6,5x55

Spindrift

Well-Known Member
Did you powder coat the down- sized .270 cal bullet, or use more conventional lube? I can imagine the lube grooves getting a bit shallow. Will see if I can find your old thread.
 

Bass Ackward

Active Member
Did you powder coat the down- sized .270 cal bullet, or use more conventional lube? I can imagine the lube grooves getting a bit shallow. Will see if I can find your old thread.

Lube before you size & take it down in stages. And yes I DID powder coat back then. It was called motor mica.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
I doubt you'll ever find any of the older threads over there.
they cleaned out all the old stuff permanently not too long back.
I lost like 6-K posts and I'd bet Bret lost 20-K.
I didn't care about the fluff posts just jibber jabbin, but I did care about a lot of the stuff I posted and threads I started about real cast bullet stuff.
 

Bass Ackward

Active Member
I doubt you'll ever find any of the older threads over there.
they cleaned out all the old stuff permanently not too long back.
I lost like 6-K posts and I'd bet Bret lost 20-K.
I didn't care about the fluff posts just jibber jabbin, but I did care about a lot of the stuff I posted and threads I started about real cast bullet stuff.

What a waste. Was a lot of varied info there. Must be havin storage troubles. Folks not donating. I should ha an old Lyman Moulds book from the 50s that should have that mold number in.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
I doubt you'll ever find any of the older threads over there.
they cleaned out all the old stuff permanently not too long back.
I lost like 6-K posts and I'd bet Bret lost 20-K.
I didn't care about the fluff posts just jibber jabbin, but I did care about a lot of the stuff I posted and threads I started about real cast bullet stuff.


Frickin' money grubbin' jerks...
 

Spindrift

Well-Known Member
Tried some powder coated bullets today. Powder coating is new to me. I bought the stash about a year ago, but there were always just something I had to test first... Every trip to the range that answers one of my questions, seems to raise two new ones.
So, with no experience in load development with pc bullets, I pulled some loads from the WAG- manual. Noe 266-140- fn. 64BB3BDF-67B0-4D9F-A6B2-E26FD2BA8866.jpeg25grs of vectan tubal 3000 showed promise. 5 shots at 100m, 1,3 moa. Will try to push ot a bit further.
 

Spindrift

Well-Known Member
Shot cast with a new rifle. Schultz & Larsen m97DL. Fat bolt, push feed, switch barrel rifle. Steel, walnut and a piece of rubber at the rear end. I have a 6,5x55 barrel currently fitted- and a .30-06 barrel waiting to show its teeth. Both barrels threaded. Barrel switch requires an alln wrench and 2 minutes. One 5, and one 3 shot magazine, the latter fits flush with the bottom metal. Ridiculously smooth bolt, very nice trigger. Cleaned out most of the copper, and tried some of the favourable loads from the Rössler. Noe 266-140-fn, 66-1 lube, tumble lube top coat. Viht n120, 19 grs. It seems to be quite cast friendly; will be fun to se what I can wring out of this one.
5EDA7D88-1336-4D52-81B4-82FBA0B998CC.jpegFFE4F14D-F461-4105-ACDA-A4F206112DDB.jpeg
 

Spindrift

Well-Known Member
Thank you! I have loaded a bunch of interesting loads, including Arsenal molds 266-92, with and without Pc, Noe 269-134 etc. But the world have conspired to keep me from the range for weeks...... Will get back with more results. I have considered the cruise missile, but never tried it. At some print, I probably will.
 

Spindrift

Well-Known Member
I have two 6,5 molds besides the NOE 266-140. A 5- cavity NOE 268-134-FN (Kurz), and an 5- cavity Arsenal 266-92-Spitzer (which could just a well be called FN; it is not particularily «spitzy»). The Arsenal mold drops a 92 grs bullet, and is most probably constructed with the Grendel in mind. I ordered mine with an untapered gas check shank, it was ready to ship in about two blinks of an eye, arrived in short time and works perfectly.

In a picture below, you can see my three 6,5 bullets, and how the cartridges look when loaded to jam length. As you can see, the Kurz bullet intrudes upon the powder space with the gas check well below the neck (which isn’t supposed to work, right?).

A559B1E6-7551-4801-A9C5-5CE9F1A5F0F5.jpeg

The Kurz- bullet was cast form nuclear medicine lead + 2% tin, BHN14. Home-made gas check from aluminum serving tray, sized base- first .266. Tumble lubed with X-lox/boat wax. Win LRP. Decided to explore the «low node» first, with Hodgdon universal and Vectan Ba9; both seems to work OK. Haven’t shot it much so far, but at least it seems to be working OK; 4 shots in about 1 MOA with the 5th opening to 1,5MOA at 100m. Shooting from prone position, with support on a bag as usual.

1DD98C38-6853-4C66-B8D1-1E251B00F042.jpeg.

I think I will hang around the «low node» a bit more, then try N110 and N120.

I have only started shooting the 266-92 recently; it seems to like 15 grs N110. This load does, however, leave a bit of soot on the necks. Will do a bit of load development with powder coated bullets, looking forward to it!

ABE27B47-1E66-4C0D-B782-E095C543909D.jpeg
 
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fiver

Well-Known Member
I'm gonna have to check with Arsenal and see if I can't get Jared to cut that 92gr. bullet in 25 cal.
I like the looks of that.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
that looks like a slightly heavy 165gr ranch dog mold.


just as a FYI for those that don't know.
a CNC machine can use the same 'cherry' to cut molds of different sizes if they aren't too far apart.
 

Pistolero

Well-Known Member
Great results, Spindrift, and a very fancy range you have there with that high tech
scoring system. I expect that with your winter conditions, it is appreciated even
more than normal in summer. I have heard of such systems, but never actually
seen one.

I have not shot any cast in my two 6.5x55 M95 (oops, edit: M96) military Mausers. They both do well with
handloads with 160 RN, but have not progressed beyond those, duplicating early
military ammo, but soft point.

Bill
 
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Spindrift

Well-Known Member
Thank you, Bill!
Yes, the electronic target system is very practical. Not having to approach the target to evaluate the results means everyone can shoot non-stop. We have very few "commercial" ranges in Norway, almost all are run by unpaid voulenteers, working for the benefit of their club -and opening hours are often a bit short.
So far, shooting cast in the 6,5x55 seems quite similar to shooting cast in other bottle neck cartridges I have tried. I suspect its reputation as an "impossible" cartridge stems from the properties of the swedish mauser, rather than the cartridge itself (as nicely summarized by Ian earlier in this thread)
 
Hello,

Here comes some old Pictures of my test with the LEE Cruise Missile

8607
Nose sized as yo can se the ring on the boreride section


8608
Cartridge length when seated against the lands




8609
Nose dia after sizing

8610
Sized as big as can be chambered


8611
BHN 16-20


8612
50m Bench Group

8613
100m bench Group


16gn Norma R123 powder
Federal 210 primer
RCBS Green lube

BR/ JK