Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 6.5x55 and 140gr+ loads and powder recommendations

MRP and RL22 go hand in hand, very similar. In my findings, MRP is cleaner and more stable. A cleaner burning powder and moly coating my bullets had been a great advantage to my shooting. consistency is key.

Thanks kp. My buddy has 4350 so I'll give that a go in a some rounds and see what is does. I'll have my slower burn with the 7828scc to compare.
From those two I better not be wanting for more... Ha!

In a Tikka I bet you find a great load easily with one of or even both of those powders. My wife's Tikka 6.5x55 is very accurate with a lot of different loads. I would try the 7828 ssc first........

Thanks gerry,

Always good to hear that from other Tikka owners

47.3 of RL22 shot very well in my cooper today..1/2’ at 100. 48.3 Gr was impressive as well at 200 yards. Little over 1”. Shooting 143 ELD-x. Will continue to fine tune this between the two loads

Reloder 19 and the 140 grain Partition have worked very well for me in the 6.5x55.

I've had good luck with IMR4350 and IMR4831 with 140 gr Speer HotCors and Sierra GKs.

I read an article translated from a Swedish hunting survey conducted by Sweden's version of a national wildlife agency on moose hunting - I don't know the comparison other than general body mass/weight (I have not hunted either.) - but the point was that something like 2/3rds of all moose were harvested with the 6.5x55. The general bread & butter bullet being a European 156 grain (10 grams). As to the stability of the Hornady 160RN - I shoot 'em in a sporterized 1900 Mod 96 with the original barrel turned down to Win-type featherweight contour and cut down to 22". As best as can be determined, the twist is slightly quicker 1 - 8" probably between 7.8" &7.9". It will NOT tolerate anything lighter than 140 gr and the heavier stuff is always more accurate than the lighter. My most accurate load is 46.3 gr H4831 with a Hornady #2640 160RN seated out to an OAL of 3.157 which still is over 30 thousandths off the lands. (see pic below.) This recipe typically clocks on my magneto at 2410fps at sea level and out of a cold barrel, the first two shots are generally touching at 100yds - given the pencil thin barrel, after that the third shot flies out an inch or more and a fourth will double that - so it's a two-shot wonder and other than a sentimental shot or hunt here and there, it stays indoors. But I digress, so to the bullets:

The Hornaday #2460 RN is a tad over 1.25" (I miked a random bullet at 1.2565) with a BC (G1) of .323 and BTW, on the terminal end it performs well - on a typical southern whitetail when I'm able to find a bullet the rear half portion is always intact with the front always mushrooming to .45" or more and staying together even after going through a shoulder. Of course given the hunting ranges down here, my impact velocities are always down around 2100-2300fps.

In comparison the Woodleigh "Weldcore PP SN" #W80A has a BC of .509 with a recommended impact velocity range of 1900 to 3000fps and a random selection from the box was 1.3665".

Doing some coarse, estimated measurements, I would say the bearing surface on the Hornady is app 0.790" and an about 0.770" on the Woodleigh. And to answer that question, No I have not gotten around to loading the Woodleigh yet.

The poor picture is the best I could do with the phone but it should give you some idea of proportion with the two bullets. I definitely would suggest obtaining some of the less expensive Hornady 160's for 100 yard feasibility with your particular rifle and if promising, then progress to the more expensive Woodleigh. (I have heard threatning rumors over the last five years that Hornady is going to drop the 160, so I’ve stocked up with a couple hundred extra to last (I’m 66 LOL). Hope this helps with your heavy load research.

That 160 gr Woodleigh is a long bullet, have you shot any game with it? Haven't heard many field reports on them.

My Shilen/Mauser Swede likes the 139 Scenar better than all and by a margine. Best powder with that bullet, so far is MRP (close to RL-22).

DF

Out of a CZ 550 American w/ 23.6" barrel

140g Hornady SP
40.9g IMR 4350
Winchester WLR primer
PMC brass
COAL 3.025" (0.037" off the lands)
2,536 fps, 1.1" 5-shot group @ 100y

160g Sierra SMP (discontinued)
43.5g Alliant Reloder 22 *** THIS EXCEEDS BOOK MAX BY 3.0 GRAINS. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK! ***
Federal 210 primer
PMC brass
COAL 2.990" (0.008" off the lands)
2,415 fps (only tested in cold weather), 0.860" 5-shot group @ 100y

140g Sierra GameKing SBT
51.5g Ramshot Magnum
Winchester WLR primer
Winchester brass
COAL 3.050" (0.034" off the lands)
2,543 fps, 1.059" 5-shot group @ 100y

140g Speer HotCor
46.5g Alliant Reloder 22 *** THIS NOW EXCEEDS BOOK MAX BY 1.5 GRAINS. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK! ***
CCI 200 primer
Winchester brass
COAL 3.090" (0.022" off the lands)
2,646 fps, 1.3" 5-shot group (average) @ 100y

140g Speer HotCor
43.9g IMR 4955
CCI 200 primer
Winchester brass
COAL 3.090" (0.022" off the lands)
2,654 fps, 1.138" 5-shot group (0.977" 4-shot group if excluding called flyer) @ 100y
(Still in testing)

Those are my 140+ loads.

Good luck!

No Gerry, I have not yet worked up any loads with the Woodleigh 160's yet

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Thank you answering my question!

160s at 2600 sounds interesting ....


So short and sweet, in what application would you use:
R26:
R22:
MRP:

I am hoping your asnwers will help me understand a person's powder choice when there are some many options....appreciate the schooling![/quote]

Sorry just now saw this. I use those powders for everything from 129 to 160 grains. Haven't tried the 8700 yet but will eventually. Check some of the older posts on the 160 Hornaday as both John Barseness and Phil Shumacher said they got very erratic results with them. I have not seen this yet but have not used many on game either. The Norma or Woodleigh would be my pick for Elk or other critical use.

When you do it would be interesting to see what you come up with.

My best powders for 140's have been H4831 & RL-26. RL-26 gives me a slight edge for speed, and H4831 has been ever so slightly more accurate. Both have been very consistent.

tag