6.5X55 Reloader 17 130 Grain Bergers.

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Corjack
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6.5X55 Reloader 17 130 Grain Bergers.

Post by Corjack »

Cartridge 6.5X55

Brand of bullet Berger OTM

Weight of bullet 130

Brand of brass Lapua

Type of powder Reloader 17

Grains of powder 44.8

Brand, and type of primer Winchester Large Rifle

COL 3.133

FPS/MPS

Rifle Blaser R8 standard weight barrel

Barrel Length 22.7

Scope Swarovski Z6 3-18X50

Weather conditions & temp Very hot! 95 degrees, and nearly 100 percent humidity.

Accuracy @ 100 yards/meters Sub MOA

Notes

I actually started at 41 grains yesterday. Too hot to shoot, but I was bored. Worked up to 41.9 in .3 grain increments. It was really cooperating accuracy wise, but I could tell the loads were mild. I had read that an accuracy load in modern rifles, was 45 grains of H4350 with a 140 grain bullet. I am running them pretty long, with a little under the bullet diameter stuck in the case, not counting the boat tail. Went ahead and jumped to 43 grains, and kept shooting. Again going up in .3 grain increments.

I really am in love with this KKC stock. The more I shoot it, the more I like it.
image.jpeg
44.8 on a scant 4 inch gong, actually measures closer to 3.75 inches. This as 400 yards. Three shots. It is about 2.75 inches, and that calculates out to .6565 MOA @400 yards.
image.jpeg
44.5 on the 8 inch gong 400 yards. Three shots.
image.jpeg
Three shots on the 12 inch gong 400 yards. 44.2 grains. Not sure happened on the third shot, as it felt good. I think the barrel got hot, as it is bad warm. I was giving the barrel about a minute between shots, but with no breeze it was still scorching hot when I touched it off. On the strings above, I would shoot one, wait two minutes, shoot another wait three, then shoot the last shot.
image.jpeg
43.9 @400 yards three shots.
image.jpeg

43.6 grains @300 yards. Three shots.
image.jpeg

43.3 grains @300 yards two shots. I had fired one at 100 to check where I was at.

image.jpeg

I am guessing that around 46 to 46.5 should be a reasonable max load. I am sure it exceeds CIP levels for the swede. I will wait until it is cooler and mess with it again. I am using a .293 neck bushing. Not a lot of tension on the bullet. I may try a .292, especially considering the amount of bullet stuck in the case.
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Re: 6.5X55 Reloader 17 130 Grain Bergers.

Post by Corjack »

It is way to hot to shoot, but I had to play with my new Magnetospeed chronograph.

Fired three shots

1. 2809
2. 2810
3. 2774
Then I noticed that my bayonet had gotten loose, so it might not have given a good reading on the last shot, so I removed it. Loaded another round.
4. 2784

Average 2801
SD 14
ES 26

Not counting the shot I threw out.

In the AM I will shoot three more rounds loaded with 45.1 grains. Am wanting to get to a bit lower numbers, and about 20 more FPS.
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Re: 6.5X55 Reloader 17 130 Grain Bergers.

Post by SPEEDY »

The pill I loved was the 130gn speer, simply and effective.
The 156gn Lapua mega was a great pill too. Starting to lean back to the good old reliable partition as an all round hunting bullet, but them Berger OTM's show some promise. Will this be a hunting or target load?
I'm soft and I don't care. :dance:

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Re: 6.5X55 Reloader 17 130 Grain Bergers.

Post by Corjack »

SPEEDY wrote:The pill I loved was the 130gn speer, simply and effective.
The 156gn Lapua mega was a great pill too. Starting to lean back to the good old reliable partition as an all round hunting bullet, but them Berger OTM's show some promise. Will this be a hunting or target load?

Target load.
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Re: 6.5X55 Reloader 17 130 Grain Bergers.

Post by HunterAU »

6.5x55 what a calibre... I might get another one day.
Shoot First, measure them later.
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Re: 6.5X55 Reloader 17 130 Grain Bergers.

Post by sav338 »

Hi Corjack, why didn't you or have you tried the 140gr Bergers (Hunters) ?
your thoughts .
Im looking at starting some load development on my 6.5x55 when I get some time with the 140s .

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Re: 6.5X55 Reloader 17 130 Grain Bergers.

Post by Corjack »

sav338 wrote:Hi Corjack, why didn't you or have you tried the 140gr Bergers (Hunters) ?
your thoughts .
Im looking at starting some load development on my 6.5x55 when I get some time with the 140s .
I think the 1-8.66 twist is marginal for stabilizing Berger 140s.
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Re: 6.5X55 Reloader 17 130 Grain Bergers.

Post by Corjack »

Working with the new Magnetospeed, and trying to get an extreme spread of less than 20 fps. I am up at the velocity I want, actually slightly in excess of my goal. 45.1 was over 20, 45.4 was over 20, but 45.7 yielded

1. 2867
2. 2866
3. 2855

SD 6
ES 12
Average fps 2862

I will stuff up about a dozen of these, and do accuracy testing at 400 yards.
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Re: 6.5X55 Reloader 17 130 Grain Bergers.

Post by stokesrj »

It can be hard to conclude the true SD with only three rounds, It could be very low, or you may find quite a bit more spread. This is where the Magneto Speed will require you to load more ammo, accuracy testing and data gathering in separate operations. I wouldn't bother with gathering more data until more is understood about the accuracy. I've found loads with SDs of 4fps that shot 2MOA. But I hope it shoots really well for you.
The 140s shoot better for me than the 130s. I've seen no stability issues out of my 6.5X55 Blasers using the 140, but each of them prefer a different jump distance and that distance was critical to top accuracy.
Bob
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Re: 6.5X55 Reloader 17 130 Grain Bergers.

Post by Corjack »

stokesrj wrote:It can be hard to conclude the true SD with only three rounds, It could be very low, or you may find quite a bit more spread. This is where the Magneto Speed will require you to load more ammo, accuracy testing and data gathering in separate operations. I wouldn't bother with gathering more data until more is understood about the accuracy. I've found loads with SDs of 4fps that shot 2MOA. But I hope it shoots really well for you.
The 140s shoot better for me than the 130s. I've seen no stability issues out of my 6.5X55 Blasers using the 140, but each of them prefer a different jump distance and that distance was critical to top accuracy.
Bob
If it was a match rifle. I would agree with you, but since it is already a very accurate hunting rifle, and that is all I desire out of it, three shots is more than suficient, to get the data that is needed. Also reread the post and notice I am now going to do accuracy testing with a dozen rounds.

You are welcome to your opinion, but I feel that a 140 grain, high BC bullet is only marginally stabilized by a 1-8.66 twist.

Just posting my data, not really looking to argue with anybody. I will ether be successful or I will not.
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Re: 6.5X55 Reloader 17 130 Grain Bergers.

Post by stokesrj »

I have no interest in arguing either, just trying to help with the info I've learned.
Bob
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Re: 6.5X55 Reloader 17 130 Grain Bergers.

Post by Corjack »

Loaded up nine rounds, and took them outside to the bench to acclimate as it was 89 degrees in the shade, with less than a 3mph breeze. The bench,rifle and ammo is shaded. After about 20 minutes I started shooting. I tried to not let the barrel get too hot, so I would fire two, wait 15 to 20 minutes and shoot two more. Bottom line is it is not, and even after a 20 minute break, the barrel was still surprisingly warm.

First group measured 1.5 inches center to center @400 yards. That is .3581 MOA.
image.jpeg

Next three on the 6 inch gong measured .875 center to center @400 yards. I had made a one click adjustment after shooting the last target, so it was only slightly below center. This MOA was .2089.

image.jpeg
I waited about 30 minutes and figured that it should be centered good enough to hit the 4 inch gong, fired and missed the dang thing. Shot at it again and missed again. Then noticed that it was now about 94 degrees in the shade, and the humidity was stifling. I went down measured , took pictures and repainted. I had stuffed two more rounds and left them on the bench before I went down. When I got back, I shot at the 6 inch gong, and clipped it at about 1:30. Shot it again, and again it clipped it about 1:30. I am thinking the temp was messing with me. I stuffed up a few more rounds, and will wait until it is a bit cooler and see if the POI shifts back to were it was, before the temp came up.
I am. It sure wether to be concerned about this or not, as it is a hunting rifle, and I am not going to be hunting when it is 90 plus degrees in the shade.
As far as shooting a match with RL 17, with the 6.5 CM, Lapua or 6XC, I am just not serous enough to want to go out and shoot one when it is 90 plus degrees in the shade.
Hopefully I will conclude my RL 17 test with this pound of powder this week, and start another with IMR 4451. Reports have it. It as temp stable as H4350, but it may be more so than Rl 17.
Bottom line, I need to find something that works in place of H4350, that I can walk into a store, and have a reasonable expectation it is on the shelf.
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Re: 6.5X55 Reloader 17 130 Grain Bergers.

Post by Corjack »

It is still 91 degrees, but I just had to hit that 4 inch gong. On a whim, I seated the bullets of the three rounds I had loaded up .005 deeper. Grabbed the rifle out of the air conditioning, and went to the bench. First shot printed about three inches low, but well centered. Next two centered up nicely, about 1.25 inches apart. I figure the 31 degree temp difference between the barrel, and the actual outside temp caused the low shot. I ran inside, and stuffed three more rounds together letting the rifle come up to the outside temp. I went outside, and the barrel was only slightly warm to touch. I tried something Bob had suggested, and pretty much fired the next three rounds as quickly as I could cycle and aim. Trying to get the shots off, before the barrel could get too hot. Seemed to work ok, except for the left to right thing,but that was probably just me on two gallons of ice tea today.

Group measured 2.375 inches, center to center, and that is .567 MOA @400 yards. Goal was achieved in knocking the manure out of the 4 inch gong @400 yards. I actually am usually happy with .576 @100 yards, so I am happy as Olsen would be if they had a Hooters in Denmark, and they also had a shooting range at the end of the bar.

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Re: 6.5X55 Reloader 17 130 Grain Bergers.

Post by Ringo »

When prairie dog shooting I keep my ammo in a shotgun pouch, right next to a frozen bottle of water. While we worry a lot about the barrel and the action (and should) I've found the actual temperature of the ammo to make a difference. When I let my prairie dog ammo get to the ambient temperature (usually 95) I begin to get pressure signs and I start to lose my accuracy.

Just a few degrees cooler helps.
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