I bought a 6.5x55 carbine a few months ago. I've been that the short barrel will be difficult to get any kind of accuracy out of. Does anyone have a load that works for them in a carbine?

Interesting. You've been told that, or your are imagining it? It looks like you are missing a word in your sentence, making it vague. Just as a side note, one of my club members uses a m38 and it is very accurate. Do some research and you'll find some guys are getting sub moa and moa accuracy from their short barreled swedish mausers using handloads. You don't list your model, but from what I hear the carbine's are more scarce than the long guns. I wouldn't worry one bit about it shooting poorly, unless the barrel is garbage. The 6.5x55 and swedish mausers are known for their inherent accuracy... This is how mine shoots and I regularly shoot high match scores at my clubs military rifle shoots..


We shoot 10 shot groups for score though.. This was just a load I threw together with some bullets I had a bunch of, testing new taller front sight. Rifle isn't finicky and shoots 129gr Hornady btsp interlocks just as well..

Close your eyes and pick a load, and that little carbine will probably shoot it ok. The ones I've owned over the years were uniformly accurate. Their biggest downfall are their rather crude sights, and those aren't really terrible compared to the sights on some other milsurps.

Any published load using 4831 family of powders and a good long 139/140/156 gr bullet should make you happy. If you MUST use lighter bullets, look at faster powders, 4350 family with 129/130's, and 4895 family with 120's. These are broad suggestions, many many powders will work and work well.

I have full size and had good luck with 142gr Sierra Match Kings.
They are seated way out there and look like MX missiles but for irons shoot pretty well.

I use IMR-4831 for all bullet weights between 120-140 grain. Lapua, Hornady, Nosler, Berger, doesn't seem to matter. My go-to failsafe load for all 6.5x55's for the last 35 years has been IMR-4831 + 129 Hornady Interlock, although I'm liking the Lapua 139 Scenars and Berger 130 VLD Hunting an awful lot of late also and am glad to have laid in a plentiful supply last year before things went sideways.

Sorry guys, meant to say,"I've been told".
The gun in question is a 1901 Carl Gustafs Carbine. It was drilled and tapped by a previous owner. All numbers match except the bolt numbers. It came with a Fortress Carbine stock that may not be original to the gun. I plan to mount a scope on it and an invest in a new stock if it proves to shoot well.
The rifle appears to be in good condition. The bore was exceptionally dirty, but is now clean. Was finally able to get a box of bullets (Barnes 140 gr. Match Burners), so will soon be trying it out. This gun will be used for hunting. I will be loading conservatively, more interested in accuracy rather than speed.

Thanks for all the replies.

us H414 with 140gr in a 19" Swed

.........What gnoahhh said; to which I might add that along with IMR-4831, RL-19 will also shine in the same applications. Just in case you encounter problems in powder availability. IMR-4831 and that 129 gr. Hornady have been my go-to 6.5x55 load for over 20 years now.

Follow these above instructions...also in these times of supply chain problems...VihtaVuori N160 is a do-all similar to RL19 in my Swedes.