Need help with 6.5x55 Swede

[james86]

Alright, so I just got a 6.5x55 barrel from savage-barrels.com. The gun is a Savage 110 LA. I have a Sightron Big Sky 4-16x42 on it. I want to use it for distance shooting on plates and deer. Out to 1000 yards on steel and 600-700 yards on deer. If you think this is unethical please explain why. Looking at the velocity and energy at that distance, I see no reason why the 6.5x55 wouldn't kill a deer that far away. I need help with powder and bullet selection. I have some H4350 that I want to try and I can get H4831 if you guys think it's better.

As far as bullets go... I want something that is good for long distance. Originally, I was looking at Nosler Accubonds, Partitions, Hornady Interbonds, Berger VLDs, etc. I am starting to think that for long distance, those premium hunting bullets would be going too slow to mushroom well. Now I'm looking at something with a little faster expansion (Nosler Ballistic Tips, Hornady A-Max, etc.). Does anyone have any insight into long range hunting with this or similar calibers and what bullet would work best for 600 yard shots on muleys?

-James.

[GaCop]

I believe you would see very good performance from either the A-Max or Berger's in 140/150 grain weight at 600 yards. I don't hunt medium size game any more but shoot a lot of long range bench testing. I've read that the A-Max performs well on game, ditto for the Berger bullets. The Swede should do what you want without any problems at all

[us920669]

It all boils down to your ability and how windy it is. I can't imagine shooting at an animal at those distances, but I live in the heavily forested and hilly East. When I was loading that cartridge I was in my Hawk bullet, VihtaVouri powder phase, and I used the 160 gr round nose over N160. I got great accuracy and very impressive numbers out of my sporterized Japanese service rifle, which became known as the 6.5 Jap magnum.

[Stu]

I get great accuracy from the 140 Berger as well as the 142 Sierra. But the Berger would get the nod for hunting. As far as powder goes, I have had very good results from Rel. 17. Pushes either of the above mentioned bullets to around 2875 fps from a 26 inch barrel.

[Chameleoncamo]

look at 4831 and rl-22. i was pushing berger 140 hunting vld at 3000+ with no pressure signs. (lapua brass). my opinion find a load using the berger/amax. I say use one load and make it simple. Use that load for 1000yd matches and medium range hunting. That way your dope is the same and you only have to remember the load/keep track off one load not two or three.

[james86]

Awesome, thanks for the responses. Chameleoncamo, I think you hit the nail on the head. I need a consistent long-range load that I can use for both hunting and paper. That's crazy that you're getting 3000 fps. I'm using lapua brass also by the way. I'm going to Cabela's in a couple hours and I think I'll get some 140 VLDs and H4831.

Thanks again guys.

-James.

[Chameleoncamo]

it was an ai but put the same load though a regular swede as well. if you want the load pm me and ill send it to you. The amax does damage, coyotes don't get away. but imo the berger was designed with game/match in mind and i would steer you in that direction. 6.5x55 will work across the board. Are you running it in a long or short action?

[longarch]

I purchased Andrew's (Chameleoncamo) 6.5 Rogue barrel and he's not pulling your leg about FPS and no pressure. I'm currently using 49grs of 4831SC with SMK 140 projectiles and am getting near .6" accuracy at 157yds and I'm not a professional powder-burner like Andrew.

[rsbhunter]

+1 on Bergers.....watch an episode of "Long Range Shooting" on the outdoor channel....shooting elk at 1000 yards, and dropping them humanely and ethically...rsbhunter

[joshco84]

i also agree with the hunting vld bullet. It is built to mushroom at the slower speeds if i am not mistaken.

[longarch]

i also agree with the hunting vld bullet. It is built to mushroom at the slower speeds if i am not mistaken.


I watched Berger's online video and they are suppose to penetrate deeper before expanding then fragment to cause internal damage and finally exit the animal. Interesting........

[james86]

Alright so I watched the video on Berger's website and read the story behind the VLD. Pretty cool stuff. Anyway, I did load up some VLDs with 4350 and 4831 and am going to the range tomorrow (weather dependent) to see what kind of groups they'll shoot. I'll post a range report with some target pictures later this week.

-James.

[Chameleoncamo]

did you solve the problem you ran into with seating depths?

[james86]

Yeah I did, thanks Andrew. I took it to a gunsmith expecting him to cut a throat into it. When I picked it up, he said it would be $20 and that I should load the VLDs to an overall length of 3.250 to be touching the lands. I asked and he said the throat was fine, actually pretty long. I think I just headspaced it a little too tight the first time :-[. Now if this spring snow here in Utah would quit I would actually have a chance to shoot it!

-James.

[james86]

Alright, I debated not posting target photos purely out of shame. But oh well, here they are:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_HbtN6QPSs8s/TZPummRrzyI/AAAAAAAAAB0/dj645KS1E4A/s720/IMG_1815.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_HbtN6QPSs8s/TZPunGk58oI/AAAAAAAAAB4/8XDwlo-chNg/s720/IMG_1817.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_HbtN6QPSs8s/TZPunV2wh5I/AAAAAAAAAB8/9HkQ_RTC8CA/s720/IMG_1818.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_HbtN6QPSs8s/TZPun-e0wqI/AAAAAAAAACA/nOlBMJfe2O8/s720/IMG_1819.jpg

I'm not sure off the top of my head which targets were which, I wrote it down somewhere. They are all 140gr VLD with either H4831 or H4350. All of those were 5 shot groups. None were nearly as good as I was expecting. They were all 0.010" from the lands. I'm going to load some to different lengths and try again. If anyone has any ideas on what I can try, I'm all ears. The barrel is floating but not glass bedded. Scope mounts, rings, and action screws were all tight.

-James.

[us920669]

Well, they do seem to be tightening up as you go down the page. Maybe the barrel needs to be broken in. I know you are looking for high velocity - did you crono them at all? The cartridge is known for superb accuracy.

[james86]

I think barrel break-in is pointless. I don't have access to a chrono, but I'm guessing that the fastest were around 2800 fps. I think that it's the VLDs. I read an article saying that they are finicky in a lot of rifles because of the "secant ogive". From what I've read, there is an optimal OAL that I need to find. So I'll load more, probably with 45gr of 4350 (last target) and load them at varying distance from the lands.

-James.

[Chameleoncamo]

I think barrel break-in is pointless. I don't have access to a chrono, but I'm guessing that the fastest were around 2800 fps. I think that it's the VLDs. I read an article saying that they are finicky in a lot of rifles because of the "secant ogive". From what I've read, there is an optimal OAL that I need to find. So I'll load more, probably with 45gr of 4350 (last target) and load them at varying distance from the lands.

-James.


what i was going to suggest. where in utah are you?

[james86]

what i was going to suggest. where in utah are you?

Depends on the time of week. I'm a student at Utah State in Logan (northern Utah) but I have my reloading station at my parents in Salt Lake, so I spend most weekends down there :D

Plus I can usually talk them into taking me to Costco which, for a poor college student, is like being a kid in a candy store!

[Chameleoncamo]

what i was going to suggest. where in utah are you?

Depends on the time of week. I'm a student at Utah State in Logan (northern Utah) but I have my reloading station at my parents in Salt Lake, so I spend most weekends down there :D

Plus I can usually talk them into taking me to Costco which, for a poor college student, is like being a kid in a candy store!


college kid as well. but in vegas, i have a place inbetween cedar and beaver that i hunt varmints at. Also like to hunt around evanston during the summer.

Keep on working those loads and you'll get it down and shooting tiny holes