Help with 6.5x55

[n10sivern]

I'm not an expert by any means, but I'm far from being new to reloading. For whatever reason, a good 6.5x55 load is eluding me. I'm using RL22, remington magnum primers (all I could find), sierra matchkings 142gr, lapua brass, scott parker tuned scale, Forster co-ax press, and Forster ultra dies. My ES is not good at all. I shot yesterday and couldn't group to save my life. Averaging 1.5 moa. No it's not the shooter. I've loaded up 300 wsm and 7 mag and shot sub 0.5 moa. I'm shooting a Savage with a 28" criterion barrel in a bedded stock. My ladder group was kinda crappy to begin with as ES wasn't good then. Found a semi node and shot again. 45.5 gr had an ES of 61, 46.0gr was 29 and shot the best groups, 46.5 was 24 and 47.0 was 6 shooting the worst groups. This was with new lapua brass FL sized set to bump shoulder back 0.002 on once fired brass. Bullet concentricity was 0.002 and neck was 0.005 (I didn't neck turn these). Bullets are about 0.005 off the lands. What am I doing wrong? Is it my reloading, the powder, the primers, what? I know I need to at with seating depth, but will it make that huge of a difference because it never has in the past. Sad thing is, cheap wolf gold ammo that i use as fouling shots shot better than my reloads!

[davemuzz]

First: I'm confused by your comment of Sad thing is, cheap wolf gold ammo that i use as fouling shots shot better than my reloads! Does this mean your actually using Wolf ammo to foul your barrel? If so, STOP doing this. When your working up a load you NEVER....and I do mean NEVER mix one load powder shot with another, without first cleaning the bore. In other words, if you shooting wolf ammo in 6.5x55, then before you shoot your RL-22 loads you MUST clean the bore of the wolf residue. If you do not do this you will never get an accurate read of what your RL-22 loads will do.

Second: Find some standard primers. Beg, borrow, but don't steal. But find some standard primers. Use benchrest if you can find those as that will be better than using mag primers.

Third: Move your bullet seating depth back to .020 (twenty thousands) off the lands. Then, if that doesn't shoot well, move the bullet closer by five-thousands at a time.

Fourth: Maybe your barrel doesn't like Sierra bullets. Sad but true. Try Hornady, Nosler (I use custom comp's), or Berger, or someone else.

Fifth: I have some other thoughts, but you gotta go thru these first.

Dave

[n10sivern]

Sorry, I should have clarified on the wolf thing. It's been a little over a month since I last shot the rifle. I shot the wolf first to figure out where I had my scope zeroed previously and adjusted. I cleaned afterward with bore snake and patches. Then I fired 3 of the leftover lower charged rounds from my ladder test to see the impact distance from what I had just zeroed. Then shot my groupings. I waited 10 minutes between firing each group at both 100 and 300 yards.

[n10sivern]

I will work up some more loads at different seating depths and see if I can find some different primers. I have some cci200's but most of what I read on the rl22 says it likes magnum primers. It's just gonna take some playing I guess to get it worked out.

[stomp442]

I never use a magnum primer unless I'm over 58 grains of powder. I'm betting erratic ignition is a big part of your problem and a standard primer should help that. Being as your brass is lapua I doubt that's the problem but double check your neck thickness and tension. May need to uniform the necks by turning off the high spots.

[wbm]

+1 on what Dave said.

I know that Reloader 22 is a "go to" powder for the 6.5x55 but it has never been a powder I have gotten the best loads with in that caliber. Reloader 17, H4350 and Varget(for 120-123gr bullets) have always been better in all the Swedes I have built and shot. Reloader 17 with the 140gr Sierra shot really well in everything I used it in. As for seating depth, my M96 Swede has a loooong throat but it still shoots MOA groups with several loads.

[davemuzz]

wmb's rifle isn't like the two 6.5x55 Swede barrels that I shoot. Both of mine like the RL-22. Yours (n10sivern) may prove to eventually like a different powder as well. However, I would for sure go with the CCI200 primers and drop the use of the magnum primers all together. I don't know where your reading that RL-22 prefers magnum primers, but that's not either what I've read nor my experience.

As stomp has pointed out, neck thickness and neck tension may need to be addressed next, but let's see what primers, seating depth, and bullets do to your groups first.

MHO

Dave

[wbm]

In standard non-magnum calibers, magnum primers just tend to give you more pressure without more velocity. That ain't cool.

Reloader 22 has always shot fair-to-good in my Swedes but just not as good as Reloader 17.

[JeepsAndGuns]

Of the different powders I have tried in my 6.5x55, Hybrid 100V has had my best results.
So I would reccomend trying some different powders. Just cause a powder shoots good in someones elses rifle, doesnt always mean its going to shoot the best in yours.

[dcloco]

As mentioned above, back off the overall length.

Why are you resizing new Lapua brass? Just curious. Personally, I would load ten rounds...of these:

5 with RL22, current primers, bullets...but back off to 0.050" off the lands.

5 with NEW Lapua brass - again, 0.050" off the lands.

Both of my 6.5x55 Ai's and four M96 Mausers prefer H4831.

[n10sivern]

My die is only sizing the mouth/neck because some actually had some mouth dings. Just fixing the brass to load them.

[davemuzz]

I'm assuming n10sivern is shooting a modern action Savage chambered in 6.5X55 Swede. That's what I have. I also have a 100 year old original Military Swedish Mauser that I shoot, but my loads and powder are completely different for that.

Dave

[n10sivern]

Well I went to the range today. I loaded up cartridges with cci200, federal 215, and remington 9.5. The cci200 was the clear winner at 300 yards by a little over an inch. I then loaded up rounds at my oal to lands, 0.02 off lands, 0.04 off lands, 0.08 off lands, and 0.12 off lands. Previously I was shooting at 0.005 off lands and it wasn't grouping. I picked the best load from my last outing which was 46.0 gr of reloader 22. The clear winner today was the load that was 0.02 off the lands. Due to time restraints when I was loading the ammo I only loaded 3 shots of each oal. I plan to repeat this at a later date. Below is pictures of my best group from my first outing this post was about and the second picture is today. Both were shot at 300 yards. Now to recheck this and dial in the powder. I can't wait to see how much I can improve it.

[stomp442]

That looks much better and looks like your getting it figured out.

[davemuzz]

As Stomp stated....It looks like your getting it dialed in!! That's a good thing knowing your getting something accomplished!! I suggested the 20-thousands off the lands because for whatever reason.....I've always had my best luck with Swede development at that distance. It just seem's to work. That doesn't mean you can't get it better if you go 22-thou or 18-thou, but mine are all set at 20. Eh?...who knows?

Non-magnum primers do seem to make a difference. My shootin buddy spends the bucks to buy benchrest primers for their consistency, and he has the data to prove how much better his groups are. I can't argue with it....but I can't seem to part with the $$$$ to buy 'em.

Go to your next step and load up ten or twenty to verify it wasn't a fluke. You may want to bump up or down your powder charge by .02 just to see what happens as that may tighten up your groups more. You will know after 3 or 4 shots.

If your happy with the groups when your done...then load 'n go. I have done neck turning and found it to squeeze a little more in group shrinkage. But...sometimes if you happy where your at, then just load 'n shoot!!!

Keep us posted.

Dave

[HIGHRPM]

RL22 is a slow powder, I would rather use RL17 for better velocity. It all comes down to the point that you can use almost any powder for any load and one will love it and one will hate it. Just find what groups well, has no pressure signs and gives you the velocity you are looking for.