furtaker
Senior Member
What are some of your favorite hunting loads for the Swede? What powders have you tried that gives good velocity and accuracy?
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6.5x55 loads
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bullgator
Senior Member
45.0 gr. IMR 4350 125 gr. Partition
wareagle700
Senior Member
I started with IMR 4831 and accuracy and velocity have been so good I haven't tried anything else. I shoot 140 AMAX (or ELD-X now) and 140gr Bergers.
Can't remember the charge weight off the top of my head but it pushes a 140gr bullet 2750fps from a 22" Lilja barrel on my M77 MkII
Can't remember the charge weight off the top of my head but it pushes a 140gr bullet 2750fps from a 22" Lilja barrel on my M77 MkII
furtaker
Senior Member
Are you over the book load? Looks like some loading data for this cartridge is anemic on account of all the military actions floating around. I do have some 4831 that I need to try. Using 45.0gr of RL19 (max in the Speer manual for "modern" actions) I am getting 100fps less than the factory Remington CoreLokts out of my 22" Howa, and most factory loads for this cartridge are loaded a bit mild. I was hoping for better results out of the RL19 but it looks like I'm going to have to try something slower burning. I'm certainly not trying to hot-rod it, but I want to at least reach factory speeds and hopefully a tad more.
Michael F Sights
Senior Member
I've used 125 grain Noslers, 140 grain Sierra's, 160 grain Sierra's, mostly w/ Reloader 22. Awesome rifle.
wareagle700
Senior Member
Yes, that's over book max but is by no means a "hot" load. No sticky bolt and primers don't flatten out. Book values for the 6.5 Swede are very conservative based on the original cartridge and rifle it was used in.
In a modern bolt action, you can load with a bit more pressure.
furtaker
Senior Member
My Speer manual has 2 different sections for the Swede, one for military actions and one for modern actions. Even some of the data for modern actions seems a bit conservative to me.
I did try some 4831 and picked up 200 more fps over the RL 19. My Howa is accurate and the Swede is a pleasant cartridge to shoot. I'm looking forward to hunting with it this fall.
021
Senior Member
On balance, I consider it the finest whitetail cartridge in existence. Regards, 021
Buzz
Senior Member
The interesting thing about the Swede is that the "conservative" loading data is often quoted because it was used in the Mauser M94 Carbine or M96 Rifle. This is actually not correct - the reason the loading data is so "tame" is that the 6.5x55 Swede was also chambered in the Krag-Jorgensen rifle, which is not nearly as strong as the Swedish Mausers.
I have a Custom Ruger M77 with a Krieger tube in 6.5x55. I use 140g Nosler Partitions seated to 3.150" with 47.0g of IMR 7828 for about 2700 fps. Hodgdon's web site shows 48.2g as the max charge but mine gets almost 150 fps faster than the published loading data at that charge and part of the reason I wanted a Swede was to have a very pleasant round that is extremely effective on game.
I've used mine in GA, the midwest, and Canada.
Here are a couple of them
I have a Custom Ruger M77 with a Krieger tube in 6.5x55. I use 140g Nosler Partitions seated to 3.150" with 47.0g of IMR 7828 for about 2700 fps. Hodgdon's web site shows 48.2g as the max charge but mine gets almost 150 fps faster than the published loading data at that charge and part of the reason I wanted a Swede was to have a very pleasant round that is extremely effective on game.
I've used mine in GA, the midwest, and Canada.
Here are a couple of them
furtaker
Senior Member
Good info Buzz. I've read that 7828 is a good powder for the Swede and I'm probably going to try it to satisfy my curiosity. I'm getting right at 2550 with 46.0gr of IMR 4831 and a Speer 140 with good accuracy, which is plenty to kill these puny Southern whitetails.
Dub
Senior Member
Great post, Buzz !!!
Gorgeous bucks, sir.
Much respect for a 140 gr bullet at 2,700 fps. .270Win & 7mm08 fans would certainly agree.
Gorgeous bucks, sir.
Much respect for a 140 gr bullet at 2,700 fps. .270Win & 7mm08 fans would certainly agree.
Buzz
Senior Member
furtaker, I meant to comment that Alliant RL 22 produces some TINY little groups in my rifle with both the 140g Accbond and the 140g Partition. Max velocities are a little lower, and that's fine but one reason I shifted to 7828 is that RL22 is possibly the most temperature sensitive powder I've ever used! While this isn't a huge concern in GA, travelling to Canada to hunt deer it made me search for something that wouldn't lose 200 fps (and have a different POI) when the temps went from 60 to -20.
The buck in my avatar fell to a 308 instead of the Swede. Now the dilemma of which one to take back
The buck in my avatar fell to a 308 instead of the Swede. Now the dilemma of which one to take back
Last edited:
furtaker
Senior Member
furtaker, I meant to comment that Alliant RL 22 produces some TINY little groups in my rifle with both the 140g Accbond and the 140g Partition. Max velocities are a little lower, and that's fine but one reason I shifted to 7828 is that RL22 is possibly the most temperature sensitive powder I've ever used! While this isn't a huge concern in GA, travelling to Canada to hunt deer it made me search for something that wouldn't loose 200 fps (and have a different POI) when the temps went from 60 to -20.
The buck in my avatar fell to a 308 instead of the Swede. Now the dilemma of which one to take back
I read that on another forum about RL 22 and that's why I haven't wanted to try it.
furtaker
Senior Member
Buzz,
Do you have any experience with 7828 SSC? A lot of the data for the Swede shows SSC instead of standard 7828, although according to IMR's website the data is the same for both powders. I'm trying to decide which one to try.
Do you have any experience with 7828 SSC? A lot of the data for the Swede shows SSC instead of standard 7828, although according to IMR's website the data is the same for both powders. I'm trying to decide which one to try.
rosewood
Senior Member
Buzz, what about the modern loads in a 93 mauser 6.5? It was a rebarrel because the 7mm was shot out and I wanted a 6.5. Tks rosewood
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