K95 stutzen accuracy and load development

[lovelight]

I've been playing around with different powder/bullet combinations in my 6.5x55 stutzen and realized the other day that I really don't understand the principles of accuracy in gun design like I thought I did. Like most everyone else, my bolt guns have free floating barrels but these K95s don't. Or maybe they don't in a conventional way of thinking. Technically speaking, the forearm and tip on a stutzen rifle are attached to the barrel and not the stock. So while they don't "float", they are not fixed to the rest of the rifle. The thing is more accurate than most of my other rifles and I'm sure that when I get my load dialed in, it will be near the top if not the very top. Just curious if someone here can comment on why/how these break actions achieve such good results while not following other principles of barrel harmonics. My guess is that the inline lock up of a break action has something to do with this. Not sure why having stock attached to the barrel doesn't seem to hurt accuracy.

Maybe on a related note, I would be interested to hear if anyone has a recommended load for 6.5x55 in this rifle with a Barnes LRX 127g bullet. One strange thing I've noticed is that some powders produce nodes out of this gun and other appear to be nearly linear as a function of powder load. RL-17 produces nodes but H4350 seems to just keep going up and to the right. I've gone a bit above the max recommended on Barnes' and Nosler's web site for different bullets but haven't yet reached a load where I start seeing pressure signs. But I assume the only pressure signs I'm going to see will be flattened primers as there is not bolt friction to rely upon. At higher pressures, I mainly notice that std deviation starts to widen making it pointless to go any higher. Appreciate anyone else's advice and experience with these unique rifles.

[stokesrj]

The K95 will produce near benchrest accuracy. I have both a stutzen and regular rifle and they both rival my better bolt guns for accuracy. As to the bedding, what degrades accuracy in regular bolt rifles is tension in the bedding that results in the action not returning to battery exactly the same way each time after recoil. A free floated barrel makes this more easily achieved but is not necessarily required to achieve top accuracy. If a very good gunsmith beds the whole barrel and action with a stress free bedding job it can shoot even better than a free floated barrel.

The dynamics of the K95 are totally different, the action is very short and very stiff compared to a long bolt action, and the back half of the barrel is free floated in the forearm forward of the attachment point. Regardless of how it achieves it the K95 is one accurate rifle.

[SPEEDY]

With a single shot there's no action, the tilting bolt face makes for a tight lock up and with less to interfere with and that's why I think they are so accurate.

I love my 30/06 and yes, it's a shooter too.

[lovelight]

At some point, I would love to take an elk with my K95. I'm considering the 7mm mag or possible the 300 win mag but in such a light rifle, I assume it must be a handful in those calibers. My compromise would be to load it to 2800fps range to moderate recoil but to keep it at a bullet trajectory similar to my other rifles.

[6.5x55]

I have a K95 in 8x68S. No problem (I have a 1" recoil pad installed)

[SPEEDY]

At some point, I would love to take an elk with my K95. I'm considering the 7mm mag or possible the 300 win mag but in such a light rifle, I assume it must be a handful in those calibers. My compromise would be to load it to 2800fps range to moderate recoil but to keep it at a bullet trajectory similar to my other rifles.

I've got a load like that, 150gn Barnes ttsx from a 19" 30/06.
No recoil issues at all, it's actually quite easy to shoot.

[lovelight]

I think the elk barrel/load will need to be next year's project. The K95 is just a treat to shoot and the accuracy surprises me every time. It's kind of a "where have you been all my life?" type of thing.