Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Good 6.5x55 loads

The Barnes if anything have lower pressure than a typical cup & core so load data will interchange. Nosler E-tips do run with slightly higher pressures I am not sure if it is because it is a mono or it has a long bearing surface. Not sure about the GMX so will lump them in with the E-Tips for now and will drop back half to a full grain when loading them if there is not a pressure tested load for the combination I'm loading..

I'll second that request.

California goes lead free for all hunting next month. I could use a recipe or two to get started.

Thanks,

Geno

I've had a great deal of time to test my RL26 147 eld-m load and am on 7 reloads on some cases now with zero issues so going to post this load

Tikka T3 6.5X55 swede
Lapua Brass
147eld-m
49.5 grains RL26
Remington 9 1/2 primer

2730 fps at 10 degrees
2750 fps at 85 degrees

Shoots tiny groups in cold, hot, rainy, snowy or sunny weather


This one is my hunting load with cases on 4 reloads with zero issues

Tikka T3 6.5X55 swede
Lapua Brass
130 accubond
47.5 gr. RL17
Rem 9 1/2 primer

2930 fps at 10 degrees
2950 fps at 55 degrees
3015 fps at 85 degrees

I don't hunt with the RL 17 130 accubond load in warm weather so it's not a problem for me but thought I would post the noticeable increase as the temps warmed up purely for the benefit of others



Trystan

Trystan thanks for the info. My R26 loads were too hot at over 90 degrees but they may have been too hot at any temperature. I am going to try your R17 load with R16 as it is supposed to be more temperature stable and loads really close to R17. The 129-130 grain bullets have been a staple for my 6.5x55 and the BT kill really well, but so do the Hornaday's and all the others.

I'm down to my last bit of R17 and purposely haven't bought more. I'd be interested in finding out how well R16 works for you as I'm considering that as well for 130s.

My Barrett Fieldcraft has been tested a lot with the 130 Accubond and the 130 Swift Scirocco. I've tinkered with RL 19, IMR 4350, several different primers and seating depths. The best loads were:

130 Swift Scirocco
42.5 gr. IMR 4350
Remington 9-1/2
Group size was .227
2660 FPS


130 Nosler Accubond
47.0 gr. RL 19
Remington 9-1/2
Group size was .424
2770 FPS

I worked up a decent load for the 129 Internbond which uses 50.0 H4831SC. Wanting a harder bullet for moose hunting, I wanted to use some 120 GMXs I had so I thought I'd load them with the same to try. Turned out they shot well with a few cases I had with standard primers in them. A few I loaded with Fed 215 opened up quite a bit. So I think the powder and charge are useful, but primers might be something to work with. The temps were hovering around "this public range is all yours" (or minus 30°) which is why I tried mags, but apparently they aren't necessary.

My LGS/reloading department said last week that R-16 is gaining fast on H4350 - which was the powder of choice for quite a few years.
So far so good with my Tikka and Kimber Mountain Ascent.

All 3 of my Swedes like slow powders.

H1000, H4831, RL23, RL22, RS Magnum.

H1000 is a real tack driver in my Tikka with 140 accubonds and the 143 ELDX. 51.5 grs over a BR2 primer. Shoots very accurately with single digit extreme spreads.

RL22 is my favorite in my 1896.

Just throwin' this out there, I have 3 surplus '96's in various forms 2 bubba sporters, and one homebuilt copy of a CG 63 target rifle. Original barrels. One load is well liked by all 3 rifles. 130 gr Barnes TSX over 48 gr of H4831SC, Norma brass, Federal match primer. The shortest barrel rifle, 20" carbine gets 2700 fps, sub moa. (5 shot or more groups), good brass life, and average deviation gets around 9 fps.

51 grains of 4831sc pushing a 140 spbt out of a 1932 6.5x55 31 inch barrel on a krag action using norma brass and mag rifle primers very happy with this load

John t, On your Krag...does your guide rib on the bolt act as another locking lug on the right rear receiver abutment?

Yes I do have a Norwegian Krag action with that safety feature

Is anyone using heavy bullets in the 6.5 Swede, like the 160 Hornady and the 156 Lapua? I have both and am considering loading one of them for deer hunting here in the Northeast where heavy round nose bullets have always been the bullets to use. It just seems to me that the Swede was meant for such bullets.

A friend has a Model 70 Featherweight in 6.5 Swede. He only shoots 160 grain Hornady bullets and has had very good success on deer using them. Mule Deer doesn't share that love for the 160 Hornady, however.

Has anyone tried the 156 grain Lapua on game? Results?

I’m gonna try something like this... light load of IMR-4895 or RL15... with 123 AMs as a mild (2500-ish?) deer load this fall.

Anybody try such a thing?

with a 120 grain Ballistic Tip... in a 1919 Swede...

powder charge was 30 grains of IMR 4198, and also had done 30 grains of 3031, with the same bullet...

both times ended in successes....

awfully kid friendly also, minimal recoil in a Factory Military Trim Swedish Mauser....

When it appeared to be inevitable, all copper, I started a couple years ago, juggling components. In two bubba sporters, 22" barrel '96 Swedes, I settled on 48 Gr H4831SC, WLR primer, 130 gr Barnes TSX, getting 2700 fps. Five shots at 100 yds consistently group 1 moa, occasionally smaller. Because I'm using original military barrels with the long throat, I never bothered with tweaking seating depth. Just as personal preference, I give the loaded cartridge a gentle little bump with the Lee factory crimp die just to narrow my velocity deviation. After all the experimentation and juggling components for a whole summer...basically I ended up with the exact duplicate of my pre copper load...just substituting the 130 Barnes for the old 129 SST.
My point being if you have a proven cup and core load for your Swede already, you may just want to substitute just the copper bullet to start with...hardly anybody but me likes military barrels hacked off at 22". Good luck guys.

Great insight as usual John thanks a lot!

It worked pretty well for me in my Swede

All of the 120-125’s were around the 2500 mark with 34 grains of H4895 in my 22” rifle. I never fiddled with them for perfect shooting since they were for younger hunters who weren’t shooting further than 200 yards.

Really easy shooting loads though.