Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Who is shooting RL26 in the 6.5x55?

Care to share your loads, velocities?

I'm not, but like you I am curious to see how 26 will work with the Swede.

Been tinkering with this and ran into way too high a velocity still with no pressure signs. I dropped back 2.5 grains and am at 51 gr. with 129 ALR and Hornadays. Have not clocked this one but should be close to 3000 fps. Lapua cases 3.115" OAL. bullets are jumping 0.02" in my rifle. No idea if I am good on pressure or not. I was going for 64,000 psi. Accuracy is good.

I’m using 53.3 RL26, Hornady cases, CCI BR2s and the 140 AB. It’s running about 2890-2900 depending on the day. It’s been an ultra consistent load a few times to the range. The rifle is a M70 Featherweight. One of my favorite loads in that rifle. Everytime I shoot it I smile cause it feels gentle but the 140 at 2900 carries some mail in my book.

140 clocking 2900 in the Swede is very impressive. Is that a 22 inch barrel? Ever had any pressure signs?

Those are good numbers indeed!

Thanks beretzs, exactly what I was looking for.

Mine is also a M70 featherweight.

I loaded the 140 Partition in Lapua cases in .5 grain increments from 50.0-52.0.

Range time tomorrow.

RL26 and the Swede seem like a great match in my rifle. Great speed in my opinion and the accuracy has been excellent so far. Your combo should be pretty danged good too. I like the 140 in the Swede. Especially seated out for the 70’s.

Not a lick of traditional pressure signs. I used the same case for finding my node so I’ve shot one case 14-15 times so far and it’s still kicking. I did anneal between shots and minimal sizing but primers go in tight and not a mark on the case.

Tikka T3 6.5X55 swede
147 ELD 3.200 COAL 10 thou off lands
49.5 grains Reloader 26
Lapua Brass
Remington 9 1/2
2728 fps 22" barrel


No pressure signs, extremely accurate


Trystan

Can you report back on velocities please. I'm getting ready to work up a load with 140 Hornady SP Interlock and RL 26


Trystan

Wasn't able to get out this morning as planned, but I'll report back as soon as I do.

R26 at 53.5 with 129-130 grain bullets was giving me 3130-3150 fps. That seemed way high but no pressure signs. I pulled those loads but on second loading primers were still tight. I need to check my Magneto speed to make sure it is on. I might have one of those legendary fast barrels but that seemed too fast, 6.5-284 velocities out of a Swede?

Anything over 2,800 fps and I am good to go for this season. Maybe when I get back to load work up there will be more published data.

Even if I see no signs of pressure in the brass I consider velocity to be one sign indicating pressure I look to. With that said I would think 3000 fps with 130s in a 6.5X55 Swede would not be out of the question.

The 260 Remington shows loads with 130 grain bullets in the Nosler Reloading Guide 8 at 2965 fps with RL 17 and a 24" barrel. The Swede I believe holds 5 more grains of powder. My personal load for the Swede and 130 accubond is 47 grains of RL 17 for 2920 fps 22" barrel and its proved to be resistant to temp change from below zero to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. I haven't tried RL 26 with 130s so I have no idea but for the 147 eld RL26 worked like a charm. I have a sneaking suspicion however that in the 130 class RL 17 will prove to be the more resistant load than RL 26 overall. I did try RL 17 with the 143 ELD-X and though it worked very well with 130s in cold weather there was a significant drop in velocity with the 143 ........enough to change point of impact at 500 yds by 6 inches

With the data I've collected on the Swede along with load data that is available in the Nosler 8 Guide if I was going to look for 3000 fps with a 130 I'd start with 44 grains of RL 17 and work up to 3000 fps



Trystan

Tag

I have some recent info on using RL 26 in my 6.5 x 55s on an Excel spreadsheet I would be willing to share. But I haven't been able to figure out how to attach the file. I would be willing to email the file to someone if they could post it for me. I am experimenting with a promising bullet from BIB. It is a 135 grain hollow point boat tail with a G1 BC of 650.
Duane

I got the opportunity to work up a new load and here are the results from this morning..........

Tikka T3 6.5X55 Swede 22" barrel
140 Hornady SP Interlock
RL 26
Lapua Brass
Rem 9/12
Coal 3.070
.010 off lands
Temperature 50°

50 gr RL26 2751, 2759, 2764
Group 1.32"

51 gr RL26 2814, 2838,2805
Group .43"

52 gr RL26 2873, 2871, 2867
Group 1.63"

52.5 gr RL26 2915
1 shot for velocity and pressure check


All groups were shot at 135 lasered yds via Sig kilo 2200 from the prone position.
52.5 grains showed primer cratering that would noticeably catch the fingernail and you could see with the eye. No other loads showed any signs

I'm going to back it down to 51 grains to put me at an average of around 2820 fps and test again when the temps drop to zero.



Trystan

Trystan,
Those are respectable numbers for a 140gr, for certain.

Tag

340boy,

I took the time to do some cross referencing from the Nosler 8 guide as that's all one can do when there is no pressure data available. The 260 Remington shows a load with IMR 7828 in a 24" barrel at 2822 fps. Given that RL 26 is theoretically a slower powder than IMR 7828 and that the 6.5 Swede holds 5 more grains of powder than a 260 Remington I'm assuming I would be safe at similar velocities in a 22" barrel.

From what I've been told concerning the 140 hornady sp 2800 is a good place to be and coincidentally its where accuracy showed itself

Overall it was a great morning and I was pleased with the results ☺



Trystan