra 160 data. I remember they were off from one another though.

Thanks for any help.

You're right about not having a lot of info available for the heavier bullets.

The way this one expands, it should be an effective deer bullet.

DF

I think those bullets would be great for elk too. People underestimate 6.5 bullets, they are like a missile.

I load the 155gr Lapua Mega in my 6.5x55 with 46.5gr H4831 and that gets me 2500fps bang on in my tikka. Excellent bullet.

I tried the 160 gr. Woody PP's in my new FN Mauser/Shilen 6.5x55, using 48 gr. H-4831. It shot inch and a half, nothing spectacular. This rifle shoots 140 gr. VLD's into .7-.8" groups. I've yet to try lighter bullets, but do have several 130's to try, including SSII's, TSX FB's and NBT's.

Woodleighs don't look like they'd be jump sensitive like some high ogive bullets and I loaded them at 3.15" COAL. To use them this Fall, I'd like to have them grouping at or under an inch. The 140 gr. Woody PP's grouped about the same as the 160's, loaded with 50 gr. Hunter/Fed 210's.

No pressure signs on any rounds fired. I may have to slow them down to get MOA groups.

Appreciate any suggestions.

DF

IMR 7828 is one of my favorites in the Swede, regardless of lower end or upper weight bullets.

CZ, While there are better moose rounds which still have very tolerable recoil, failing to kill a moose with a lethal body shot (the lungs are not a small target!) is not the fault of this cartridge. The 160 Woodleigh certainly makes my short list of big-critter bullets for the Swede.

Thanks, Kman.

I just ordered some from MidwayUSA.

Five, 5 star reviews on that site, reporting super accuracy and performance in the 6.5x55.

I'm going to try them and compare with Woodleigh 160's.

DF

For the 6.5 bore, I am waiting for the release of the 129 grain E Tip lead free bullet and also the new 129 Long Range Accubond from our buddies at Nosler...

Slow powders for the Swede, and you really can't get into trouble with any pressure issues...

for the accuracy champs in my testing in my 6.5 x 55s, H 1000 and surprisingly RL 25 both did a good job... better even than 7828 or Rl 22, or either 4831s.. with 160 grain Sierra and Hornady 160 RNs...

haven't tried the Woodleighs.. but admit, haven't had the need as there are so many good bullets stateside made and readily available, when we aren't going thru another gun scare courtesy of the White House...

Follow up on 6.5x55 Shilen/FN Mauser.

The Woodies, both 140 gr. and 160 gr. won't group as well as 155 gr. Mega's. I've got both Woodleighs grouping around 1.5", still have some work to do with them. They have impressive terminal performance, I'm not giving up on them.

The 155 gr. Mega with 46.5 gr. H-4831 (old surplus powder, but in perfect shape) and Fed 210's at 2.96" COAL (.039" jump) shot a .511" three shot group at a hundred.

The 139 gr. Scenar over 47.1 gr. N-560 with 3.19" COAL (.039" jump), grouped .341", three shots at a hundred.

140 gr. VLD's with 47.5 gr. RL-22 will stay in the .7-.8 range. That's with 3.15" COAL, .14" jump.

I realize these are 3 shot groups. I like to do a three shot "survey", alternating rifles to let barrels cool between rounds. When I find a promising combo, I'll work it up more thoroughly with chrono. Who cares how fast it shoots if it won't group. S.D.'s are good to know, but low numbers don't guarantee tight groups.

For me, the target's the boss...

DF